Yoga consists of exercises which help to increase the flexibility, strength as well as the breathing of the person and it improves the mental and physical well-being of the person too. Yoga consists of different postures, and this originated in India at least 5000 years ago.
Yoga is beneficial to people suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, pains and aches as well as stress and depression.
Yoga is usually not strenuous enough to count towards the 150 minutes which are set out by the Government guidelines for a person to get moderate activity. However, yoga counts towards strengthening exercises, and if done at least twice a week, the muscle strengthening guidelines can be met. This along with tai chi improves the co-ordination and balance and reduces the risk of falling in older adults.
The way yoga prevents falling is that the lower body is strengthened especially the knees as well as the ankles and therefore, the chances of falling are minimal. Yoga also helps those who have arthritis as it increases the strength and flexibility. It decreases the pain as well.
People of all ages can practice yoga, and even those in their seventies can start yoga. The person doesn’t need to be fit either. However, it is better to join those classes which are more suitable for those with weak fitness levels.
Yoga increases the flexibility of the person, and they do not need to be flexible at all, to begin with. Also, there are very uncommon yoga-related injuries, and so it is perfectly safe.
Yoga is of many kinds and styles. There are the Iyengar, Ashtanga, Sivananda styles. There are other teachers who develop their styles as well. None of these necessarily are better than the other and generally, each session lasts for 30-45 minutes.