Summary review article by the Drummond Team
A recent article published by ‘Exercise for Injuries’ highlighted scientific research on 10 health benefits of taking part in a Yoga class. These are great selling points for you as a Yoga teacher to encourage your clients to take part in your class, or to add some Yoga poses and methodology to your training sessions or programme.
The 10 benefits listed by Exercise for Injuries are:
Improve physical fitness- Eases back pain
- Improve posture and balance
- Increase energy and decrease fatigue
- Boosts the immune system
- Relieves stress and anxiety
- Strengthens bones
- Reduces risk of heart disease
- Helps manage pain
- Improves mental health, self-esteem and confidence.
These 10 benefits are evidenced based and give us the confidence to embark on a Yoga journey. I am certainly going to start the journey and take part in Yoga classes. Here is a summary of just some of the points
Physical Fitness, improve bone density, Increase Energy and Reduced fatigue
Yoga has been shown to increase participant’s flexibility by as much as 35%, muscle strength and endurance by completing 6 more push ups and 14 more ab curls than prior to participation. Hatha Yoga has been show to burn 144 calories in a 50-minute period and boost heart rate to give a cardiovascular affect. Although high intensity workouts can burn more calories they also induce more catabolic stress hormones into the body and don’t often produce the more rounded, well balanced workout that Yoga can.
Yoga can restore natural energy balance and improve energy no matter the starting point. A study of 200 breast cancer survivors showed an improvement in chronic fatigue by 57%. A four-week intervention has also been shown to aid sleep efficiency and reduce chronic insomnia.
As a weight bearing exercise regime, certain poses can have a marked effect on the weaker areas of cancellous bone such as the spine and femur head. Both areas of fracture risk in older adults. One study showed that taking part twice a week increased bone density in the spine and femur and a further study of post-menopausal women suffering from osteoporosis, in 2016 showed participants improved bone mineral density by attending class 4 times per week.
A 2014 review of 32 studies found that compared to non-exercise controls, participants who practiced yoga had lower blood pressure levels, lower total cholesterol levels, lower triglyceride levels, and lower heart rates.
I am certainly convinced of the benefits, are you?
Back Pain, Posture, Pain Management & Mental Health
Several studies have shown that Yoga is more beneficial than medical intervention for back pain. In a study of over 200 adults with chronic lower back pain, participants reported significant less back pain after 6 months. (NCCIH). Researchers also showed that it was as good as physical therapy for reducing chronic lower back pain. (Boston Medical 2016).
Yoga helps counterbalance todays slouching posture (which lowers self-esteem and causes fatigue) by using poses and counter poses which open up and free the kinetic chain. After only 9 weeks of Yoga you can improve posture, stability, balance, increase self-esteem and mental well-being. All these benefits just by improving posture which in turn improves state of mind. (Temple University 2014).
Researchers believe Yoga can also aid pain management even in migraines. The evidence suggests it is because it enhances the “vagal tone,” which is related to the vagus nerve. The vagus bundle starts in the brainstem behind the ears, travels down each side of the neck, and then moves across the chest and down through the abdomen. Studies have shown that yoga helps enhance the function of this bundle of nerves, improving balance throughout the body and helping to reduce pain. There are many Yoga poses that target this nerve by opening up the chain, freeing restrictions and strengthening supporting structures.
Harvard Health report that those who practiced yoga were not only more aware of their bodies, but were more satisfied and less critical of their bodies. Australian researchers also reported that compared to non-yoga participants, yoga participants had significantly higher body image scores.
The benefits of taking part in Yoga are endless. Those Yoga practitioners amongst us have always advocated the benefits of following a Yoga programme, but if you are like many and have not yet tried it, try it and see for yourself.
If you would like to bring these benefits to your participants, why not consider taking your Hatha Yoga teaching diploma. If you already hold a level 3 discipline you may also find it won’t be as costly either.