Practicing yoga is a great way to improve your health. It helps to keep your muscles flexible and strengthens them. It also increases your core strength, which can help prevent injury. It is also an effective way to manage digestive disorders.
Yoga can also increase serotonin, a hormone that is linked to happiness. It also stimulates higher levels of oxytocin, a bonding hormone.
Yoga has been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It can also improve your immune system. It improves blood circulation, which can help you look younger.
Several studies have shown that regular practice of yoga can reduce common sleep problems such as anxiety. It can also lower cortisol, which is a stress hormone.
One study showed that a 12 week yoga program reduced pain intensity. Another found that yoga improved participants’ ability to focus and performed better on cognitive tests. A third showed that yoga was effective in treating depression. It helped to decrease the levels of cortisol and cytokines, which are pro-inflammatory cytokines.
A 2007 study examined the effects of yoga on the brain. It found that a regular practice of yoga can have a significant impact on the levels of neurotransmitters, including GABA, which is associated with anxiety. The study also revealed that a yoga practice for at least three months reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Another study found that a twelve week yoga program was more effective at improving disability scores than a control group. During this time, yoga helped participants experience less pain and improved social functioning.
