5 Ways Yoga Can Transform Your Body at Any Age Starting Now!

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Yoga can transform your body at any age starting now! Regular yoga practice will help you develop muscle tone, build flexibility, protect you from injury, prevent weight gain, and will give you balance and mobility!

In addition, it will provide mental clarity, boost self-acceptance, and inspire gratitude and kindness towards all living creatures.

So, if you’re looking for the perfect wellness routine to combine an effective workout with mental health benefits, yoga has it all!

5 Ways Yoga Can Transform Your Body at Any Age

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1. Yoga Makes You Stronger

Are you watching your diet, going for walks, or hitting the elliptical machine, but not getting the results you desire? Have you been wondering why what worked in the past is not as effective now?

There’s most likely a simple reason for this. You’re probably not doing enough strength-training.

Unfortunately, lean muscle mass naturally decreases as we age. In other words, if you don’t use it, you lose it!

Toned muscles are a byproduct of strength-training, as this builds muscle mass. With yoga, you can transform your body by toning and strengthening your muscles.

Other Benefits:

• builds muscles
• develops strong bones
• gives your metabolism a boost
• helps you manage pain
• prevents weight gain
• lowers blood pressure
• enhances your quality of life

Beginner Poses to Build Muscle:

• Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
• Forearm Plank (Phalakasana)
• Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana)

2. Yoga Makes You More Flexible

Yoga does more than tone muscles; it’s a complete mind-body workout. As a result, yoga can transform your body.

And, by combining stretching and breathing, yoga will make you more flexible.

Flexibility becomes increasingly important as you get older. That’s because your body stiffens which results in aches, pains, injury, and fatigue. According to research, “At least half of the age-related changes to muscles, bones and joints are caused by disuse.”

And, regular yoga practice increases flexibility because yoga focuses heavily on muscle elasticity. Stretching your muscles keeps you healthy and prevents injury.

In addition, better flexibility improves movement, but also promotes blood circulation, and lowers your risk of arthritis, stroke, and heart disease.

Other Benefits:

• stimulates the nervous system
• improves blood circulation
• helps lessen stress and fatigue
• relieves backaches

Beginner Poses to Increase Flexibility:

• Half Pigeon Pose (Beginner Poses to Build Muscle)
• Child’s Pose (Balasana)
• Extended Triangle Pose(Utthita Trikonasana)

3. Yoga Helps Prevent Injury

Injury occurs when muscle tension negatively impacts your range of motion. And, tightness in muscles or joints is a common cause of chronic injury.

Most people also tend to favor one side of their body. So, you may be putting added pressure on the muscles and joints on the favored side, re-injuring yourself.

And, there is always a higher risk of injury when you’re active, especially as you get older. Some common injuries are:

• hip pain
• muscle pulls
• sprained ankle
• shoulder injury
• knee injury
• shin splints
• neck strain
• low back strain
• plantar fasciitis

However, yoga has been shown to increase joint range of motion while elongating muscles. And, because restrictions in muscle or joint tissue are a common cause of chronic injury, yoga can prevent pulls, sprains, or fractures.

For instance, one study on chronic non‐specific low back pain found that many people are proactively practicing yoga to improve back pain.

And, there is evidence to suggest that “yoga produced small to moderate improvements in back‐related function at three to four months.”

At its core, yoga changes the way you approach everything in life and can transform your body in surprising ways.

So, instead of forcing things, you learn to move with ease. And, this in itself will prevent injuries and increases overall flexibility!

Other Benefits:

• elongates muscles
• eliminates pain, stiffness, limited range
• strengthens weak abdominals to support low back
• develops strong ankles and flexible toes
• maintains flexible neck muscles
• improves balance

Beginner Poses to Prevent Injury:

• Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
• Rabbit (Sasangasana)
• Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

4. Yoga Helps You Maintain a Healthy Weight

I’ve been an avid runner since I can remember. And, when yoga first showed up on my radar, I was reluctant to exchange a good run for yoga class.

I wanted to get the highest caloric burn from my activity, and tone and strengthen at the same time. But, I was hesitant to believe that yoga would afford me those same results.

However, after an injury, I began to view yoga differently. I was forced to hang up my running sneakers and heal my body. And, during that time, my yoga practice was instrumental in changing my lifestyle in ways that running never could!

And, although it may surprise you, you can get a strenuous workout at yoga! Learning about the different styles of yoga will ensure that you get exactly what you’re looking for!

An additional advantage is that you will soon notice yourself making healthier lifestyle choices.

And, because of this, not only does yoga transform your body, but it has a powerful impact on your total well-being!

Beth A. Lewis, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology in Minneapolis sums it up perfectly. “Most individuals need to change both their energy intake and energy expenditure to lose weight.

Although some yoga practices may burn fewer calories than traditional exercise like jogging, yoga will increase your mindfulness and the way you relate to your body.

It also has the ability to transform your body in a different was than other forms of activity. And, because you will become more mindful of what you ingest, you’ll naturally make better food choices.

Other Benefits:

• detoxifies organs
• releases endorphins to improve mood
• regulates metabolic rate

Beginner Poses to Lose Weight:

• Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
• Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II)
• Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

5. Yoga Increases Mobility and Improves Balance

Did you realize that your ability to maintain good balance starts to decrease at about age 40? And, this increases the likelihood of getting injured. And, although balance is the result of a strong body, strength and flexibility will only take you so far.

In other words, you cannot align your body properly if your energy and your mind are not in balance, as well. So, total balance also requires that you go inward and become still. Yoga can help you achieve this and more!

As a result, your daily life will improve. So, along with better balance and stronger muscles, yoga improves confidence. And, we can all use that extra dose of confidence now and then!

Other Benefits:

• helps you stay centered
• prevents falls and injuries
• improves focus and concentration
• increases confidence levels

Beginner Poses for Balance:

• Half Moon Pose(Ardha Chandrasana)
• Chair (Utkatasana)
• Lord of the Dance Pose (Natarajasana)

Doing yoga everyday will transform your body and change your lifestyle for the better.

And, exploring the different styles of yoga is the first step toward creating a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. (Learn about the 9 major styles of yoga here.)

So, don’t be surprised when you begin to avoid sugar, or you turn down that second glass of wine. You will be more inspired than ever to create a healthier lifestyle.

And, you’ll never know exactly what wonderful surprises are in store for you until you commit to regular yoga practice! Namaste.

Keep Reading

• For a list of supplements for women, click here.
• To learn how to live a yogic lifestyle, click here.
• To achieve a glowing complexion in midlife, click here.
• For effective anti-aging supplements, click here. 
• For a high-quality, vegan probiotic routine, click here.

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