Yes, yoga can increase your strength and flexibility, but it can do so much more than that alone.  Yoga is a great de-stressor and we all know that stress adds to your health risks!  Yoga is a great way to unwind both body and mind. 

The University of California at Berkeley recently published a new study which:

shows that women who practice yoga have better body images and less disordered eating patterns than women who take part in traditional aerobic exercises. Study participants filled out surveys about the type of exercise they performed, how often, and their feelings about their bodies.

Yoga focuses on deep rhythmic breathing through all the movements, and many studies have shown that by simply focusing on ones breathing one can reduce stress. 

Yoga also increases the blood and thus oxygen flow to all parts of the body which aids in relaxation.  It also can help build a healthier heart, improve your mood, and help one to get a good night’s sleep.

Yoga works towards lengthening muscles and stretching joints which aids in strength and flexibility, but also can help with decreasing some symptoms of aging such as stiff joints, arthritis, and body aches and pains.

A few different schools of yoga exist.  The most popular is Hatha yoga.  Iyengar yoga, Svaroopa yoga, and Integral yoga are a few other examples.  Experiment with the different styles and choose the one which best suits your needs.

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