Why Yoga is More Than a Workout

Yoga is an extremely popular physical activity that huge numbers of people regularly engage in, all around the world — and there’s no denying that it can be a really exhausting and effective workout.

Between hot yoga sessions that will really push to your limits, flow yoga sessions designed to help maximise flexibility, and all sorts of targeted varieties of yoga for addressing particular physical aches and pains, plenty of fitness enthusiasts squeeze in a yoga session here or there as an addition to their overall workout routine.

When all is said and done, though, there’s a lot more to yoga than just the fact that it can help you to work up a sweat, or can improve your mobility for deep squats.

Here are just a few reasons why yoga is more than simply a workout — and why you should look into taking up a yoga practice today.

It can transform your ability to move your body gracefully and comfortably in different contexts

Everyday life naturally tends to involve all sorts of different situations where we need to move our bodies around in a range of ways. Whether you’re carrying some heavy groceries in from your car, are running for a bus, or are trying out a new dance or martial arts class, things like the flexibility and strength of your muscles are a big deal.

By helping to promote better physical strength, greater balance, and enhanced flexibility — and not least of all because of the fact that it can release tight muscle groups and therefore improve posture and reduce aches and pains — yoga can transform your ability to move gracefully and comfortably in many different contexts.

A heavy powerlifting routine may certainly have some benefits, but it’s also likely to cause stiffness and aches and pains if not balanced out. A yoga routine, on the other hand, can improve how you physically interact with the world on an everyday basis.

It can help to centre your awareness more mindfully in the present moment

Mindfulness is the kind of thing that more and more people are becoming aware of and interested in, in recent times — and there are some pretty good and clear reasons why.

Mindfulness is essentially a state of relaxed, present-centred awareness. It means “being here now,” and not being overly caught up in your own thoughts. Being mindful can help you to savour the present moment, while simultaneously improving feelings of wellbeing.

Yoga is an excellent mindfulness-promoting practice and tends to go hand in hand with meditation, among other things.

It can Dramatically Help to Alleviate Stress

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for many people to feel stressed out on a day-to-day basis, what with global uncertainty, longer working hours, and the prevalence of sleep deprivation, among other things.

Yoga is great as a form of moderate-intensity physical activity that can help to alleviate stress without resulting in overtraining or a sense of burnout.

Yoga can also alleviate stress by reducing aches and pains, and helping us to relax and breathe through strenuous situations.