This year is the year
that you start doing yoga, and I mean for real this time.
You're going to join the 36 million-plus Americans
who have taken up this beautiful practice,
connecting yourself with a millennia-old tradition
and helping you flush out those nasty toxins, or,
you know, probably not.
Before you grab a mat, here's what yoga really does
to your body and brain.
First of all, yoga comes in many, many different styles,
but generally speaking, it involves
some amount of stretching and meditation.
Now, despite what you may have read,
there's no scientific evidence to support the idea
that yoga will flush out toxins from your colon
or anywhere else.
But that doesn't mean these techniques
can't help your body in many other ways.
Take back pain for instance.
An estimated 80% of Americans
will suffer from back pain at one point in their lives.
But one study found that after just six to 12 yoga sessions,
participants reported significantly
less pain in their lower back.
That's because certain yoga poses
stretch out your hamstrings, which, when they're too tight,
can yank on your hip flexors and strain your lower back.
But the more you practice yoga,
the more flexible your hamstrings get.
For example, in a 2015 study, women practiced
a type of hatha yoga, which involves positions
like downward dog and triangle pose.
They practiced 90 minutes each week
for around 16 weeks straight.
And by the last week, they could reach
four centimeters closer to their toes than before
thanks to those loose hamstrings.
Now, if you're also meditating during those yoga sessions,
the flexibility might not be the only benefit.
After seven to 16 weeks of meditative activities,
participants in one study saw a huge drop
in C-reactive proteins in their blood.
Those proteins are linked to inflammation,
which, when you're overly stressed,
can kick into overdrive.
And over time, that inflammation
may contribute to serious illnesses
like cardiovascular disease and cancer.
That's where yoga's meditative qualities can help.
Researchers suspect that yoga may reduce stress
by interfering with the central nervous system's
ability to release stress hormones.
Plus, studies show that meditation-focused types of yoga,
like yoga asana, boost levels of feel-good hormones
like oxytocin in the brain.
Plus, yoga is an exercise,
and exercise in and of itself is a stress reliever.
In fact, the US Department of Health and Human Services
recommends two and a half to five hours a week
of light to moderate exercise.
That can include workouts like yoga,
brisk walking, or swimming.
And to be fair, any amount of regular exercise
is most likely going to reduce anxiety,
elevate mood, and improve sleep and self-esteem.
So while yoga might have an edge
in the flexibility department and mindfulness department,
there are plenty of other activities you can try to get fit.
But as long as it gets you moving
and maybe gives you some new friends,
why not give it a try?