Yoga is a holistic form of exercise that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is generally considered to be a safe, beneficial practice for people of varying ages and levels of physical fitness. The many benefits of a regular yoga practice stem from its emphasis on connecting the mind and body through performing conscious, focused postures, breath work and meditation.
Flexibility
As you age, your muscles and joints become tighter, making them more susceptible to injury and pain. Increasing flexibility is an important part of overcoming these issues. Yoga helps improve your overall level of flexibility through a variety of postures that focus on different areas of your body. The poses, also referred to as asanas, help to stretch your muscles, ligaments and tendons while increasing joint flexibility and mobility. According to author Anita Goa in her book, "Your Best Body Ever," you lose about 15 percent of your overall moisture content in your muscles as you age, resulting in stiffness and limited mobility. Stretching helps to increase the production fluids that lubricate your joints, decreasing stiffness and increasing your range of motion.
Strength
Yoga is a weight-bearing exercise, which means that your body works against gravity to support itself. Weight-bearing exercises not only increase muscle strength, they can also help fight conditions such as osteoporosis by building bone density, according to the University of Arizona. Additionally, various yoga poses focus on developing strength in different areas of your body. Poses such as the Boat pose and Plank pose, focus on the development of core strength, which includes strengthening the muscles of your back, abs and pelvis. Other poses, such as the warrior series, help to improve strength in your arms, legs and core.
Posture
Poor posture can affect not only the way you feel on a physical level, it can also have a negative impact on your overall well-being. According to yoga instructor Noa Belling in her book, "The Yoga Handbook," an unhealthy posture can result in your muscles having to perform some of the work your bones are supposed to handle, leading to pain and spinal misalignment. Yoga poses help to promote a healthy posture by conscious execution of poses that focus on an awareness of proper spinal alignment. Specific yoga poses also help posture by strengthening the muscles in your back that support your spine.
Relaxation
Yoga provides a beneficial way of managing stress, reducing physical and mental tension and inducing relaxation. Relaxing poses help your body to integrate the work of the more active poses. They lower your heart and breath rate and help improve circulation. Specific restorative poses for relaxation, such as Savasana or Child's pose, help to calm the mind and body. Relaxation helps your body rejuvenate, restores energy reserves and improves your ability to concentrate, according to Belling.
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