By fitlifemonthly 
A yoga body isn’t just about flexible limbs. According to Anna Magee, yoga can boost memory, heart health, and bone strength. It’s clear that the UK has fallen in love with yoga, spending around £790 million annually on classes and mats. Despite the quirky yoga trends like rage yoga or dog yoga, science is proving the real benefits of traditional practices.
Researchers at UCLA discovered that a three-month course of yoga and meditation was more effective at reducing age-related brain impairment compared to memory exercises. Another study found that yoga could improve sleep for breast cancer survivors.
When Lucy Edge, a former advertising executive, experienced deep depression, she chose yoga over prescribed anti-depressants. After taking a six-month break to learn yoga in India, she returned feeling happier and more content, even without achieving the “yoga goddess” body. Lucy has since written books on yoga and compiled a section on her website that lists clinical trials showcasing yoga’s benefits for various conditions.
So, what can yoga do for you?
For memory improvement, researchers found that older adults who took a 12-week course of yoga and meditation improved their memory, reduced depression and anxiety, and increased stress resilience more than those who did memory exercises.
You don’t need to spend hours doing headstands. Even just an hour of Kundalini yoga per week, combined with daily 20-minute Kirtan Kriya meditation sessions, can help.
Yoga is also great for heart health. Evidence suggests that yoga can lower heart disease risk as effectively as conventional exercises like brisk walking. By reducing stress, which contributes to heart disease, yoga can lower blood pressure and heart rate, decreasing the likelihood of blood clots. Practicing yoga has been shown to improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight – all risk factors for heart disease.
To get started, you could try gentle yoga poses or restorative yoga, which involves supported postures held for up to 12 minutes. This style gives the nervous system a break and quickly reduces stress.
Musculoskeletal physiotherapist Sarah Shone has integrated yoga into back pain rehabilitation, with 87% of participants reporting pain reduction. Yoga is recommended for lower back pain in the UK’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines and is credited with deeper benefits, including training more physiotherapists to use yoga in clinical practice.
Yoga can also help prevent incontinence by strengthening pelvic floor muscles and improving bone density through weight-bearing poses. Beginners should communicate any health issues to their instructors and may want to start with gentler styles like Hatha or Iyengar yoga.
Choosing the right yoga mat is important. Consider where you’ll use it, how often you’ll carry it, your height, and whether you need extra cushioning for joint protection. Investing in a quality mat like the eco-friendly Elephant Cork Yoga mat from Valka Yoga can enhance your practice experience.
Yoga comes in many forms. From the slow-paced Yin or Restorative yoga to the more energetic Vinyasa Flow, there’s something for everyone. Styles like Iyengar focus on precision and alignment, while Anusara combines alignment with movement. Yoga Therapy can be particularly beneficial for those recovering from injury or illness.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your practice, there’s a type of yoga that can meet your needs and help you improve your overall well-being.