Yoga Stretching Exercises: Good For Young and Old
There are certainly a lot of reasons to be tense, worried and unable to get a good night’s sleep these days. Some simple yoga stretching exercises may be the perfect tonic to lowering your stress level.
Yoga has actually been found to lower the stress hormone known as “cortisol.” It has also been found to lower blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety as well as improve your digestion, beef up your immune system and help alleviate physical pain.
If the idea of yoga conjures up pictures of twisting your body into a giant pretzel don’t worry. You can get the benefits of yoga with basic stretches that will improve your flexibility. One such beginning stretch is known as the “Sun Salutation.” It activates all the systems in your body and only takes about 50 to ten minutes and a yoga mat.
The sun salutation is a great warm-up exercise and the benefits are quite amazing. It massages your internal organs, removes carbon dioxide by ventilating the lungs and stretches your spinal column.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that yoga is for the “meditation” crowd only. While it is a complete wellness system for the body, mind and soul it benefits everyone by firming and tightening muscles, improving balance as well as posture.
Recent studies have also shown that yoga can benefit even young children
Schools should definitely be looking into these benefits since kids spend a major part of their day sitting — not only during their school day but in front of the tv or video game at home. Yoga can help them correct the muscle strain, tension and poor body alignment this inactivity causes.
They will gain enormous benefits from yoga through improved flexibility, strength and coordination. Yoga has also been show to help a child’s ability to calm themselves and stay focused.
Consider incorporating yoga stretching exercises
March 19 2009 06:42 pm | exercise workouts
