7 Ways Yoga Can Help Manage Stress and Improve your Overall Health

April is Stress Awareness Month, and to celebrate we’re encouraging you to stretch into a yoga class, relax into a massage or check out our Pilates workouts. Yoga has many benefits from stress reduction to increased energy and help maintaining your weight. Check out one of our group yoga classes at Prairie Life Fitness.

1 - Focus and Mindfulness

With its emphasis on balance, controlled breathing, and body awareness, yoga helps to bring about a sense of focus and mindfulness which lasts far longer than the session itself. This mindfulness plays a huge part in everything from reducing stress to losing weight. Hone in on impulse snacking, habitual overeating or take a time-out to focus on your breath and find a moment of relaxation.

2 - A Better Sense of Body

Yoga practitioners also tend to become more aware of how their lifestyle affects their bodies, and how they feel physically from day to day. That can encourage you to eat fresher, healthier foods which increase your energy levels rather than processed, fatty foods which can lead to sluggishness.

3 - Enhanced Mood

Regular yoga sessions also lead to a greater sense of calmness and peace, and this is very helpful when you're stressed or nervous.

4 - Better Mobility

Within only a few months, yoga can significantly increase your mobility by giving you better balance, flexibility, and muscle control. That makes more strenuous forms of exercise easier to take on, but it also increases the chances of you taking pleasure and fulfillment from simple physical activities.

5 - Improved Sleep

The calmness that yoga promotes can also help you sleep better. Poor sleep has been shown to dampen your metabolism and increase stress levels.

6 - Increased Energy

As yoga becomes a regular part of your life, you'll start to feel more lively and energetic. Not only will you feel brighter and less likely to snack, but you'll also find the idea of walking more or even working out an attractive one rather than a chore.

7 - Raised Metabolism

Lastly, consistent yoga has the effect of raising your resting metabolic rate. That means you'll burn more calories daily even without physical activity, which can only help with weight loss.

Check out one of our group yoga classes at Prairie Life Fitness or ask one of our personal trainers how to begin a regular practice. Learn more at http://www.prairielife.com