By Lacey Muinos
Many of us can appreciate the physical and mental benefits of exercise, but after a long day at work, it can be difficult to show up for ourselves. Similarly, many people strive to have a meditation practice in their lives but busy schedules can get in the way.
Yoga is a unique form of physical activity because it combines movement with mindfulness. It offers an opportunity to be active while taking time to ground yourself, become aware of the present moment, and observe your thoughts and feelings.
We all get busy sometimes, and when we do, our self-care tools may be the first to get pushed to the side. Here’s how busy people can utilize yoga to strengthen their body and mind in one practice.
The Benefits of Yoga for Exercise
Exercises like yoga, Pilates, and barre are more challenging than they look. People who have never tried yoga may assume it’s not an effective workout for getting your heart rate up, building muscle, and increasing strength. However, yoga can be an intense workout that combines cardio, strength training, flexibility, and more. Here are just a few of the physical benefits of a yoga practice.
1. Increases Flexibility
Yoga involves practicing poses, which are used to stretch the body and reduce stiffness. The result of a prolonged yoga practice is often increased flexibility in the spine and muscles and reduced back pain, research shows. Yoga poses and stretches can also improve posture and balance, leading to better overall body awareness. For a deeper stretch, try the WeGym Yoga Block, which is made from a soft but durable foam and comes in aesthetic colors.
2. Stronger Muscles
Yoga doesn’t involve equipment like weights, but that doesn’t mean it can’t build strength and incorporate resistance. In fact, some yoga exercises involve tools like resistance bands to activate the muscles. However, you don’t need any special equipment to use yoga for increasing strength—just your own body. According to one study, a 12-week yoga practice involving postures and breathing maneuvers improved muscle strength, balance, and flexibility among male college students.
3. Cardiovascular Conditioning
Yoga flows can look like whatever you want them too. You can sweat it out in a hot yoga session or opt for a slower pace. A vigorous yoga sequence can help increase your heart rate to count as your cardio workout for the day. Yoga may also have heart health benefits, according to a 2023 meta analysis. The research revealed that yoga therapy may improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, body mass index (BMI), and blood glucose levels (HbA1c), suggesting that it may have cardioprotective properties.
The Benefits of Yoga for Mindfulness
Yoga can be a mental exercise as much as it’s a physical exercise. This is because yoga involves chants or mantras that calm the mind, and it provides an opportunity for practicing mindfulness. Environments where yoga is practiced—whether in a yoga studio or in your own home—can also provide a tranquil setting to focus on the present moment and focus on your whole self. Here are some of the ways yoga can support mental well-being.
1. Boosts Mood
There’s ample research on the link between exercise and improved mood, and yoga is no exception. It’s been shown to alleviate symptoms of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Yoga may even be more effective at boosting mood than walking, some research suggests.
2. Relieves Stress
Stress isn’t just a feeling—it can cause physical tension in the body, which can have consequences to your well-being. Exercise is commonly touted as a form of stress relief. Yoga, for example, reduces stress and anxiety, increases relaxation, and promotes emotional balance, research has found.
3. Improves Sleep
Trouble sleeping? Yoga could help. Many of us struggle with poor sleep quality or simply not getting enough of it, but quality sleep is essential for overall health. One study found that yoga not only improved sleep quality in people with insomnia, it also decreased stress and improved quality of life.
Combining Exercise and Mindfulness
It’s no secret that humans aren’t the best at multitasking, but yoga is an exception. Because yoga has physical and mental elements, it’s not just a form of physical exercise. With opportunities to practice breathing techniques and use chants or mantras to calm the mind, it’s also a form of mental exercise. And when physical and mental exercise are combined, great things can happen—it’s even been studied.
Yoga and mindfulness can both reduce stress, and they’re effective when combined with each other, one trial found. In one systematic review, researchers looked at 35 trials that combined physical activity, including yoga, with mindfulness. They found that this combination effectively improved mental health and well-being, and that it may be more effective than either approach alone. More research is needed, but integrating mindfulness with yoga may have benefits for people with depression, one meta analysis concluded.
Making Time for Yoga
Lack of time is a common barrier to routine exercise. Given the physical and mental benefits of exercise, it’s important to prioritize fitting exercise into your busy schedule.
While there are many forms of exercise to choose from, yoga could be the busy person’s solution to getting active and calming the mind all at once.
Here are some strategies to make time for yoga:
- Practice yoga at home. Driving to and from a yoga or fitness studio requires precious time. With a WeGym Yoga Mat, you can practice yoga anywhere—in your office, at the park, etc. It has a carrier strap for portability and it rolls up for easy storage.
- Find 30-minute time slots in your schedule. Your yoga workout doesn’t have to be hours long. Start with just 30 minutes a few times per week (or less) and go from there.
- Ask family and friends to join you. Exercising with loved ones combines physical activity with socializing, highlighting how yoga offers unique opportunities for multitasking.
- Create reminders for yourself. Time can get away from you when you feel swamped with other tasks. Set a reminder or alarm on your phone or virtual calendar, so you don’t lose track of time and allow other commitments to creep into your yoga time.
