It’s 2019 everyone! The holidays have come and gone and now we are left with the stark reality that those innocent appearing festive cookies were actually not so innocent. It’s time to put a plan in place to work on a healthier, happier, you. How, you may be wondering? Well, with yoga at Action Medicine, of course!
Before you stop reading, you need to know that yoga isn’t just for granola eating, extremely flexible people (not that I’m hating on granola or flexible people). Yoga is for people of all ages and abilities.
Why, you ask, is yoga for “me?” Allow me to explain. Yoga consists of a series of body positions geared towards lengthening and stretching the muscles while working on controlled breathing and meditation. It has been shown to be very beneficial for stress reduction… and who doesn’t need less stress!
For those of you that wish for a more scientific explanation, yoga reduces stress by reducing cortisol levels in our body. Cortisol is our stress hormone. It causes inflammation and can lead to heart disease. It is also elevated in anxiety and depression. In previous studies, yoga after 10-12 weeks was associated with decreased anxiety levels in participants, decreased “bad” cholesterol levels and decreased inflammation in the body.
So, is yoga a cure for everything? Of course not! However, those that practice yoga regularly report an over all improvement in their perceived quality of life. You don’t have anything to lose by trying. You don’t even have to go into a yoga studio with people you don’t know, if you’re interested, as we will be having yoga classes here at Action Medicine. (The next class is Sunday January 13th at 10am. Space is limited so call to reserve your spot).
There you have it, the benefits of yoga brought right to your front door through your own health clinic. You don’t need any special equipment and we have extra yoga mats for those without. We hope to see you Sunday!
Namaste
Brooke Rieth NP
