5 Benefits Of Yoga | International Yoga Day

Gisele Bundchen, yoga

It’s the fitness secret behind the best bodies in Hollywood and the catwalk, so to celebrate International Yoga Day, which is today (June 21), we look at the benefits of the ancient practice.

If Gisele Bundchen swears by it then we know it’s a fad we need to follow. So, as well as potentially getting a body like the supermodel here’s 10 reasons why you should take up yoga.

1. It Boosts Immunity

According to a recent Norwegian study, yoga strengthens the immune system at a cellular level, increasing overall health. Mitchel Bleier, a yoga teacher of 18 years, told dailyburn.com: “As you breathe better, move better and circulate better, all the other organs function better.” According to experts you body receives this immunity boost before you even leave the mat!

2. It Boosts Your Relationship Status

Single? Then get yoga on your list of hobbies as according to leading dating websites, people who refer to yoga in their profile are ranked among the most attractive.

3. It Reduces Stress

Thanks to the on-going pressures of modern society, we are all stressed, but yoga can help. The combined stretching exercises and controlled breathing not only help your body and mind to relax but it also lowers blood pressure and improves heart function.

4. It Makes You More Intelligent

Nonsense we hear you exclaim, but it is true. According to a study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health it helps your brain to process information more accurately and quickly. “While most exercise gives you a choice to either zone in or zone out, yoga encourages you to return to the present and pay attention,” explains physician Jamie Zimmerman, MD, a Sonima meditation instructor. “This mindful awareness has been correlated with structural changes in the brain, including growth in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with executive function, working memory, and attention.”

5. It Can Help You Diet

By encouraging you to focus on your breathing and the sensations in your body, some experts claim yoga therefore trains your brain to pay better attention to hunger sensations – you become more aware of what is thirst, what is hunger and what is emotions. By reducing stress the practice of emotional eating is also reduced.