The benefits of yoga for women are plenty and proven. Yoga is an age-old practice that possibly originated in the Indus Valley civilization in 3000 BCE. One of the six orthodox (astika) schools of Indian philosophy yoga is a group of mental, spiritual, physical disciplines and practices. Practicing mindful physical poses tend to keep you fit and fine.
Women are delicate, smooth, and fragile. They are meant to nurture and take care so they need to be strong from both inside and outside. They need to take care of themselves physically, mentally, and psychologically. Yoga asanas and a bit of meditation make the body fit and mentally strong. Let us go through the benefits of yoga for women in detail.
Proven Benefits of Yoga For Women
Improves Metabolism
The metabolic activity should be strong as it being weak causes innumerable diseases further. Weak digestion, Irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, Inflammable bowel syndrome, high and low that is the unusual secretion of the thyroid and parathyroid glands are some of the diseases that arouse due to weak metabolism. Sarvangasana encourages metabolism by stimulating the thyroid and parathyroid glands. Also, Pashimottanasana, Vajrasana aid in increasing digestive power.
Helps in Getting Ridding of Stress
Today’s modern woman is a working woman who has a dual responsibility. She has to go through work and home pressures, tensions. Yoga helps secrete stress-reducing hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, etc. This will alleviate their mood. Also, performing yoga asanas daily will give muscular endurance and flexibility of body and mind.
Helps in Having a Natural Childbirth
Practicing asanas during the prenatal period will aid in having a natural childbirth. It also helps minimize carriage pressure and pain. Not only it ensures natural childbirth but also minimizes labor pains. Yoga also helps to take care of uterine muscles that stretch during lactation. Some special teachers guide you in performing prenatal yoga.
Marjariasana nourishes reproductive organs while Konasana reduces constipation that occurs during pregnancy. Trikonasana helps to maintain the center of gravity that shifts during pregnancy while Viparita Karni causes swollen ankles and varicose veins. Baddha Konasana when practiced regularly endures smooth delivery.
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Ensures Speedy Recovery After Pregnancy
Postpartum yoga ensures speedy recovery after the delivery of labor. A woman’s body gets sore and stretched during pregnancy and needs to be restored and recovered. Increased weight is a matter of concern for every woman whose enduring power weakens.
Yoga poses help to decrease weight in less time. Plank Vinyasa yoga increases stamina and strength in abdominal and back muscles Practising in locust pose improves posture and relieves upper and lower back strain. Pelvic tilts strengthen the pelvic area and lower belly region that suffered damage during pregnancy.
Scissors restore spine and hip flexibility while leg wide pose helps to stretch hamstrings and increases abdominal strength. Mountain pose will restore the torso, abdomen, spine health. It is very important to perform postpartum yoga practices under observation.
Lactating natal’s health depends on the mother’s health. The more early the mother recovers the more healthy the child becomes.
Yoga Cures Premenstrual Syndrome
Few days before her menses, women experience changes in their mood, emotions, digestive habits, health is what we call Premenstrual syndrome(PMS). The causes of PMS are unknown but it goes away once menses begins and about ninety percent of women experience this syndrome.
Symptoms of Premenstrual syndrome are sore breasts, abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, irritability, acne, headaches, leg cramps, changes in sleep patterns, etc. It is believed that hormonal changes led to premenstrual syndrome.
Yoga poses and meditation relaxes the mind and secretes stress-reducing hormones that reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Marjariasana relaxes the spine and abdomen reducing pain in that region.
Bhujangasana strengthens and stretches the spine increasing flexibility and reducing sprain during PMS. Dhanurasana reduces discomfort and addresses fatigue. Matsyasana relaxes tension in the upper spinal region. Bridge pose helps to fix strain and pain in the abdominal region.
Addresses Menstruation Related Problems
Menstruation is a 28-day cycle that every woman undergoes every month. About ninety percent of women suffer from Premenstrual syndrome while others suffer from some other menstrual disorders like heavy periods, missed periods, very low periods or irregular periods, etc.
Nowadays due to fast life women neglect self-care and also sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy fast food eating habits worsen menstrual health to some extent. Abnormal uterine bleeding like amenorrhea, irregular bleeding; dysmenorrhea, etc trouble females a lot for few days of a month.
Such disorders are common but are very painful and can be addressed with medication, the consultation also but yoga fixes them effectively for a long period.
However, it is a controversial issue to practice yoga during menstruation. But researches have shown the benefits of yoga during menstrual periods. One should know which asanas to perform and which to avoid and should consult a yoga specialist for better results. Not only irregularity but various diseases like PCOD can fix with yoga. Also, women suffer from backache, stomach aches, leg cramps, bloating, acidity, headache, etc during periods.
Suryanamaskar is considered best practice but should avoid during heavy periods. Vajrasana, Suptavajrasana, Pawanmuktasana, Titliasana will help to ease the strain. Supta buddha Konasana, Upvishta Konasana, Passhimottasana, Janu Sirshasana, etc help to ease hip pressure and pain. Balasana, Dhanurasana, Passhimottasana reduces stomach ache and secure and smoothens the abdominal and pelvic area.
Reduces Menopause Complications
Menopause is a condition that every woman undergoes in her lifetime. It is the condition of the ceasing of menses. Most woman faces difficulties during the early phase of menopause, some even undergo surgery. After menopause due to the ending of the menstrual cycle the oxygenation and cleansing of blood stops that create various problems for her health. The estrogen level drops and calcium level gets decreased.
This may increase the chances of osteoporosis and arthritis. Along with diet yoga practice will help maintain a woman’s health after menopause. Some poses like the Forward-facing hero pose, Sphinx pose, Fan posture, Lunge pose should be practiced.
Helps To Heal Breast Cancer
Nowadays breast cancer-related problems are increasing. A sedentary lifestyle, fast food, work pressure are some of the reasons. Studies have suggested yoga can add on positive impact along with medication. Cat cow pose, Fish pose, Standing forward bend pose, Child pose are some of the suggested yoga asanas.
Helps To Cope With Gestational Diabetes
Pregnant women develop high blood sugar in 24 -28 weeks of pregnancy it is known as gestational diabetes mellitus. It increases the possibility of having a child with diabetes and increases the complications of delivery.
Yoga poses like Bharadwajasana, Setu bands Sarvangasana, Vkshasana, Pashimottanasa, Uttasana, Tadasana, Trikonasana etc are suggested to cope up with gestational diabetes.
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Keep Women Healthy and Strong
Practicing yoga increases lifespan. In this modern world of hybrid food, pollution, Ultraviolet radiation, changing climate conditions life span has decreased and diseases have increased in spite of abundant scientific research. Daily practice of 15-minute yoga can help women more.
Suryanamaskar, Chandranamaskar along with flexibility enhancing and muscular strength increasing yoga should be practiced daily.
There are different yoga poses for different reasons like face yoga increase glow, self-life of skin and makes the face look young; for maintaining a slim figure Suryanamaskar is enough and best. It also helps to strengthen core muscles.
Increasing Mental Strength | Benefits of Yoga For Women
Yoga poses are not just physical exercise but are mindful poses that require the mind to be alert along with the right creating techniques. This increases mindfulness and calmness. A calm mind is necessary to make decisions special in problematic situations. It also increases mental strength to endure failures and keeps women away from the increasing mental disorders.
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Final Words
The whole world celebrates 21 June as an international yoga day owing to the benefits that yoga gives us. Not only women but yoga benefits all age humans. Researchers have proven yoga benefits in healing Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer, anxiety, anger issues, mood swings, etc.
Women are the core of every family and they need to be fit for the family to be healthy. Women should learn and practice yoga for their overall health. As the age increases the age of their body decreases and after menopause, it decreases rapidly weakening their enduring power. It is essential to maintain health for avoiding further complications. Thus the benefits of yoga for women.