By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

July 26, 2013

• The exercise of choice for athletes and movie stars
• Build strength, confidence and brain power
• Ancient mind-body technique for maximum health

I enjoy walking. Just 30 minutes in the morning and another half hour in the early evening helps clear my mind while providing much-needed exercise.

When I add a few jogs and sprints into the mix, it gets my heart pumping and my energy levels soar.

There is nothing bad – and everything good – about taking a long walk. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the first types of exercise I recommend to my patients to get them out of the house and moving their bodies.

But there is another form of exercise that can help take you to the “next level.” I’ve taken advantage of it myself over the years and often suggest my patients try it out.

It’s an ancient form of Indian exercise. And many professional athletes are using it these days to increase flexibility, strength, agility and recovery time.

Big sport stars like NBA All-Star’s Joe Johnson and LeBron James participate in it. NFL’s Baltimore Ravens line backer Ray Lewis and wide receiver Torrey Smith also take part in this type of exercise.

I’m talking about yoga.

This Indian exercise provides physical benefits everyone wants to experience. It helps reduce stress levels, anxiety and depression. Yoga can even improve your mood, confidence and self-esteem.

This may be why so many famous entertainers are joining the revolution. I’ve read reports that movie stars, like Matthew McConoughey and Brad Pitt, are big believers in this traditional exercise. And I’m guessing confidence and self-esteem are pretty important when an actor is standing under the camera lights.

These superstars may be getting an additional benefit, too: Improved brain function.

You can enjoy these same amazing results. Just take a look at what this ancient exercise can do for you…

As a form of exercise yoga has real, honest-to-goodness health advantages. They’ve been proven by science over and over again.

For example, just last year researchers dug into numerous studies on the benefits of yoga. What they discovered from this meta-analysis was quite amazing.

Taking part in regular yoga sessions…

• Improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance
• Reduces blood pressure
• Decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Lowers body weight
• Improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Reduces back and joint pain
• Improves cardiovascular function

These are all plenty of reasons to like yoga. But there’s even more.

A study published in May had a group of undergraduate students take part in 20 minute yoga sessions. They also had the students perform 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, like walking or jogging.

The researchers were surprised to find participants showed more improvement in their reaction times and accuracy on cognitive tasks after yoga practice than after the aerobic exercise session. In fact, there were no significant improvements on the working memory in the aerobic group.

Overall, just 20 minutes of yoga increased focus and information processing along with the ability to take in, retain and use new information.

But it’s not just young people who can boost their brainpower with yoga. The lead researcher in the study I just mentioned also conducted a similar study on older people.

A group of 61 middle-aged and older subjects engaged in yoga exercises. Another 57 participants were assigned to stretching exercises.

After eight weeks, the yoga group had a significant improvement in cognitive measures compared to the stretching group. This included better executive function, attention and processing speed.

And here’s the icing on the cake. The people who took part in yoga had physical results similar to the stretching group. They had improved strength, balance, flexibility and mobility.

Now when you hear the word “yoga,” you might envision yourself trying to wrap your ankles around your neck. But that’s not how it works.

Take a look at this…

The form of yoga they used in both of the studies I mentioned earlier was Hatha. This is the type most practiced here in the U.S. It’s also recommended by the American Heart Association.

Hatha yoga uses body postures to promote physical health. But you don’t have to stand on your head to do them. They are simple poses to help improve balance, flexibility and strength.

It also includes breathing techniques and meditation to help you de-stress and gain mental clarity. And I believe it’s this mind-body connection that makes it so effective.

You see, we all need plenty of exercise. It improves our weight, cholesterol profiles, insulin response, heart health and much, much more.

But in today’s world it’s also extremely important to find ways to control our stress levels.

I have patients who are constantly rushing, worrying and “under the gun.” They have deadlines at work, financial worries and ailing parents… and never seem to find a minute for themselves.

Constant stress has its own health risks. And this is where yoga makes good sense.

Between the physical exercise, breathing techniques and meditation aspect, it can reduce almost all of the health risks associated with a hectic lifestyle.

I’ve found a website http://www.yogafinder.com that can help find a yoga instructor in your area. You can also check the phone book or get a reference from a friend, family member or your doctor.

Pick two or three of them and see if you can get a free sample lesson from each. Once you find a yoga instructor you like, sign up and get started.

---

Resources:
Arndt Büssing, et al. Effects of Yoga on Mental and Physical Health: A Short Summary of Reviews. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012.

A 20-minute bout of yoga stimulates brain function immediately after. News Alert. University of Illinois. Jun, 2013.

Gothe, Neha. The effects of an 8-week yoga intervention on cognition and functional fitness in older adults. Dissertations and Theses from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. May, 2013.