Tag: Yoga

Hard Time Breathing? Try Yoga

Black Woman Yoga

Yoga Helps With Breathing

Breathing isn’t where it should be? Take up yoga and that should do the trick. According to a new study recently published in Thai Journal of Physiological Sciences yoga can improve how your lungs function.

The benefits of yoga on aging, flexibility, and stress have been known for some time, but this is the first study that shows that the ancient practice can improve how our lungs work.

The study divided 58 women and men into two separate groups. One group was told to practice yoga 20 minutes a day, three days a week for six weeks. The other group was told to maintain their normal lifestyle. At the end of the six weeks, the yoga group was found to have improved their chest wall expansion and lung capacity, for which the former is responsible for how well you are able to breathe.

Apparently, respiratory function depends heavily on how strong the muscles are that surround your lungs. Yoga strengthens those muscles, helping you to breathe better. To achieve the results the study participants all did the same five poses of Hatha Yoga at each of their sessions.

So when you’re signing up for that next gym membership, be sure to sign up for the Hatha yoga classes as well. Not only will you be more flexible, but you will be able to breath better as well.

Use Yoga to Stop the Clock

Anti-Aging Yoga

Use Yoga To Slow Down Father Time

We already know, “Black don’t crack,” but if you’d like to enhance the natural youthful beauty Black women retain well into their older years, you may want to consider taking up yoga. From Prevention.com:

Minimizes wrinkles Yoga can reduce stress by nearly a third, reports a German study of 24 women. As a result, clenched jaws and furrowed brows relax, helping to smooth away wrinkles. It may also rejuvenate skin’s glow by reducing oxidative stress, which breaks down skin’s elasticity. In an Indian study of 104 people, oxidative stress levels dropped by 9% after just 10 days of yoga.
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Slows weight gain During a 10-year University of Washington study of 15,500 men and women over age 45, those who didn’t do yoga gained up to 13.5 pounds. Those who practiced regularly lost up to 5 pounds.
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Eases pain Yoga is twice as effective as stretching at relieving back pain, according to another University of Washington study that had 101 people with lower-back pain do either yoga or stretching once a week for 3 months.

We all have those older relatives who are in their 60’s and easily look like they are in their 40’s, yoga just seems like it would add a little “umph” to Black women’s ability to age gracefully. Besides, being healthier, slimmer and more relaxed is something we all can benefit from, regardless of age.