Yoga is another great way to increase your strength and flexibility!

Yoga is an art which has been practiced for over 5,000 years. Yoga means "to join together," which refers to the fusion of both the mind and the body together as one.

Exercise, breathing, and meditation make up yoga, which helps increase function in our bodies.

There are a variety of different types of yoga practiced today including hatha (physical movements and postures plus breathing), raja (incorporates study and meditation with breathing and exercise), jnana (combines wisdom with yoga), bhakti (extreme devotion in one's concentration on God), karma (all thoughts centered on one's personal concept of God), tantra (joining the physical and spiritual bodies), and Kashmir shaivism (everything in the world has male and female qualities).

Yoga also offers many health benefits to those who practice regularly. Flexibility can be increased through yoga by doing a series of asanas, which safely stretch the muscles. By doing this, the lactic acid that is built up in your body is released, increasing fluidity throughout your body. Not only are your muscles stretched, but the soft tissues of your body are as well. In some people, they saw flexibility increase in as little as eight weeks of regular practice.

Strength is also increased through this practice. Most poses build upper body strength, but you can find many types of yoga tailored to the muscle groups you are looking to improve.

Both flexibility and strength combined often give yoga goers better posture. By strengthening your core, which yoga does well, your posture is easily better.

The deep breathing that takes place in yoga is also a helper for one's lung capacity. By inhaling deeply throughout practice, one can better their ability to do aerobic exercise, and increase their endurance. Lower rates of heart disease and blood pressure have also been reported in people who regularly practice yoga. When your heart rate has a slower resting rate, you can also lower your risk of stroke and hypertension.

Aside from the physical benefits, yoga has a great amount of psychological benefits as well. Stress reduction is often a key reason why people begin yoga. Yoga's focus on deep breathing, meditation, and relaxation offer people who practice a better peace of mind, often lowering stress levels. This feeling of calm can also lead to better moods, and better concentration. Overall, yoga can vastly improve a person's well-being in many areas of life.

Wondering if yoga is right for you? Yoga is easily tailored to fit the needs and abilities of almost anyone! Children, teenagers, and people all the way up to the elderly can often practice yoga with no problems.

The key to practicing yoga (and reaping its benefits!) is to modify the poses to fit your individual needs! There are many modifications to yoga which can be made for almost any body type or ability level. Once you find the type of yoga that is right for you; it is a great way to release stress, gain flexibility and strength, and even some spirituality!