Benefits of Yoga From your Desk & Chair

BENEFITS OF DOING YOGA

from your desk or chair

Nokuthula Ayanda Petunia Dlamini

What comes into your head when someone starts talking about yoga? Are you picturing incredibly flexible fitness enthusiasts bending their bodies into pretzels? You don't have to be an aspiring contortionist to enjoy this form of exercise. While some advanced poses can be mind-bendingly twisty, this form of exercise isn't just for contortionists.

Those with limited mobility, balance issues, or stubborn stiffness can practice yoga. The many benefits of Chair Yoga can be enjoyed without ever leaving your seat. We know that yoga reduces stress, improves focus and improves energy. According to the Mayo Clinic, office yoga can also help manage chronic health conditions.

The Benefits of Chair Yoga
The benefits of an active lifestyle have been extensively documented, and it can be frustrating when age, illness, or injury makes exercising a challenge. Regardless of your age and activity levels, you can still enjoy Chair Yoga, and it can improve cancer, high blood pressure, insomnia and even depression. Should you wish to experiment with this exercise in the privacy of your own home, you're in luck. Chair Yoga is both safe and effective. Here are some of the ways you can benefit from Chair Yoga:

Increased Flexibility:
The ability to bend, twist, stretch, and move freely is essential for more than doing yoga. It allows you to do what you need and engage in the activities you love. Although some people assume that a loss of flexibility is inevitable as they age, they're mistaken. With flexibility, the rule is "use it or lose it." By gently challenging your body with chair yoga, you can increase your flexibility and improve your mobility.

Improved Strength:
Using your muscles to complete yoga poses builds strength. More strength can lead to better balance, reduce fall risk, and improve your body's ability to withstand injury.

Improved Proprioception:
Doing yoga generally means shifting smoothly from one pose to another. Moving from one pose to another improves your proprioception. What is proprioception? You can accurately sense where your body is in space. With better proprioception, your coordination improves. In addition, your risk of falling decreases.

Reduced Stress:
Mindfulness is an inherent part of yoga. Focusing on your movement, breathing, and how your body reacts to the exercise creates a kind of moving meditation that promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and improves mental clarity. Like other forms of exercise, chair yoga may also help improve mood and offer some relief from issues like anxiety and depression.

Reduced Pain:
Researchers have repeatedly demonstrated that one of the perks of exercise is reduced pain. That's because working out prompts the body to release natural painkillers like endorphins. Participating in chair yoga allows you to capitalise on this natural form of pain relief.

Improved Pain Management Skills:
In addition to stimulating the body to release natural painkillers, chair yoga can provide you with valuable tools that can hone your skills for managing your pain. The exercises focus on meditation and breathing, which can be applied in other situations to cope with pain and discomfort.

Better Sleep:
Maintaining a regular exercise routine is often associated with better sleep, and chair yoga is no exception. The exertion of this exercise can help ensure that you are ready to rest, and the accompanying reductions in stress and pain can reduce the chance that these disruptive discomforts will interfere with your ability to get a good night's sleep.