Yoga has been growing in popularity for decades now, and you’re probably starting to notice yoga studios cropping up all the place. What once was thought of as silly or even just for hippies is finally becoming mainstream. But, why is there so much fuss over yoga? Yoga-lovers claim that yoga builds strength and stretches muscles that in turn keeps you more spry and flexible. That all sounds great to us, to be honest. Keep reading to learn about yoga and how it may be able to help you prevent injuries.

Yoga for Flexibility

Yoga poses are designed to stretch out your muscles. In fact, you might even feel muscles that you haven’t used in a long time after a class. Having your muscles stretch encourages better flexibility. For example, if you commit to doing yoga over a few months you may notice that you’re closer to touching your toes than you once were. When your muscles are flexible and loose, you’re less likely to strain them.

Yoga for Strength

The biggest misconception about yoga is that it’s a mellow, sit-on-a-mat relaxation. It’s really more of a workout that is actually designed to work your muscles than you may think. Whether you’re balancing on one foot or holding your body parallel to the ground, you’re likely to notice you’re working hard, like really hard. Keep yourself strong by working muscles that don’t normally get touched at the gym.

Yoga for Stress

Yoga has been linked to lower levels of stress in regular practitioners, probably due to its focus on breathing. Taking deeper breaths and certain meditation techniques that are included in many kinds of yoga encourage lower heart rates and better handling of stress. When you’re working through stress better, you’re less likely to make rash decisions that could lead to injuries.

If you’re interested in learning more about preventing injuries, or have an injury you want us to look at, call us today at (210) 696-9000 to schedule a consultation. Yoga may be able to prevent some injuries while you exercise, but not all of them.