Benefits of Yoga asana and other physical exercises

Many health club and institutions run physical fitness program and train pupil to keep them healthy such as yoga asana, pranayama, aerobics or gymnastic exercises and combination of these practices.

Yoga is a manifold spiritual mechanism to improve overall health and have positive effects. Asana is one of the components of yoga which is executed commonly applied for health benefits.

Asana are describes as the Yoga Postures which exactly mean, seat.  It is emanated from Sanskrit word that entails physical posture. According to The Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Asana are quoted as ‘Sthiram Sukham Asanam’. This indicates Asana is a kind of yoga pose that is stable and relaxed state.  The aim of specific Asanas is to gain strength, balance and control. Besides spiritual cleansing, each Asana has great health benefits.

Physical practices or exercises intend to strengthen muscles and. Physical activity is grouped into basic types such as endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase breathing and heart rate. They keep heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy and improve overall fitness. Strength exercises strengthen muscles such as lifting weights, using a resistance band, using own body weight, brisk walking or jogging, yard work (mowing, raking, digging) and dancing. Balance exercises assist people to prevent from falls which is most common at elderly age. Many lower-body strength exercises also will improve balance of human body such as standing on one foot, Heel-to-toe walk and Tai Chi. Flexibility exercises stretch muscles and can help human body stay limber like shoulder and upper arm stretch, calf stretch. The decisive aim of exercise is to improve overall physical fitness level and health by practicing aerobic activity, which raises the heart rate.  Exercise can also strengthen the cardiovascular system, improve athletic skills and support in weight loss.  People who regularly perform physical exercise are fit and their immune system is strong.  Exercises involve repetition of certain movements intended to build some muscles and increase the muscle weight and improve strength of those body parts. It increases the blood supply to those parts. Most exercises increase breath rate and heart rate. While doing physical exercises, people can inhale more oxygen than when they are doing routine activities.

There are different types of exercises which are followed and practiced by people around the globe. Specific workouts such as gym, aerobics, dance, etc. are some of the physical exercises.

In asana, the muscles receive minimum nutrition/ oxygen and the organs receive more, while in Physical exercise muscles receive the most nutrition/ oxygen. In asana, the blood pressure and heart rate decreases, whereas in exercise, these parameters increase. It is observed that people who regularly practice yoga need lesser food as compared to a person who involves in more physical exercise. Asana stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, while exercise stimulates the sympathetic nervous system.

Physical exercise tends to over work the joints and can often lead to rheumatism and stiffness later on in life. Asana develops inner awareness. Asanas are practiced slowly to enable mental focus and a conscious understanding of the movement. The number of exercises practised is not important, but rather the quality of performance. Key objective of the Asanas is to coordinate the body and mind by wilfully observing the physical and mental process as each movement or relaxation is accomplished. The breath plays an important role in the Asanas. With synchronisation of breath and movement, the Yoga practice becomes harmonious. The breath enhances muscle relaxation by concentrating on tense areas of the body and consciously relaxing those parts with each exhalation.

In closing statement, it can be established both asanas and physical exercises highly advantageous for resilient and flexible body, shining skin, mental peace, good physical health and attaining high level spirituality. Yoga exercises are important vehicle for physical activity in today’s society as these enhances concentration, flexibility as well calm the mind. Along with yoga asanas, physical exercises make body strong and keep fit the person.