14 Reasons Why Yoga Is Good for Your Health

Practicing yoga helps reduce the impact of asthma, according to a 2016 report. Investigators analyzed 15 trials of adults suffering from mild to moderate asthma, and found that the discipline helped in 1/3 of study participants.

Older adults responded quicker and more accurately on cognitive tests after eight weeks of practicing hatha yoga compared to just stretching and toning, according to 2014 research from the University of Illinois. By combining focused breathing with asanas, hatha may have improved their reaction to stress, study authors say.

People suffering from knee osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis felt roughly 20% better after eight weeks of regular yoga classes, according to a 2015 study. "Yoga may be especially well suited to people with arthritis because it combines physical activity with potent stress management," study author Susan J. Bartlett, Ph.D., said in a statement.

Older adults who practiced yoga regularly for eight weeks reported feeling less stressed — something a salivary cortisol test supported in a 2016 study. Some people score the soothe after just a single class. Middle-aged women in a 2017 study secreted lower amounts of cortisol (the stress hormone) after 90 minutes of yoga compared to resting.

Who needs a little blue pill when you have the cobra pose? Guys saw a boost in all areas of sexual functioning — including desire, performance and confidence — after completing 12 weeks of yoga for a 2010 study. Meanwhile, other research conducted that same year found yoga improved all aspects of sexual function in women, including arousal, orgasm and satisfaction.

Scientists named yoga one of the most effective exercises for alleviating chronic pain in a 2017 study review. More research in 2011 reported that women with ongoing backaches improved their symptoms after 12 weeks of viniyoga, a type of yoga that incorporates personalized modifications. The study authors credit the stretching and strengthening of the muscles for alleviating the pain.

Researchers from UCLA conducted two studies in 2012 that found just 12 minutes of Kirtan Kriya meditation (which involves chanting and finger poses) every day for eight weeks helped decrease the immune system's inflammatory response. That's great news considering inflammation levels are tied to pretty much every major disease.

If you don't think of yoga as a workout, think again. A 2013 study analysis concluded regular yoga practice can help promote weight loss and maintenance, combined with a healthy diet. Other research in 2016 found that even people who repeatedly struggled to shed pounds lost weight with yoga. The study authors pointed to the social support of the yoga community as a major factor.

Roughly 15% of the world's population suffers from chronic neck pain, but a small study conducted in Europe reports yoga might help. The 2012 research found that adults who took lyengar yoga classes (where personalized poses are held for long periods of time) for 10 weeks felt a significant reduction in localized aches. The study authors suggest yoga might reduce stress-related muscle tension and even modify pain perception.

Thousands of study participants in a year-long relaxation program involving meditation, yoga and prayer visited their doctors 43% less than the year before, according to 2015 research from Massachusetts General Hospital. Physical and psychological stresses tend to worsen most medical conditions, so strategies like yoga and meditation could help, says Davi E. Nampiaparampil, M.D. of the NYU School of Medicine.

A small group of women with urinary incontinence reported a 70% reduction in leaks after taking yoga classes specifically designed to improve pelvic health. Fewer accidents were seen during moments of coughing, sneezing and bending over — typical activities that increase abdominal pressure and let a little urine out — in the 2014 study.

Prenatal yoga twice a week for 20 weeks helped reduce stress and enhance the immune system of expectant moms in an 2017 study. In fact, 2016 research found pregnant women were significantly less stressed directly after an individual yoga session.

Adults with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation — an irregular heartbeat also known as AFib — who practiced yoga for 12 weeks experienced better physical and mental health in a small 2016 study. "It gives them a method to gain some self control over their symptoms instead of feeling helpless," Maria Wahlström of the Sophiahemmet University and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, explained via a press release.

Exercise in general can help men suffering from prostate cancer, but yoga specifically stabilized common side effects of radiation therapy in a 2015 study from the University of Pennsylvania. The volunteers also reported a higher sense of well-being at the end of each session.