Most people who work don’t need anyone to tell them that the environment can be stressful. Having to deal with rude customers and a boss that is breathing behind your neck and constantly critiquing you can certainly raise your anxiety levels. Depending on the environment, work can also be bad for your posture. If you work at an office cubicle and sit behind a desk and pound away at a keyboard all day, then your back is going to ache.
While there are all sorts of recommendations for relieving stress in the workplace, one study found that yoga is a good remedy for reducing anxiety and can also combat back pain. The study consisted of 74 workers between the ages of 25 to 64 who reported on a questionnaire that they experience moderate levels of stress and backaches. The participants were divided into two groups, one of which practiced yoga for eight weeks.
The yoga group took a yoga class during their lunch break or right after work once a week. Every participant was asked about their overall well-being after the study. When the research began, 10 in the yoga group reported back pain, compared to eight for the no yoga group. When the study concluded, only four in the yoga group reported back aches, while the number of those with back pain in the control group increased to 13. The yoga group also reported less stress and anxiety than the control group by the end of the study.
While the study definitely provides strong evidence that yoga is a strong stress and back pain reliever, researchers admit that the yoga group may simply feel less stress due to the placebo effect. The majority of the participants were also women, which means that it may not be applicable to men.
In today’s modern society, children are often under a lot of stress, both in school and afterwards. Whether it’s due to problems with homework, peer pressure (much of it financial or fashion oriented) or just ordinary everyday stress, many children are discovering an excellent way to cope with life’s problems. And that “discovery” is yoga. Since yoga exercises can often been done in a limited space like in a living room or den, a bedroom, or similar area, practicing yoga for even half an hour per day can help kids relieve a lot of stress, and help develop their bodies at the same time.
One of the prime concerns of expectant mothers deals with what kind of exercise program is safe to practice pregnancy. A number of studies have been made concerning the practice of various forms of yoga during various stages of the 36 week gestation period; and the results of these findings indicate that not only is the practice of certain types of yoga acceptable but actually beneficial to an expectant mother. This is especially so in regards to forms such as Yoga Nidra, which deal with deep breathing exercises and stretching of muscles which are used to deliver the baby when it is born. In addition to the sheer physical aspects, yoga’s philosophy of combining the spiritual, physical, emotional and psychological aspects, can better prepare a women emotionally for the process of childbirth. This is especially true for first time pregnancies.
Many people have a false belief that it is difficult, if not impossible to effectively practice Yoga exercises once they are over 60. While it is true that the human body is not as limber in old age, and is not like it was at age 30, there is no reason that with the right technique and step by step concentration, an older person can not only be successful but even increase their “real age” lifespan by as much as 6 to 10 years.
Most people know that being under stress has damaging effects on their health. In fact, studies made by major scientific laboratories have concluded that being under stress is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes.