On Saturday June 4th we did a yoga practice called slow flow and we talked about how it also helped us build strength. I shared some recent studies about the benefits of strength training for our healthy aging journey and I'd like to share those with all of you here!

A recent study over 4 months that utilized 2 groups of older adults (60+) went like this:

• Group 1 cut 300 calories per day and lost an average of 12 pounds. 2 of those pounds from muscle.
• Group 2 added strength training and lost nearly 20 pounds, largely from pure fat

The group that added strength training developed the muscle power of a 40-year old in those 4 months by adding a total of an hour & 45 mins each week of training . **If we put that into terms of a strength yoga practice, that's about a 40 minute practice 3x per week. In the case of this past week - you're already one practice in! 😁

Can a yoga practice be considered a strength training practice? Absolutely. While it depends on the focus of the practice, most balanced yoga practices utilize your body weight. Take a look at the photo above.

Another conclusion of the study was that older adults who exercise weekly, are 46% more likely to live for 15 more years. That's powerful.

It should also be recognized that when we build strength in our muscles in yoga, we also build bone density. If you want to read more about how incredibly effective yoga is for bone density, take a look at this article: https://www.20000breaths.com/blog/12-minutes-of-yoga-for-bone-health-yoga-can-reverse-osteoporosis

The next study I want to reference is one by the Diabetes Prevention Program. As we know, diabetes is a serious health concern for many older Americans. This study concluded that older adults benefit more from adding strength sessions into their healthy lifestyles than any other population.

• Over 10 years, adult subjects 60+ saw a 49% decrease in diabetes incidence
• After the same changes, subjects under 60 saw a maximum reduction of 34%

Lastly, yoga is not just about muscles & tissues! Recent studies have shown that adults regularly practicing yoga also saw the following benefits:

• Over 60% of yoga practitioners were motivated to exercise more regularly
• Over 40% were motivated to eat healthier
• Over 55% reported improvements in sleep
• Over 85% reported reduced stress
• Over 12% cut back or stopped drinking alcohol
• Over 25% cut back or stopped smoking cigarettes

These studies are powerful testimonials to the myriad of benefits of beginning or continuing with a consistent yoga practice.

We are all definitely in the right place!

Namaste,

Karen