Baylor College of Medicine: Adding yoga to workout regime can improve health
Implementing yoga into a workout routine can provide unique health
benefits, said a Baylor College of Medicine physician and yoga
enthusiast.
Yoga is the practice of physical postures and breathing exercises that
allow a person to strengthen the body and at the same time enter a
meditative and relaxed state of awareness.
Practicing yoga can help a person improve flexibility, balance,
limberness, blood circulation, and it can also relax muscle tension and
fight infection, said Dr. Bobby Kapur, assistant professor of medicine
at BCM and associate chief for emergency medicine at the Harris County
Hospital District's Ben Taub General Hospital.
Yoga alone will not induce weight loss, said Kapur. “It should be done
in combination with other more physical exercises and the incorporation
of a healthy diet and lifestyle.”
Another benefit of yoga is that it does not have to cost a lot of money. Many city and county parks and recreations programs offer yoga free or at little cost. Yoga programs are also available on DVDs and can be done in the home.
