September is National Yoga Month

September is National Yoga Month.  It is a national observance designed to help educate people about the benefits of yoga and to inspire them to live a healthy lifestyle.

Developed in India thousands of years ago, Yoga is a form of exercise that has gained popularity tremendously over the past 50 years.

Yoga teaches increased flexibility by learning how to stretch your muscles. This can help a person improve mobility, feel less tired and improve their posture.

• Some of the other benefits of yoga are:

• Improved immunity

• Ease migraines

• Improve sexual performance

• Better sleep

• Improve eating habits

Yoga can help you to feel calmer and more relaxed. This is because some forms of yoga teach techniques that focus on breathing.

It has also been shown to lower blood pressure and to lower the heart rate. This can greatly help people who have been diagnosed with heart disease and who either have had a stroke or at risk of having a stroke.

It usually takes a few weeks to start seeing the benefits of yoga. When looking for yoga classes, find an instructor who has proper training and who is certified to teach the class. It can be practiced by just about anyone, and it isn’t just for people who are in good physical condition.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

The Health Benefits of Yoga

halasana

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years to promote flexibility and breathing exercises through simple meditation while holding simple to complex body poses. One of the most common reasons people practice yoga is for relaxation, but recently researchers have been discovering health benefits associated with yoga.

Most yoga practitioners have been noticing other benefits from yoga including boosting their immune system or just feeling more relaxed and at ease. Recently, Western science is beginning to provide some concrete facts on how yoga improves health, heals aches and pains, and keeps colds away. Once you understand them, you’ll have even more motivation to step onto your mat.

  1. Each time you practice yoga, you take your joints through their full range of motion. This can help prevent cartilage and joint breakdown that leads to arthritis.
  2. Yoga increases blood circulation especially in your hands and feet. Yoga also gets more oxygen to your cells, which helps them function better.
  3. In people with diabetes, yoga has been found to lower blood sugar in several ways: by lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels, encouraging weight loss, and improving sensitivity to the effects of insulin.
  4. Stimulation is good, but too much of it can be overwhelming. Yoga can provide relief from the energy demands of modern life.
  5. Yoga also includes cleansing practices that keep allergies and viruses at bay. This element of yoga entails cleaning the nasal passages with salt water to remove pollen and viruses from the nose.

Yes, yoga increases flexibility and reduces stress, but the practice can do more than help you twist your body into pretzel shapes and find inner peace. It has existed for thousands of years and has become increasingly popular as a gym alternative to maintain healthy cardiovascular and circulatory health. It is not encouraged to use yoga in place of other medicine, especially without consulting with your physician first.

For more hospital events, highlights, health and  fitness tips, visit us on Facebook.com/FlushingHospital   and follow us on Twitter @FHMC_NYC

 

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

National Senior Health and Fitness Day

seniorsexercisingpic

May 25, 2016, is National Senior Health and Fitness Day.  This observance is designed to shed light on the importance of the health and fitness of older adults.

Exercise is essential to improving health at any age, and seniors are not an exception.  A low-impact exercise routine can benefit your health by stretching and strengthening muscles, reducing stress and can even help to lower high blood pressure.

Staying fit doesn’t have to require a gym.  You can work out, at your own pace, with an instructor in class, on a home gym machine such as a treadmill, or utilize the great outdoors by taking a walk.

The four categories of Low –impact exercises are:

  1. Endurance –walking, swimming, or cycling.
  2. Strength –light weight training
  3. Flexibility –  Yoga
  4. Balance –Ti Chi

No matter what workout routine you choose, adding some gentle stretches will improve flexibility and range of motion.

After speaking with your physician and identifying what type of exercise is safe for you, an appropriate exercise regimen can lessen your visits to the doctor, lower your chance of being hospitalized and reduce the need for medications for a variety of illnesses.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

The Benefits of Yoga

September 30 is National Women’s Health and Fitness Day. If you’re looking for a new exercise with many health benefits, why not try yoga?

yoga-300x200

Developed in India thousands of years ago, yoga is a form of exercise that has gained popularity tremendously over the past 50 years.

Yoga teaches increased flexibility by learning how to stretch your muscles. This can help a person improve mobility, feel less tired and improve their posture.

Some of the other benefits of yoga are:

• Improved immunity

• Lessen severity of migraines

• Improved sexual performance

• Better sleep

• Improved eating habits

Yoga can help you to feel calmer and more relaxed due to techniques that focus on breathing.

Yoga has also been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate. This can help people who have been diagnosed with heart disease and who either have had a stroke or are at risk of having a stroke.

Yoga can be practiced by just about anyone, anywhere, not just people who are in good physical condition. When looking for yoga classes, find an instructor who has proper training and who is certified to teach the class. It usually takes a few weeks to start seeing the benefits, but you will be surprised at how effective yoga can be.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.