Doing yoga every day might seem like a stretch for your body and schedule, but it's one of the easiest ways to incorporate movement into your routine, boosting strength, flexibility, and balance.
Yoga workouts were something of a gateway for me. I always enjoyed swimming and walking, but I didn't like the idea of taking a class or going to the gym. When I finally got myself a thick yoga mat and discovered yoga, all that changed. I began to view exercise differently and reaped the rewards of low-impact exercise and meditation very quickly.
I liked how yoga made me feel, so I progressed pretty quickly with a handful of online videos and yoga apps. On the days I didn’t practice yoga, I found that I missed it and my body felt like it needed it. This was a ground-breaking moment, so I decided to make the most of it and tried doing yoga every day for a few weeks.
Benefits of doing yoga every day
1. Yoga boosts mental clarity
I enjoy any exercise that gets me outdoors, but especially walking and running. While I don't do them every day, I find they are some of the most effective at relieving my stress and anxiety. But yoga (and even the beginner's yoga classes I was taking) brings a mental calmness and focus unlike any other.
You don't need to do yoga every day to get this benefit, but having a regular program and time set aside certainly helped me to find a quiet moment during each day and maintain an almost meditative consistency.
"Many of my clients have also reported that daily yoga practice helps them think outside the box, sparks their creativity, and improves their problem-solving skills," says Mike Julom, an ACE-certified PT and CrossFit trainer. "This can be attributed to the meditative aspects of yoga, which clear the mind, enhance concentration, and promote a fresh perspective."
And these meditative aspects of yoga are invaluable, a review by Harvard Medical School found. Across several studies, scientists have confirmed that regular yoga practice can boost memory function, improve sleep quality, and even lessen symptoms of depression.
2. Yoga aids digestion
This was a surprising one for me and something I would never have thought about before, but it makes sense. It's also one of the reasons why many people do yoga over 60.
Any form of exercise can help with digestion as it improves circulation and gut motility while decreasing stress, but yoga (particularly child's pose and garland pose) has the added benefit of encouraging you to move in ways you normally wouldn't.
“You wouldn't necessarily think that twisting your body into pretzel-like shapes could help your digestion, but it can," says Julom. "Certain yoga poses stimulate the digestive organs, improving their function and easing discomfort associated with digestive issues.”
3. Yoga helps reduce stress
I do not doubt that practising yoga every day for two weeks has reduced my stress levels. Undoubtedly, a lot of this will be due to the breathing exercises that are part of any set of yoga stretches, since the simple act of deep breathing and being mindful of your breathing brings a sense of calmness.
When I’m deep into my yoga session, I’m not worrying about what's ahead of me for the week or even for the rest of the day. I’m not thinking about any problems or any issues I have to deal with. I’m just breathing.
This is a huge advantage for me, and one of the reasons why I may continue to do yoga every day, as I've also learnt recently that lowering my stress levels could improve some of my body's essential bodily processes - like immune system functioning.
Research (from University Hospital Zurich) has shown a link between lower stress levels and a better-functioning immune system. "Practising yoga daily can help boost the immune system, making it more efficient at warding off diseases,” agrees Julom. “Yoga reduces stress and inflammation in the body, which is linked to immune system dysfunction. After just two weeks of daily practice, you might find yourself feeling stronger and healthier, and perhaps even getting over the common cold quicker.”
Of course, having only practised yoga for two weeks, I can't say what kind of long-term effect this will have on my body. I think I'd need to keep it up for much longer to be sure, but I do feel generally healthier and stronger with less stress weighing on my mind.
4. Practising yoga will improve your balance
When you think about some of the one-legged yoga poses, like the tree pose and the one-legged prayer pose, it’s not surprising that daily yoga practice can help with balance. This was one of the many benefits of regular practice I was keen to see for myself as well. As a menopausal woman over 50, I had noticed my balance wasn’t what it used to be. I wanted to address this, and I knew yoga was one of the best exercises to do over 50.
Yoga doesn’t only improve physical balance, though, as Julom explains. “Yoga's impact on balance extends beyond the physical. Yes, you'll likely become more adept at holding those tricky one-legged poses, but you'll also start to notice a sense of emotional balance permeating your life. This emotional stability can lead to improved relationships, better work performance, and an overall increased sense of wellbeing." That's a win-win in my books.
5. Yoga improves posture
Another surprising side effect for me was an improvement in my posture. Spending every day hunched over a computer often gives me a neck and backache, which is uncomfortable at best.
After two weeks of yoga, my aches and pains had largely gone, and I was naturally sitting more upright. I felt more supple, my general mobility was much better, and I felt brighter, instead of sluggish as I had before.
Is doing yoga every day enough exercise?
For me, personally, it isn’t enough to just do yoga every day. One of the reasons I regularly exercise is to help me feel strong and keep aching joints (one of the symptoms of menopause) at bay. To do this, I incorporate running and strength training into my weekly routine. Over the two weeks, I kept this up and really felt the benefit of doing so.
But what works for me won't always work for someone else. For some people, daily yoga might be enough. As Anna Passalacqua, a certified yoga teacher and C-IAYT yoga therapist, explains, “You can experience physical, mental, and emotional benefits just from practising yoga. It is not necessary to do other exercises to benefit from yoga. However, depending on your goals, you may be able to accomplish more by incorporating other activities.”
Julom believes yoga is part of the answer - but an all-around approach is needed. “It's important to view it as part of a holistic approach to stress management. This approach should ideally also encompass a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, healthy social connections, and potentially other stress-relief techniques like meditation, breathing exercises, or other forms of exercise that you enjoy. It's also crucial to address significant sources of stress, whether they're workload, relationship issues, or health concerns.”
Is it OK to do the same yoga routine every day?
When I first started practising, I did exactly the same set of poses in every session. But when it came to starting my daily challenge, I decided to follow a program that changed every day. For me, this was about progressing and getting better at yoga, since the poses got harder as the two weeks went on, and not getting bored with doing the same routine every day.
Julom agrees that changing things up is often for the best. “Variety keeps your practice interesting, stimulating, and challenging, which can help keep you motivated and engaged.”
Plus, changing up your routine will avoid putting pressure on the same muscles in the body every day. While there are advantages to doing this for some people, especially those new to the practice, looking to do yoga or Pilates for strength training, variety is more likely to keep you injury-free as you progress.
Editor's yoga mat recommendations
Need an upgrade to your yoga mat? This one from Stakt is the favourite of woman&home's health channel editor, Grace Walsh. It's 12mm thick, made of premium-feeling materials, and folds away with ease.
For a more budget-friendly buy, Grace recommends this 6mm mat from Core Balance. It's just thick enough to support the joints, comes with a strap and rolls away quickly, and is sweat-wicking, making it suitable for other home workouts, too.
Don't let your holidays stop you getting in your flow every day. This lightweight mat from The Yoga Collective is suitcase friendly - and I love the bright orange colourway.
