Yoga is Great for Moms. Here’s Why.

Written by Amy Thompson

June 21, 2021

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I believe every mom can benefit from yoga. I know you have a million things to do. Whether you’re managing two kids, a hubby, a business, or some combination of these things, as a mom you likely experience more stress than the average person. Yoga is great for a mom’s ability to stay calm and relaxed in the face of balancing it all. It can also help a mom’s ability to relax at bedtime, which can be challenging when there’s a never-ending to-do list running through your head.

You’ve also probably heard about the many benefits of practicing yoga. Yoga is a form of exercise that can be very beneficial — especially for moms. And I’m not talking about the help of a relaxing yoga session, I’m talking about the actual benefits of yoga practice. Regular yoga practice has been shown to have numerous benefits, both physical and mental like weight loss, stress relief, and provide mental clarity.

Additionally, yoga can benefit the entire family. That’s right, yoga is not just for exercise! You can start with five to fifteen minutes a day, three times a week. And you don’t need a lot of equipment; you just need your body, your own space, and your yoga mat (like this one-affiliate product link here).

Yoga is good for moms. Yoga benefits you physically, and mentally, and can benefit the entire family. Here are the top benefits of yoga and why moms should do yoga:

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Mental Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is great for a mother’s ability to stay calm and relaxed while balancing it all. I know this because once I began practicing yoga regularly, I began to feel a greater sense of mental ease and balance in my life. By taking some time each day for yoga, I can mentally recharge.

“It’s a grounding practice that helps us turn inward and relax. All moms know there are many moments in the day we need to take a minute to calm down and refocus on what’s important without losing our tempers. Yoga will teach you to pay attention and take a minute of deep breaths when needed to center yourself and calm your mind and body.”

 

— Yoga for Moms: Top 5 Benefits, SocialMoms.com

Below are the top mental benefits of yoga for moms.

1. Stress Relief and Management

Yoga is excellent for stress relief and stress management. You already know that as a mom, we have some really stressful days when our kids don’t sleep or eat well or are especially cranky.

Yoga teaches us to use slow and steady breathing and to slow down and focus one one thing at a time.

“A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that yoga is helpful for your brain. Moms who practice yoga have reported an increase in energy levels, less fatigue during the day, and even better sleep at night. For moms who struggle with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, yoga can be an effective way to help alleviate that stress.”

 

www.yogajournal.com

Effective stress and mental health management allow you to be a more patient, compassionate, and present mother. Yoga equips your mind to better handle those challenging moments and days when you’re feeling overwhelmed with mom life.

2. Boosts Your Mood

Yoga helps your mood by regulating your cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that’s released in response to stress, which in turn causes you to feel more tired and less motivated. The increased physical activity of yoga can help boost these low energy levels, reducing the amount of stress hormones produced during the day. Yoga also releases endorphins-chemicals that give you a natural “high.” This can enhance your perceived overall quality of life and happiness.

“This can mimic the effects of anti-anxiety drugs and alcohol—yep, doing yoga can make you feel like you just had a nice, relaxing cocktail! This finding indicates that yoga can actually work to help to “reset” your brain to a calmer, more collected state, giving you the baseline mood you need to deal with the stress you encounter every day (Grazioplene, 2012).”

 

60+ Benefits of Yoga for Mental & Physical Health, PostivePsychology.com

3. Improves Focus

Have you ever felt so flustered you can’t hear yourself think? You might not think of yoga as a way to improve focus, but it is. In fact, if you’ve ever done a yoga class or two, you know that it’s pretty hard to focus on anything other than your breath or the present moment.

Yoga is great for moms because the controlled breathing and movement sharpens your focus, mental clarity, memory, and enables better decision-making and problem-solving skills. With a balanced mind, tackling your never-ending to-do list becomes significantly easier.

Yoga “helps to tune out distractions and provide a calm state of mind.”

 

4. Allows Moms “Me Time” and Self-Care

It’s so easy as a mom to get caught up in caring for everyone else’s needs while neglecting your own. Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s the equivalent of putting on your oxygen mask first so you’re able to help others.

“Unlike when you go for a run or life weights, yoga is only in “full effect” when both mind and body are completely engaged. This marriage of your mental state and your physical state offers a unique opportunity to make a powerful impact on your mental health.”

 

60+ Benefits of Yoga for Mental & Physical Health, PostivePsychology.com

Having a few minutes each day or a few times a week to unwind, distress, and do something for yourself should be at the top of your to-do list (not at the very bottom).

5. Supercharges Productivity by Teaching Mindfulness

As moms, we’re often attending to multiple demands or tasks at once – all day long. Yoga provides moms a much-needed respite from this; you’re not multi-tasking during a yoga session.

Yoga emphasizes the mind-body connection and allows you to clear your mind while focusing on your breath and the sensations in your body.

“It’s just not possible to stand on one foot and stretch your arms toward the ceiling WHILE you think about your to-do list, fold laundry, and check your email. And you know what? You might notice that after you’ve spent some time on your yoga mat, those other things on your to-do list become easier and you fly through them a lot faster. Why? Because yoga brings your mind into focus and it helps you remember that you’re more efficient and effective when you’re present and do ONE thing at a time.”

SpoiledYogi.com

6. Improves Body Image & Self-Confidence

Many moms take a hit to their body image post-kids. Maybe you’re still carrying around some excess baby weight and haven’t felt motivated or been able to find the time to add a workout routine to your busy schedule.

Here’s why you should make the time for yoga: Yoga connects your awareness to your body and fosters an appreciation for how strong and flexible it can (still) be, power-boosting your self-confidence, self-esteem, and helps to “improve your body image”. 

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Physical Benefits of Yoga

Not only is yoga a powerful stress reliever, but it’s also an excellent way to stay physically healthy and fit. You’ll get all the benefits of a full-body workout, plus added health benefits.

Now, I can hear some of you out there saying, “I’m not a yoga-practicing mom, so there’s no way it would benefit me.” Here’s the truth, you benefit from yoga after your first session. I know this because as a busy mom, I often struggled with having the energy or discipline to do yoga or any other type of fitness.

But by starting a yoga routine, I noticed that I could feel the difference in my strength, body alignment, and overall health. I could feel the energy flowing from my joints and muscles to my whole body.

7. Increases Energy

Are you struggling to keep up with your kids’ boundless energy? Yoga can help, especially first thing in the morning. Yoga can be an excellent way to recharge your batteries and bring your energy levels back up.

“Morning yoga can be just as efficient as coffee in waking you up and energizing you for your day. ”

 

www.health.harvard.edu

Not interested in morning yoga? Try it out in the evening when you’ve just come home from a long day at work, school, or out with friends. You’re exhausted. What’s the best thing for you? Yoga!

8. Improves Physical Fitness

Yoga is a total-body workout that strengthens muscles, increases flexibility, and improves balance and body posture. This makes yoga an excellent choice for relieving and preventing back pain – like when you’ve been lifting kids up and down all day.

A regular yoga workout routine promotes weight loss and healthy weight maintenance. The simple movements in yoga are great for weight loss because they are low-impact and gentle on the body. Often getting in shape encourages us to make healthier lifestyle choices across the board:

“**Yoga often makes moms more aware of healthy eating.**Some lose weight or just reap the benefits of a better diet.”

 

Yoga for Moms: Top 5 Benefits, SocialMoms.com

9. Boosts Overall Health

Yoga boosts your immunity and increases blood flow to your cardiovascular system which is good for your heart’s health and lowering blood pressure. It also strengthens your spine, joints, and bones. You reduce your risk for heart disease.

All of these tremendous health benefits of yoga “may make you live longer.

As a mom, you envision all those special life milestones your kids will experience, like going to prom, learning to drive,, graduating from high school or college, their wedding, and having children of their own. Caring for yourself with yoga helps ensure the likelihood you’ll be around for these special moments.

10. Helps with Chronic Health Conditions

Chronic diseases are a big problem in today’s society. One of the biggest problems is that people with chronic health conditions often experience poor quality of life. But some people find relief from their chronic health condition through yoga.

It’s difficult raising kids, even more so if you’re a mom living with a chronic health condition. It’s hard to do your best when you’re not feeling your best, especially on a regular basis. The benefits of yoga for those with a chronic illness are undeniable. Yoga can reduce symptoms and even help with pain management.

Recent research has shown that yoga can help with a number of chronic health conditions, including:

“asthma, heart disease, and MS.”

 

YogaJournal.com

A lot of people are put off by the idea of doing yoga because they think it’s only for flexible, bendy people. But, the truth is, you can do yoga in any body shape or size. Whether you’re a beginner looking to increase your flexibility, or a seasoned yogi looking to deepen your practice yoga is readily adaptable to suit your unique needs and skill level.

I’ve been practicing for over 10 years and I can say unequivocally that yoga has helped me stay physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healthy.

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Yoga Benefits the Whole Family

Yoga is not just great for moms. It can be for anyone. The benefits of yoga are vast, and thanks to its adaptability, it’s good for the whole family. The flexibility it offers also makes it an exercise that all ages can enjoy. This is a practice that can be tailored to anyone’s needs, helping you to develop a happier, healthier mindset.

I’ve just recently started with my daughter and it’s been wonderful so far. It’s opened up her flexibility, helped me to focus, and it’s a time we can spend together as a family.

The health benefits of yoga are truly amazing, but there are many more benefits you may not know about.

Here are some great ways that yoga is benefits the whole family:

  • Yoga is a great source of family bonding.
  • It helps you connect with your kids on a better level.
  • It helps you and your partner to stay fit together.
  • It’s also a great way to keep your kids active, too!
  • It can even help you teach your kids how to meditate.

Even if you’re the only family member practicing yoga, it “makes you a kinder and more compassionate person, which ultimately improves your relationships. (Our families will appreciate this.)”

 

wanderlust.com

Yoga Benefits Your Romantic Relationship

It’s a tough job finding love, and it’s even harder to maintain. The key to a successful relationship is to find your balance and be happy with your life. This may seem like a difficult task to some, but the yoga practice offers many benefits for your relationship. Yoga provides a space to connect with yourself and your partner, so it’s important to try to find time for this.

According to HealthHarvard.edu, yoga has been found to:

“Boost their sex life, by enhancing desire, sexual satisfaction, performance, confidence, partner synchronization, control, and even better orgasms!”

 

HealthHarvard.edu

Yoga Benefits Kids of All Ages

Practicing yoga as a mom and even introducing it to your kids is a surefire way to be a good role model. Yoga teaches kids the values of self-care, mindfulness, stress management, and other healthy lifestyle habits.

Here’s what people are saying about the benefits of yoga for kids:

“Yoga can perhaps help to fill a vital gap in children’s social, emotional, and physical development. Research shows that it contributes to enhanced physical and mental well-being, and may improve resilience, mood, and self-regulation skills (Hagen & Nayar, 2014).

 

www.health.harvard.edu

Yoga is Great for Babies & Toddlers

Yoga is not just for adults. Yoga is for everyone. Yoga is a practice that can bring deep peace, calm, and joy to any age. Even babies. In the past few years, there has been a growing body of research on the benefits of yoga for babies. And the results are pretty incredible.

“Baby yoga mixes physical touch with emotional contact and movement. The meaningful touch and play used in baby yoga gently encourages your little ones to enjoy and explore their newfound skills as they start to progress and move in different ways. Even if you only do it for 5-10 minutes at a time you will really notice the benefits such as bond and communication.”

 

yogadigest.com

Yoga is Great for School-Age Kids

Yoga is a great way for school age kids to have a little bit more mindfulness and calmness in their life. Kids these days are so stressed out. After a long day of school, homework, after-school activities, and maybe even a part-time job, it’s not surprising that it’s hard for them to unwind and get a good night’s sleep. Here are some benefits of yoga for school-aged children:

“Yoga can enhance your child’s strength, coordination and flexibility, while encouraging body awareness and self-esteem. It can reduce your child’s anxiety and stress and promote a sense of calmness. If they continue yoga as they grow older, your children will continue to reap the benefits, including improved: Memory, concentration, self-esteem, academic performance”

 

mommysbundle.com

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Yoga is Great for Moms.

We all know that yoga is good for us in so many ways: it helps us clear our minds, it can make our muscles stronger, and it can reduce our stress levels. Yoga is great for moms because it offers many benefits: it can reduce back pain, it can help with postpartum depression, and it can help to relax and rejuvenate after a long day of being a mom.

I’ve been practicing yoga for years, long before I had kids. It has helped me survive a physically and emotionally exhausting pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Now, I share my love for yoga with my kids, and it’s been an amazing journey.

Clear your schedule for yoga and spend time getting your body into a great mental and physical state. Yoga is a great way to celebrate life and teach your family important values like self-care, mindfulness, and healthy and happy lifestyle habits!

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