If You Do Any Exercise, Do Yoga
Previously, I wrote about my love of the Les Mills class Body Balance – which is basically a yoga class with some elements of Tai Chi and Pilates – and Yoga with Adriene, and how I have made it a priority to do at least one Yoga with Adriene video every week in 2025.
Last night, I finished reading Younger by Dr Sara Gottfried, which I first heard about on the Happier in Hollywood podcast back in 2017. In it, Dr Gottfried outlines practical steps we can take to increase both our lifespan and, I would argue even more importantly, our healthspan.
It has confirmed to me that one of the smartest decisions I can make to live a long and healthy life is to continue to do yoga. Here’s why:
Yoga slows down bone resorption, a complex biological process that can result in shrinkage or loss of bone.
For our body to regularly restore itself, our circulatory system must be allowed to provide fresh nutrients to whisk away toxins. Key to this is releasing chronic tight spots and encouraging energy to flow freely.
Tension and habitual tightness in the body leads to stiff joints and muscles than will eventually reduce our mobility.
“When your relationship with stress is screwed up, you age ten years faster.”
As stated in the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali 2,500 years ago, “yoga citta vritti nirodhah”, which translates to something along the lines of "yoga is the ending of disturbances of the mind”.
“When you synchronise your breath with your movement, your mind slows down and enters a more settled, aware state”.
In her list of 12 Good Inputs to Prevent Alzheimer’s, Dr Gottfried’s number 5 is practise yoga.