Yoga is now a popular form of exercise in the West, and one that doesn't need much equipment to get started. However, knowing exactly what you need to go to your first yoga class, or even to practice at home, can still feel overwhelming at the start — especially when there are so many yoga props you could buy. This is why we've put together our recommendations on what the must-haves are for a yoga beginner, and which items you can consider buying later.

One of the most obvious things you will need is one of the best yoga mats, but it can also help to have some yoga blocks to make the postures more accessible to you. As a beginner, you want to keep your practice simple, so using yoga blocks can be a real benefit.

Of course, there are many other useful yoga props available, but we recommend only buying these once you've established a regular practice. Here are the must-haves we suggest for beginners to yoga.

• Related: Does yoga count as exercise?
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What to buy as a yoga beginner: Yoga mats

While, technically, you could practice yoga on any floor, having one of the best yoga mats makes it much easier to hold postures like downward dog, as they provide extra grip. We don't know if you've ever tried doing downward dog on carpet, but it's definitely more of a workout!

One of the main things you'll need in a yoga mat, as a beginner or otherwise, is good grip. Alignment lines can also be helpful as you learn the postures and where to place your hands and feet. The alignment lines can help you find the right distance between hands and feet, but they are only there as a guide — it's important to listen to what feels best in your body.

Other than grip, you will also want to consider how much padding a yoga mat offers you. Anything between 4 and 6 millimeters should offer sufficient padding, but when you start yoga, you'll find your joints are more sensitive before they get used to the pressure placed on them in certain postures. Therefore, consider a thicker yoga mat or having a blanket nearby for postures where your joints are not as happy.

Here are our recommendations for the best yoga mats you can buy as a beginner.

What to buy as a yoga beginner: Yoga blocks

For beginners to yoga, props are essential — your body will not be accustomed to the postures, and things will feel tight. Having props available will make your introduction to the practice easier. There are many forms of yoga props available for purchase, but we recommend starting with yoga blocks. These are versatile as you're able to use them for both seated and standing postures.

There are different types of yoga blocks available, so it's important to know the distinctions between them. While most yoga blocks are known as such, you can also get something called "yoga bricks." These are thicker than yoga blocks, which tend to be thinner and wider. Yoga bricks are great for standing postures to bring the floor closer to you, while yoga blocks are better suited for seated postures, especially if you have a pelvic tilt when sitting on the floor, which means it's hard for you to sit with a straight spine. Depending on your budget, you may want to get one of each. However, you can use either for both standing and seated postures if you're restricted by finances.

Another consideration is the material the yoga blocks are made out of. You can get yoga blocks and bricks made out of cork or EVA foam — both offer good support, so it's really down to personal preference and the impact on the environment, with cork being the more eco-friendly option.

Here are our top recommendations for yoga blocks.

• Related: Can yoga fix your posture?
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What to buy as a yoga beginner: Fitness trackers

Some of the best fitness trackers can be used to track your yoga practice. As a beginner, you may be more interested than an experienced yogi in understanding how yoga is impacting your fitness. With a fitness tracker, you can track how many sessions a week you are doing, how long you are practicing for in each session, your heart rate throughout yoga classes and calories burned. This can give you an idea of how yoga is helping your fitness journey and the impact it might be having on your overall health.

While some fitness trackers can be really expensive, you can also track your yoga classes with one of the best budget fitness trackers. In fact, we can recommend the Motorola Moto Watch Fit as the best fitness tracker for yoga.

If you're looking for a fitness tracker for other exercise and not just yoga, you may want to invest in one of the best Garmin watches, where you will get a lot for your money.

Here are our favorite fitness trackers for tracking your yoga practice.

• Related: Can yoga help you lose weight?
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What not to buy as a yoga beginner (right away)

It may feel like you need a lot of equipment to be able to practice yoga, but in reality you can get started on very little. We've outlined the must-haves you need to get started as a beginner, but as you develop a more regular practice, you may feel you need more props and items, which is a natural progression. This is where our list of non-essentials come in — you can buy them now or wait until you're more familiar with the practice.

Once you've been practicing for a while, you may want to consider specific yoga workout clothes, a yoga chair, a yoga bolster or even a yoga belt. While these are great to have, we would argue they are not essential for a beginner and can be bought over time. You can, of course, get them at the start of your yoga journey, but they are not necessary.

To start with, you can practice yoga in any comfortable workout gear, but in time, you may prefer to get some yoga pants. These are comfortable to wear and can help prevent your feet from slipping down your leg in balance postures like tree pose.

When it comes to other yoga props such as a yoga chair, yoga bolster and yoga belt, these can help you to explore the postures with added support and ease. While they are not must-haves for beginners (many postures can be adopted without the need for props), they can be useful once you've built up a regular practice to help you target areas in your body that feel resistant to the postures without the extra support.

For example, a yoga chair can help make some backbends or seated postures more accessible. A yoga bolster can help to relieve upper back discomfort in some more reclined backbends, or can be used to support you in postures like child pose. And a yoga belt can help make shoulder or hamstring stretches more accessible.

What to buy as a yoga beginner: The bottom line

Yoga is one exercise where you don't need a huge amount of equipment to get started, but as your practice develops, you may find you want to invest in more yoga props to help support your body and deepen your practice. We recommend starting with the basics and expanding your collection over time.

The Liforme Yoga Mat is one of our top contenders for those looking to take their yogi game to the next level. From the mat’s appealing aesthetics to its impressive functionality, this yoga mat has left a lasting impression on us.

Upon first touch, the mat promises a sense of reliability and support. With a thickness of 4.2mm, it strikes the ideal balance between cushioning and stability, which provided a comfortable yet grounded experience throughout our practice. The Liforme Yoga Mat boasts an attractive design that caught the eyes of fellow yoga class attendees with its colorful and gold embellished alignment.

The generous dimensions of the Liforme Yoga Mat, measuring 185cm long and 68cm wide, offer ample space for fluid movement and unrestricted positioning. Whether we were trying to master challenging poses like the headstand or indulging in restorative stretches during the testing of this mat, we found this Liforme number accommodates a range of needs, making it a top contender for one of the best yoga mats.

We found transporting the mat was a breeze with a complimentary carrying bag included by Liforme. The main reason why we found the handled bag useful is that the mat falls on the heavier side, weighing approximately 2.5kg.

We tested this yoga mat in a Vinyasa class, indoors at home and outdoors on a hot summer's day to test out how anti-slip this mat really is when things get hotter. Despite finding this mat a little on the heavy side, we certainly were not disappointed with the quality, stunning aesthetic and how supported we felt on this mat during our various practices but in this review, we will guide you through all of our praises and critiques in more detail. Check out the many benefits of yoga, or keep reading as we reveal all on the Liforme yoga mat…

Liforme yoga mat: How we tested

To help our readers who are considering buying the Liforme mat, we subjected the mat to rigorous testing in various environments and yoga sessions to establish where it excels and how it could do better.

Firstly, we took the Liforme Yoga Mat to a Vinyasa class, where we explored its performance during fast-paced sequences and challenging transitions. We paid close attention to how well the mat held its grip on different surfaces and whether it provided the necessary stability for smooth movements.

Next, we brought the mat indoors for home practice sessions. Here, we tested its anti-slip properties on different flooring types, including hardwood, laminate, and carpet. We focused on stability during static asanas and monitored whether the mat stayed securely in place, preventing any unwanted slipping or sliding.

To further gauge the mat's anti-slip capabilities, we took it outdoors on a hot day in summer. With temperatures rising, we put the Liforme Yoga Mat to the test in a high-intensity mobility session. The goal was to assess its grip under potentially sweaty conditions, ensuring it maintained stability even when temperatures soared.

Liforme yoga mat: Price and availability

Currently, this model is available for purchase directly from the official Liforme website, or from Amazon. Priced between $149 and $185, this Liforme Yoga Mat reflects its exceptional quality and attention to detail. This is likely to put a fairly large dent in many buyers' pockets, especially during a cost of living crisis but we couldn’t fault the mat's durability and performance making the investment justifiable for those seeking a long-lasting and reliable yoga companion.

The Liforme Yoga Mat is a premium choice that will appeal to dedicated yogis who prioritize quality, durability, and enhanced performance, and are willing to invest in a mat that will support their practice for years to come.

Liforme yoga mat: Design

First of all design-wise, we were impressed by its thoughtful construction and attention to detail. We tested out the Black option but the Liforme mat is available in several charming colors to suit different preferences.

The mat is constructed from planet-friendly materials. This was a big plus for us as we strive to make environmentally conscious decisions when reviewing and weighing up different products. It’s PVC-free and made from high-quality, non-toxic materials. Notably, these mats are biodegradable within one to five years in normal landfill conditions, contributing to a more sustainable approach to yoga equipment. Additionally, the mat features durable, non-toxic, and eco-friendly ink in its printing process, ensuring a vibrant design that stands the test of time.

The Liforme Yoga Mat exhibits a ‘warrior-like’ grip. This feature helps to provide an exceptional non-slip surface, maintaining stability and safety even during intense and sweaty sessions. Its unique three-layer construction and quick-drying CleanGrip® technology is there to prevent sweat from penetrating the natural rubber base, maximizing hygiene and grip for a confident practice.

Weighing 2.5kg, it requires some extra effort when it comes to transporting it to yoga classes or travelling further afield with it. Nonetheless, the 4.2mm thickness offers enhanced comfort and stability during your yoga practice, making up for the mat's heaviness by ensuring a solid and grounded feel that allows you to fully immerse yourself in each movement and posture without discomfort or distractions.

Liforme yoga mat: Performance

We have tested out some of the best yoga mats for grip in the game so our standards are high, just read our Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip yoga mat review to see the competition. 

Lo and behold, the Liforme yoga mat held its own when we put its grip quality to the test. We found that the mat's "warrior-like grip" played a pivotal role in enhancing our yoga practice, particularly when it came to more challenging transitional moves in a Vinyasa class. We also found that moves which require a wide leg stance were executed with confidence and stability, thanks to the mat's exceptional grip.

While the black color option added a touch of elegance to our yoga sessions, we did notice that dust and small smudges were more noticeable but that is to be expected with a darker shade of mat. However, the it’s easy-to-clean nature, combined with the included storage bag, allowed us to keep it tidy and protected when not in use. The complimentary storage bag proved to be a convenient accessory for safeguarding the mat from dust and maintaining its overall cleanliness.

The alignment design featured on the Liforme yoga mat was a valuable tool for maintaining balance and establishing proper positioning on the mat. The alignment markers act as helpful guides, which assisted us in aligning our hands, feet, and body in various poses.

The only grumble we had and one aspect to consider when choosing the Liforme yoga mat is its size and weight. The mat's generous dimensions, measuring 185cm long and 68cm wide, provide ample space for unrestricted movement. However, in smaller yoga environments such as a busy class, in a bedroom or other small space at home or during travel, we found that its larger size became a limitation. The mat's substantial footprint and weight made it less suitable for easy transportation, as it occupies significant space and adds to the overall load.

Liforme yoga mat: Care

We recommend our handy go-to guide on how to clean a yoga mat, but for this review we also sought out instructions for care via the Liforme website itself, which offers plenty of advice on keeping your mat in good shape and maintaining its pretty design and overall cleanliness.

After each practice, especially those that induce a good sweat, we made sure to allow the mat to thoroughly dry before rolling it up. If we used it in a class where we had to vacate the space promptly, we unrolled it at home to allow it to air dry as soon as possible.

While we didn't purchase the Liforme cleaning solution specifically, we achieved excellent results by wiping down the mat with a mild detergent solution and a soft towel, ensuring to remove any dirt or residue. We then carefully dried it using a separate towel, guaranteeing its complete dryness before storage.

Taking the mat's biodegradable nature into consideration, we were mindful of prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, which can accelerate degradation. We followed the manufacturer's recommendation to roll the mat with the colored side and alignment design facing outward.

Other than a few small oily looking smudges showing on the mat there are no visible faults to this mat. Liforme does warn customers to avoid practicing on the mat after using body oils or moisturizers, which is where we fell short. All in all,  the mat remained in tip-top position during our testing and we think this is down to it being made of quality materials and the helpful up-keep guidelines set out by Liforme.

Liforme yoga mat: User reviews

Of the twelve reviews left on the Liforme website for this model, just about every one scores the mat five stars out of a total of five, bar one who only dropped one star from their rating. This buyer admires the look of the mat but had a few small qualms, “Debris shows up on it because it’s so dark. If you do warrior poses quickly it’s difficult to turn quick and keep your balance BUT for gripping it’s superb! Your palms/ fingertips, pads of toes and feet are like suction cups.”

The other reviews shout out the great quality of the materials and how this Liforme option is a big upgrade from previous less grippy models bought from other brands. One buyer claims this is the best yoga mat ever. They left the following words in their five-star review, “They seem expensive but when you get these mats you realize they're actually cheap considering the craftsmanship that's gone into them.” They also commented on how suitable it is for other forms of exercise including bodyweight exercise and HIIT classes.

Another person says this Liforme mat has allowed them to perform kneeling poses again, with the thickness of the mat fully supporting them from hard surfaces.

If this yoga mat isn't for you

As much as we enjoyed testing out this Liforme mat, we appreciate that it won’t be the right fit for everyone. Thankfully, if it doesn’t tick all your boxes, your options aren’t narrowed down as there are plenty more great options out there.

One such option is the Heathyoga Yoga Mat with Alignment Lines, priced considerably cheaper than the Liforme mat at $37.99. It too has been designed with markings for hand and foot placement and is an excellent choice for beginners looking to ensure correct alignment and minimize the risk of injury. With its wider and longer dimensions compared to standard mats, it also comes with a free Velcro strap and carrying strap for added convenience.

Another noteworthy choice is the Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat, which is another pricier mat but less than the Liforme option, costing you $128. Renowned for its quality, this mat offers durability and outstanding traction in both wet and dry conditions. While it may have a slight initial odor and is prone to scratching, its performance compensates for these minor drawbacks. 

Or for travelers seeking a highly portable option, the JadeYoga Travel Yoga Mat is an ideal choice. Moderately priced at $69.95, this mat is thin, lightweight, and compact, folding down to the size of a yoga block. Its textured design provides excellent grip, ensuring stability during your practice. While it lacks significant padding, it takes up minimal space in your luggage or storage. Although it can become slightly slippery when heavily saturated with sweat, it resists marking or staining. 

Grip is a must-have for a yoga mat and the best yoga mats offer superb grip even when your hands become sweaty in a hot yoga class or, in a downward dog, when it always feels like your hands are slowly trying to get away from you...

With so many choices out there for which yoga mat to buy, knowing which will suit your needs can feel overwhelming. There are many things to consider such as thickness, comfort, grip and, if you're climate-conscious, the materials and production of the yoga mats themselves. This is where we come in. We have tried and tested various yoga mats to make selecting a new mat easier for you.

If you want to get the most out of your cool-down routine, check our guide to the best foam rollers or keep track of your practice with one of the best fitness trackers.

The quick list

Best yoga mats we recommend in 2026: As chosen by our expert reviewers

The best yoga mat overall

For once you can believe the hype: The Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat is worth every cent. Well made, durable and with excellent traction in both wet and dry conditions, it’s the yoga mat that keeps on giving.

During our Lululemon Reversible 5mm Mat review we found that it’s springy enough to move around on with great cushioning to support bones and joints. Its thin polyurethane layer and ‘sweat-wicking’ natural rubber base, does a good job at absorbing moisture and the antimicrobial additive in the mat prevents bacteria from building up.

It’s a bit smelly when you first open it, and tends to scratch easily. It’s also a little on the heavy side at 2.38 kg but that doesn’t matter if you’re driving to class or you usually workout from home. Plus, the 5mm thickness means you get the support where you need it most.

• Read our full Lululemon Reversible 5mm Mat review

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Best yoga mat for grip

The Yogi Bare Wild Paws yoga mat is one of the more expensive brands we tested and sits just above the $100 mark. However, we highly doubt you’ll need to replace this mat for years.

4mm of springy thickness provides enough padding for classes like Yin but still allows you to feel grounded and well connected with the floor and mat. However, we recommend travel yogis look for other brands in our round-up because this mat weighs 2.5kg and feels heavy-duty under your arm. The good news is that the weight prevents the mat from sliding around or furling at the sides.

If you’re after sustainable design, this mat also ticks the boxes. It’s made of natural rubber and PU (polyurethane synthetic leather), making it both non-slip and fully recyclable. We love that Yogi Bare encourage buyers to send in their old mats to be repurposed as part of their recycling campaign, bagging you a discount on a future purchase.

We noticed scuff marks and paw prints (yes, our dog also enjoys downward dog) after the first use, but the mat is easy to clean (warm water and diluted lemon juice at the ready), and we did test the black design – a notoriously tough color for hiding wear and tear.

If you’re looking for grip factor and a posture boost, this mat won't fail you – even in humid hot yoga classes. The lack of slippage makes it perfect for dynamic classes and hot yoga, but it can hold its own during low-impact classes and even when you’re keen to get playful with arm balances or inversions.

• Read our full Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip yoga mat review

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Best folding yoga mat

The yogi who travels will fall in love with this mat. Weighing only 2 lbs, the Primasole yoga mat folds away into a small square, perfect for tucking into your luggage without it taking up too much room.

Available in four colours and made from PVC, the Primasole is available for less than $20 on Amazon. In our Primasole Folding yoga mat review, we found the grip is good unless you’re doing a hot yoga practice where we advise a grip towel. Being 4mm thick should give sufficient protection while being in restorative postures but we recommend using yoga props too, for added comfort.

Easy to pack and carry and easy to unfold and fold back up in class or in your hotel room, the Primasole folding yoga mat is simple. The grey color also hides marks and wear.

• Read our full Primasole Folding yoga mat review

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Best for eco-friendly credentials

Self-titled ‘nature’s best yoga mat’, the standout feature of this yoga mat is the rough, grainy texture of the natural rubber. This has been sourced from rubber trees – a rapidly renewable resource – and contains zero nasties, but JadeYoga recommends avoiding this mat if you have a latex allergy as the mat could contain traces.

There has been no compromise in quality when keeping to a sustainable ethos. The material isn’t like the soft PU coating of other mats, which might not be for everyone, but it’s well suited to anyone who gets creative with balances, tends to sweat more, or just prefers hot yoga classes. In our Jade Harmony yoga mat review, we found the texture harder to wipe down for this reason, and the mat is sensitive to sunlight and chemicals, so water and a damp cloth will be your new best friend. It’s also reversible, which should help improve durability.

We recommend this mat for most ability levels and practices, but while it is 5mm thick (slightly thicker than the Yogi Bare Wild Paws yoga mat), it actually felt thinner and less suited to restorative classes. Those who favor a creative practice will love the design, but beginners or anyone nursing bad knees will benefit from trying another mat from this round-up.

The rougher rubber texture attracts dust and sweat staining, but this is typical of grippy mats and can be combatted by simply cleaning it down after every class. We also recommend picking a more travel-friendly option from our lineup if you plan to take your mat away with you. All in all, if you want to shop with a brand whose heart and soul are rooted in being Earth-conscious, this mat will serve you well, alongside a durable design.

• Read our full Jade Harmony yoga mat review

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Best yoga mat for balance training

The Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat lives up to its name on the grip front and provides excellent support and stability for all types of yoga.

Its sticky latex surface makes it durable enough to withstand a hot yoga session, and its non-slip nature makes it great for stability, meaning that you can stay in balance poses such as downward dog for longer.

In our Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat review, our one complaint was that due to its stickiness, this yoga mat is also somewhat of a dust and dirt magnet. It also picks up marks easily, but this is nothing that regular cleaning (and a carry bag for storage) can’t resolve.

Because this eco-friendly mat is made from natural latex (avoid if you have a latex allergy) you should expect a strong odor at first. However, this does wear off in time. We would note that this mat is a little thin for headstands, so you might need to add a towel to make it thicker.

• Read the full Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat review

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Best yoga mat for travel

The JadeYoga Travel Yoga Mat is perfect for travel as it’s thin, lightweight and compact. It easily folds down to the size of a yoga block, and has a textured design that gives it great grip. While this mat will take up very little space in your luggage or your closet at home, the downside is that its super thin profile means that there is zero padding in this travel mat. We would also recommend rolling the mat out after you unpack it to minimize creases.

This yoga mat is made from PVC-free natural rubber so expect a rubbery smell for the first few weeks (and avoid this product if you have a latex allergy). It has an open cell construction and is really sticky, which is ideal as it means that you won’t slip and slide during your yoga session.

We found in our JadeYoga Travel Mat review that the mat can be a little slippery when sweat-soaked, but it doesn’t tend to mark or stain which is a big bonus. Jade Yoga has a plant-based mat wash you can use for cleaning, but we found that regular sprays worked just as well (although avoid UV cleaners as these can damage the rubber). Overall, a great value mat with good performance for travelling yogis.

• Read our full JadeYoga Travel Mat review

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Best yoga mat for posture improvement

The Lululemon Take Form 5 mm yoga mat is one of the most expensive on our list, retailing at over $100. But its beautiful design and cleverly subtle alignment cues allow every yogi to lead intuitively with their senses.

The goal of this mat is to create a more sensory and naturally flowing experience, using a 3D design to help improve your practice and better guide and position you. It comes in a range of soft marbled tones and features delicate concentric circles that look like raindrops spanning and rippling across your mat; each one is slightly ridged and helps guide your hand and foot positioning, as well as indicating the midline of the mat.

As always with Lululemon, materials are carefully considered. This model is crafted from natural rubber (certified by the Forest Stewardship Council) and is plushly padded and super grippy. We found in our Lululemon Take Form yoga mat review, it held its own in heated dynamic classes and more restorative Yin-based practices and cushioned enough that we could still hold firm on our balances.

Some users found the sticky grip prevented smooth transitions and others felt the ridges didn’t provide enough guidance, but we loved our time on this mat. Those seeking a lightweight design should consider others in our round-up, and the Take Form looked noticeably heftier than its Jade Harmony yoga mat counterpart.

Those trying to save some cash could benefit from the popular Lululemon Reversible 5mm yoga mat, but we felt extremely at home on this model, and there’s plenty of space to have some fun.

• Read our full Lululemon Take Form yoga mat review

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Best yoga mat for teachers

The 100% latex-free, recyclable, and OEKO-TEX certified PVC (free from hazardous chemicals) Manduka Prolite Yoga Mat is a favorite among yoga teachers and students.

Three size options – regular, long, and long and wide – make this mat suitable for yogis of all shapes and sizes, and the dotted underside keeps you secure as you practice.

We tested the regular mat from the PRO series – one of the OGs of the Manduka range. It offers 4.7mm of thickness to provide for your joints but retains enough stability to support inversions and balances. The textured top layer is designed with teachers in mind, helping you to move through your flow without sticking to the mat – a gripe often found with super grippy mats.

However, we found the closed-cell material – designed to prevent the absorption of bacteria and sweat – created a filmy top layer that caused a lot of slippages. Manduka recommends ‘breaking in’ your mat with repeated practice and a grip towel to help ramp up the grip factor over time. If your patience wears thin, you can also perform a salt scrub to help speed things up.

We love how much room this yoga mat offers, and the standard size weighs 1.9kg; this should be travel-friendly for most.

• Read our full Manduka PROlite yoga mat review

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Best all-rounder

In our Liforme Yoga Mat review we found this mat to be a dependable and supportive choice, boasting excellent grip and design features for dedicated yoga practitioners. It offers a durable and comfortable surface, albeit at a slightly heavier weight of 2.5kg, making it less ideal for frequent transportation.

Its robust construction and performance justify the higher price point, ensuring long-lasting use. The mat's thoughtful design, including alignment markers, contributes to maintaining balance and proper posture during yoga sessions - and it looks pretty great!

When it comes to care, following the straightforward cleaning instructions provided by Liforme will keep the mat in optimal condition. Overall, the Liforme Yoga Mat is a worthwhile investment, elevating the yoga experience for enthusiastic yogis ready to level up their practice or for people who need extra reliable padding and stability in their yoga sessions.

• Read our full Liforme Yoga Mat review

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Best budget yoga mat

The Gaiam Premium Solid Color Yoga Mat is reversible, so you can choose which side suits your yoga style or activity.

It comes in at under 50 bucks so it’s a solid budget-friendly option for people new to yoga.

It’s a good size for taller people who need a bit more mat space, and has great cushioning to support joints and bones. That makes it a good choice for anyone using it for circuits or HIIT workouts, too.

Our main complaints are that it tends to mark easily and the stickiness doesn't last very long. It’s sweat absorbent to an extent, but not compatible with hot yoga. The plus side is that it’s latex-free and comes with Gaiam’s lifetime guarantee.

• Read our Best Resistance Bands to enhance your yoga practice.

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Best yoga mat for beginners

New to yoga? The Heathyoga alignment system yoga mat is a solid choice because it comes with marks for hands and feet placement.

This is really helpful for newcomers to yoga, as you can work on correct technique and positioning with less risk of injury.

It’s slip resistant, easy to clean and stays nice and flat once it’s unrolled. It’s thick enough to do prolonged yin practice poses with comfort and has excellent grip, even in hot yoga classes. We love how durable it is, with just the right amount of cushioning for standing poses.

Longer and wider than standard yoga mats, the Heathyoga TPE Body Alignment System Yoga Mat comes with a free Velcro strap and carrying strap.

• Read our Best Fitbit guide to help you track your yoga practice.

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Best yoga mats: Comparison

Our expert

Best yoga mats 2026: Frequently Asked Questions

Lifestyle

If life has you traveling here, there, and everywhere then you’ll want a lightweight mat that’s easy to stow in a suitcase or throw under your arm. Anything under 2kg is ideal, but it depends on what you personally consider ‘heavy-duty.’

Skinner recommends mats with a carrying strap and protective case and something light enough to throw over your shoulders. “You can always double up your personal mat on top of a studio mat if a travel mat feels too thin,” she says.

JadeYoga Travel yoga mats and the Gaiam brands are hugely popular. We also rate the Primasole folding yoga mat because it folds like paper into a compact and easy-to-carry parcel.

Just because a yoga mat is thick doesn’t necessarily indicate that it’s heavy. Thickly padded foam mats are harder to roll up and tend to curl as they roll out, but they can still be lightweight and are perfect for low-impact classes, beginners, and those on the move. In this instance, you’d need to check the material and weight to see just how lightweight it is.

Material

If you’re trying to be more sustainable with your choices, or suffer from allergies, check the materials in the specifications before you buy your mat. Cork and PU are brilliant options, and natural rubber is hugely popular as it’s a biodegradable and rapidly renewable resource, although it may contain latex.

Many brands now combine synthetic with natural materials that are all recyclable. Brands like JadeYoga and Yogi Bare have even partnered up to plant trees or recycle mats on your behalf when you buy with the brand.

Different materials will determine durability, grip, and thickness. Natural rubbers tend to result in a course mat that is great for grip, but PVC-based yoga mats are arguably more durable.

How we test the best yoga mats

To ensure we only recommend the best yoga mats, our experienced reviewers put each one through its paces in two types of yoga classes – gliding gracefully through a 60-minute restorative yin and powering through a sweaty 60-minute hot vinyasa. Our reviewers are yoga practitioners and teachers with a breadth of knowledge and an eye for what to look for in a decent yoga mat.

Our reviewers went into the depths of each yoga mat. They considered the thickness and comfort of each mat and how this would support joints while also ensuring it would not compromise balancing poses such as tree pose or warrior three. Grip is extremely important in a yoga mat so our reviewers tested how well the grip performed by trying these yoga mats out in hot, sweaty practices (and many downdogs on repeat!). We also noted color availability of each yoga mat as well as design features such as alignment cue lines or the use of sustainable materials in the production of these mats — giving our climate-conscious consumers an idea of whether or not they can be classed as eco-friendly.

What's more, our reviewers also advise on how easy they are to keep clean, including a quick clean after class, and a deeper clean to remove sweat and oils. We also tested these mats to see how stain-resistant and durable they are, especially when exposed to hotter yoga practices or even more general workouts.

Finally, our reviewers tested these yoga mats out for their weight, noting whether or not they would be suitable to carry to yoga classes or better left as a home practice mat.

After our thorough testing process, each model was awarded a final score out of five stars, determining how likely we are to recommend the product to yogis seeking a new mat for finding their zen.

• Related: Six yoga myths debunked

This article is for informational purposes only, and is not meant to offer medical advice.

Have you ever considered yoga for runners? Yoga has many benefits that extend beyond maintaining flexibility. Yoga can help you sleep better, improve your concentration, increase your stamina, help you to build muscular strength, improve your balance and lower your resting heart rate. 

All of these things can help runners perform better, with research from the International Journal of Yoga finding that yoga can actually help athletes to improve the uptake and utilization of oxygen during exercise, making the body more efficient.

Yoga is normally practiced on a yoga mat. The best yoga mats are comfortable for bonier joints and have a sticky texture to ensure you can stay firmly planted when holding postures. 

But there isn’t a right or wrong when it comes to runners practicing yoga as many postures will benefit them. We’ve put together some of the best yoga postures for runners to help you get started, with the help of expert physiotherapist Kelly Rotheram.

1. Downward dog

Physiotherapist Kelly Rotheram explains why the downward dog is beneficial for runners to practice, “It works on both flexibility and strength,” she says. “Downward dog targets your upper and lower body at the same time, so you'll feel it in your arms, shoulders, back, calves, hamstrings and ankles. 

“Not only does downward dog provide a great ankle and calf stretch but it also strengthens lots of smaller stabilizing muscles in the foot. To protect yourself from injury when running, you want feet that can conform to the ground, react quickly to the terrain and transfer weight effectively.” 

Step 1 - From an all fours position, place your hands in front of your shoulders and tuck your toes. Spread your fingers wide.

Step 2 - As you exhale, lift your hips up and back, making your spine long.

Step 3 - You can keep a bend in your knees if your shoulders round. You want to lift up and out of your shoulders, with a flat upper back, pressing the floor away from you.

Step 4 - Take 3 deep breaths here. You can stay still or walk on the spot, bending one knee at a time.

2. Low lunge 

Low lunge is a must for runners. Rotherham explains: “As a runner, you can’t ignore the lunge, a movement that has various forms and significant training effects. The low lunge can train the balance and proprioception of the body and help with the mobility of your torso, hips and ankle joints. The low lunge mainly stretches the quadriceps, abdominals and hip flexors and helps strengthen the glutes.” 

Step 1 - From your downward dog, step your right foot forward between the hands, dropping your left knee to the floor. Untuck your left toes.

Step 2 - You can place your hands either side of your right foot. Keep pressing into your right foot and top of your left foot while you breathe into the lunge.

Step 3 - As you press into your feet, sink your hips forward and down to stretch the quadriceps on the left leg. Take 3 deep breaths.

Step 4 - Change legs, bringing your left foot forward and right leg back and repeat.

3. Intense side stretch 

Intense side stretch pose is a deep stretch, focusing not only on the legs, ankles and feet but the spine.

Rotheram provides an insight into what this pose can do for runners, “This pose relieves stiffness in the legs and hip muscles and helps with mobility in the hips and spine,” she says. “The core muscles are working while the head rests on the knees. The shoulders are drawn back, which helps correct rounded, drooping shoulders.”

Step 1 - Come to stand with your feet around a leg's distance apart. Turn your right toes out to the short side of your yoga mat and turn your left toes in towards the center of your mat.

Step 2 - Inhale and lift your arms up, turning your hips in the same direction as your right foot, and exhale fold from your hips over your right leg.

Step 3 - Place your hands onto your right shin or the floor, if you can reach. You can also use yoga blocks under the hands for support or loop your arms behind you.

Step 4 - As you take 3 deep breaths here, keep turning your left hip towards the right foot so your pelvis stays level.

Step 5 - Inhale, press firmly into your feet, engage your thighs and lift your arms up, coming to stand. Repeat on the other side.

4. Reclined hero pose 

Rotherham says there are many benefits of the reclined hero pose for runners. “Reclined hero pose increases flexibility and encourages proper alignment in the hips, legs and knees. It stretches the quads, encouraging and training internal rotation whilst also strengthening the lower back,” she says.

Step 1 - Come to your knees and turn your feet out wider than your hips. Your knees may or may not stay close together, do what feels best for your knees here.

Step 2 - Roll your calf muscles out with the help of your hands and sit back, between your heels. You can use a block or cushion under the buttocks here for support.

Step 3 - You can start to walk back on your hands, making sure you do not feel any pain in your knees. You want to feel a stretch on your thighs so tucking the tailbone to the backs of the knees may help with this.

Step 4 - Keep going backwards until you reach a comfortable limit. You may end up on the hands, elbows or lying all the way back. Find your variation and stay for five deep breaths.

Step 5 - To come out, walk yourself back up using your hands and lift up off your heels. Stretch your legs out and give them a shake.

5. Bridge

Bridge pose is great for stretching out after a long run and improving your hip strength. Rotheram comments: “Running can put pressure on your hips that, over time, can take its toll on your performance. 

“Luckily, bridge pose is here to help you build strength in your hip muscles. We know how important the gluteal muscles are for runners too and this pose can really help to target that posterior chain. It also engages your core and stretches your hip flexors.”

Step 1 - Come to lie on your back, with your feet on the floor close to your buttocks. You should be able to touch your heels with your middle fingers.

Step 2 - Place your arms down beside you, palms facing the floor. Press into your upper arms and forearms and start to lift the hips up as your inhale.

Step 3 - Keep tucking your tailbone to the back of your knees and lift your hips up higher. Your chest should be moving towards your throat.

Step 4 - Take 3 deep breaths here before releasing back down on an exhale. You can repeat this posture a few times.

6. Reclined pigeon pose 

From a physiotherapist’s perspective, reclined pigeon pose has a host of benefits for runners. 

Rotherham explains: “Reclined pigeon pose offers multiple benefits. It opens the muscles surrounding the hips, the low back, and the backs of the legs. When we don’t take the time to stretch out over-taxed areas properly, it can often lead to tightness and pain. Gently stretching these specific muscle groups will let your body heal and recover properly from overuse. 

“As this pose is done on your back, it’s great to do as a warm-up pose or a cool-down pose. Since laying down doesn’t put any pressure on your hips or your knees, it’s also a safer hip-opener if you’re working with any hip instability or knee injuries.”

Step 1 - From your bridge pose, keep your feet on the floor and place your right ankle in front of your left knee. 

Step 2 - Ensure your right knee is moving away from your right shoulder so you can feel a stretch in your outer right hip. You can stay here with your left foot on the floor or if you can’t feel much in your outer right hip, try the next step.

Step 3 - Inhale and lift your left foot off the floor. Thread your right arm through the center of the legs and your left arm round the left side of the left leg so you can take the back of your left thigh.

Step 4 - Take five deep breaths here before changing to repeat on the other side.

7. Toe squat 

This is not everyone’s cup of tea but proves essential for runners. Rotheram explains: “Your feet and shins undergo tremendous stress with each pounding step you take when running. Stretching your toes and the soles of your feet can reduce the occurrence of plantar fasciitis, which in turn ensures your runs remain bearable. This pose also stretches the muscles and connective tissues along the tibia to help prevent and reduce the pain of shin splints.” 

Step 1 - Come to sit in a kneeling position. Place your hands in front of you and lift your hips off your feet.

Step 2 - Tuck your toes under and start to bring the weight of your hips back towards your feet. For some people, they can sit on their heels with their hands on their knees. For others, having their hands on the floor and leaning forward is enough of a stretch for the feet.

Step 3 - Take five deep breaths here before you lift up and release the feet completely.

8. Head to knee pose 

A good pose to get into the habit of practicing, “head-to-knee pose stretches the hamstrings, hips and groin muscles. Athletes and runners who need to run often will benefit from this excellent technique for tight hamstrings”, says Rotheram. 

Step 1 - Come to a seated position with your legs outstretched in front of you. Bend your right knee and place your foot on the inside of your left leg. 

Step 2 - Inhale and place your hands on the floor next to your hips. Lift your chest up, lengthening your spine but relaxing your shoulders down away from your ears. Exhale here and the inhale to lift the arms up overhead.

Step 3 - Exhale and fold forward, hinging from your hips over your left leg. Take three deep breaths here before changing sides.

Why should runners do yoga? 

After a long run, it’s common to feel stiff. Runners are always advised to stretch before and after a run but how many actually do this? 

Stretching before a run warms your muscles while stretching afterwards helps to maintain your flexibility – ignoring your post-stretch run can lead to decreased mobility over time. 

There’s also the added benefit that stretching after exercise helps to get the blood flowing to the muscles to remove lactic acid. If we experience a lactic acid build up, we may feel aching or burning in our muscles. Practicing some yoga after a run can be a great way to start the healing process for your tired legs.

“Running is repetitive in nature,” says expert physiotherapist, Kelly Rotheram. “This can cause musculoskeletal imbalances in flexibility or strength. Yoga helps restore symmetry and balance to the body by improving flexibility and strength in the muscles and provides a full body workout. Muscles especially in the arms and upper torso not usually used in running are called upon and strengthened.”

Both yoga and meditation have been found to produce similar benefits, helping to improve your mental and physical health in various ways. 

While meditation primarily works on your mind and thought patterns, yoga moves your body and can help improve your fitness. This isn’t to say that yoga doesn’t work with your mind and improve your mental health. Research has found that yoga can have a positive effect on your mental health too and meditation can also benefit you physically.

If you’re thinking of giving yoga or meditation a try, you might want to explore the best yoga mats available. It’s wise to have a comfortable mat to practice on and you may also need a meditation cushion or yoga props to help you get into trickier postures.

 What are the proven effects of meditation? 

Various studies have found that meditation can improve mental health. One meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, published in the Depression and Anxiety journal, found 25 different studies showing that meditation can alleviate symptoms of anxiety. 

Meditation has also been found to have some physical health benefits. A study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that meditating can temporarily lower our heart and breath rate. This suggests that meditation is useful for reducing our body’s ‘sympathetic activity’ and placing us in a state of rest (useful if you’re stressed out.)

A Harvard study also found that meditation could also change your genes. People who meditated over an 8-week period saw a change in the expression of 172 genes that regulate inflammation, circadian rhythm and glucose metabolism. This links to a decrease in their blood pressure. However, this study was small and didn’t include a comparison group of non-meditators so the results should be considered with caution.

What are the proven effects of yoga? 

Yoga is not so different from meditation regarding the benefits it’s been shown to produce, particularly when it comes to mental health benefits.

A clinical trial published in the Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that regular yoga decreased self-reported symptoms of depression in a small group of adults. And the Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice Journal published a study that demonstrated reduced levels of anxiety in a group of women who attended regular yoga classes.

However, yoga offers additional physical benefits that you don’t get with meditation. For example, yoga has been shown to improve cardiovascular health. The Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology published a comparative study that concluded that yoga reduces the age-related deterioration in cardiovascular functions. 

It also improves flexibility — the International Journal of Yoga published a study showing significant flexibility improvements in athletes who took a 10-week course of yoga.

Other research has shown that yoga can help with pain management. The journal Pain published a study that observed participants who had experienced non-specific chronic low back pain. They compared Iyengar yoga therapy to an education control group. Both of the programs were 16 weeks long. The study concluded that there were ‘significant reductions in pain intensity (64%), functional disability (77%) and pain medication usage (88%) in the yoga group at the post and 3-month follow-up assessments.’

How does yoga incorporate meditation? 

Both yoga and meditation require a certain level of concentration and focus, allowing you to experience what it’s like to be present. This present moment awareness is what helps to calm the mind, relieving feelings of depression and anxiety. It helps us activate our parasympathetic nervous system, our rest and digest function, which reduces our stress levels and lowers our heart rate. 

Yoga can be said to incorporate meditation techniques because of the concentrated focus you apply while holding postures. While holding a posture, you’re focusing on sensations in your body and your breath, similar to what you might do during a breath meditation, for example. Because of this, it has the ability to help ease mental health concerns and can be effective in altering our thoughts and habits, just as meditation can. Yoga is not only a physical practice but a mental one too.

Our expert, Sarah Robinson, is a UK Bath-based yoga teacher and writer who holds an MSc in Psychology & Neuroscience. She comments, “As a practice, many would say that yoga incorporates the ritual of focus and meditation as much as the physical poses and breathwork that are more visually obvious to observers. The tangible benefits of yoga — such as the ability to touch your toes, are easier to record quantitatively than, say, how calm you feel after meditating. Internal practices will always be more challenging to explore.

“The impacts of both yoga and meditation on various cognitive and behavioral functions are many; from structural alterations in the brain and improved brain function, to benefits on mental health, reduction in symptoms of anxiety, and greater concentration.”

How often do you need to practice to see the benefits? 

As with anything, the more you practice it the better you become at it. Our brains work the same as our bodies. Just as repetition at the gym helps build our muscles, repetition of yoga and meditation helps build our concentration and stamina, whether that’s for holding a yoga posture or sitting for meditation. Both practices require us to keep practicing focusing on one thing at a time.

Sarah Robinson shares her thoughts on how often you should practice, “Yoga and meditation are open to anyone, whether you are interested in the research or not. I like the term ‘what you practice grows stronger’. Your abilities will strengthen if you practice physical balance, such as through yoga asana. Likewise, your ability will improve if you practice meditation techniques such as singular focus. As with many exercises, several times a week is ideal, but something is always better than nothing.”

The Primasole folding yoga mat is an Amazon-own and one of our favorites for travel or anyone who needs a mat that simply does the job.

Made from PVC, the Primasole is wafer thin, lightweight (it weighs only 2lbs), and folds up like a piece of paper, slotting neatly into handbags or suitcases as a packing essential. This mat gets the job done, making it a suitable option for any workout or yoga class, anywhere.  

Although it measures at a sizeable 68” long, it feels narrow and restrictive with a width of 24”. But considering it costs less than £30, we’re more than willing to let that go. 

We tested the mat in heated conditions and a restorative class, and while we think you could use it in both — you will need a grip towel or yoga prop for extra support. The PVC surface makes this mat slippery, and the thin foam-like surface lacks padding and leaves soft indents. 

What we love about this mat is that it’s not trying to masquerade as a premium yoga mat. If you’re after the basics, you’ll find the Primasole works perfectly well as a loyal on-the-go companion. That’s why it made it into our best yoga mats guide and continues to rake in great views on Amazon. 

Find out why yoga for digestion is becoming increasingly popular, or read on for our full review of the Primasole folding yoga mat below. 

Price and availability

The MSRP of the Primasole folding yoga mat varies between $11-$20/ £11-£20 via Amazon. It comes in a striking range of colors like hot pink and lime green, sure to stand out from the crowd in any yoga class. 

It’s our prime pick for budgeters who are less worried about the specs and more concerned about their bank accounts. If you’re looking for a new yoga mat during the cost of living crisis, this mat could be a great fit. 

• Buy Primasole Yoga Mat on Amazon

Design

The Primasole folding yoga mat is made from PVC, typically used because it’s durable, easy to clean, and sticky. But it catches a bad rep for being less environmentally friendly.

The benefits of yoga mats are that they can be made recyclable. If you’re looking for a more sustainable option, natural rubber mats — like the Lululemon Reversible 5mm yoga mat — could be a better choice. It’s also best practice to look at the specs of a yoga mat before you buy if you’re unsure. 

The Primasole suits busy lifestyles, folding thinly into a square shape for travel. 4mm of thickness combined with a weight of 2lbs means this mat barely registers when you carry it. We could have balanced the Primasole on our heads and forgotten it was there — job done. 

The material comprises tiny ridged squares that create a knitted look. This doesn’t add anything to the grip but it does make cleaning easier. However, the clear-cut folds are there to stay and stop the mat from unraveling fully flat to the floor. It’s more of an aesthetic grumble from us, but it could potentially cause tripping during higher-intensity exercise, jumping movements, and vinyasa flow transitions.  

Performance

Unlike the high-grip yoga mats we’ve tested, such as the Jade Harmony yoga mat, the foam-like PVC material of the Primasole folding yoga mat is soft and can cause some sliding. Not the best sell for those who want to perfect their downward dog, but that can be solved with the addition of a good grip towel. 

If you plan to reap the rewards of hot yoga benefits, you’ll at least need a towel to support hand placement in shoulder balances and weight-bearing poses. If you plan to use this mat for HIIT, we found it supportive, holding like glue to a wooden floor without sliding around. However, the folds prevent the mat from sitting flush to the ground and require some ironing out beforehand (with your hands). 

We tested the grey mat, which we recommend if you know your yoga mats tend to take a beating. Lighter colors tend to show up with sweat stains, dust and wear and tear, and ours just about hid initial trainer scuffs. 

The cheaper material cleans easily (more on care below), but harsher scuff marks are likely easy to pick up and consequently there to stay, so be warned if you’re looking to keep your mat in pristine condition. 

We could practice perfectly well on this mat, but Yin-style classes required yoga props and extra cushioning to support our joints. We also found transitions — like stepping forward to low lunge — tricky because of the ridges in the mat (although they’re surprisingly useful for positioning and alignment). The Primasole also creates memory foam imprints as you move, but these disappear quickly and don’t affect our practice. 

Overall, you could lay this mat down in a hotel room, yoga class, or garden and happily carve out a class — but you won’t get much support or cushioning. 

Care

Learning how to clean a yoga mat properly is half the battle, but Primasole also provides care instructions for the Primasole folding yoga mat. 

They recommend wiping down with a damp cloth and water or a natural detergent, airing in a shaded and well-ventilated place. 

User reviews

The Primasole folding yoga mat was rewarded a 4.5 out of 5 Amazon stars. Users complimented how easy it was to travel with, and one user said it ‘works well for the casual yogi,’ while another simply stated ‘perfect.’ 

Negative feedback mentioned the thickness, with one user saying they bought two and doubled up for classes. Another user commented that the mat was slippery and began to wear after five months. 

Should you buy?

Before you settle on your next yoga mat, ask yourself what you need from it. If the answer is no frills and affordability — the Primasole folding yoga mat is a solid investment. It suits tall and short yogis, travels well, and allows you to practice wherever and whenever. Beginners or anyone with an injury should perhaps opt for more cushioning as you’re essentially swapping comfort for compact, and it’s not suitable for hot yoga unless you’ve got a grip towel handy. 

Alternatives

If you want a seriously sticky grip from your next yoga mat, the Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Grip yoga mat (pictured above) is very grippy, versatile, and sustainably made. The yoga mat is one of our favorites from testing, offering yogis a high return on investment.

Another highly-rated budget buy is the Gaiam Premium 2-color yoga mat. It’s sweat-resistant, reversible, non-slip, and environmentally friendly, costing nearly the same as the Primasole at $30. 

According to Manduka, The Manduka PROlite yoga mat is the number one mat recommended by teachers worldwide. 

Designed with three size options, including regular, long, and long and wide, this super spacious yoga mat can hold the practice of all yogis. The PRO series is the OG of the Manduka range, combining premium recyclable materials with supportive cushioning for joint protection and extra room to spread your wings (or limbs?) 

It’s a brilliant option if you’re looking for a lighter model (weight starts at 1.9kg) and more room on your mat, sending it straight into our round-up of the best yoga mats around. Be warned though, the closed-cell surface prevents moisture absorption, so if you’re practicing hot yoga or just tend to sweat a lot, we strongly recommend investing in a grip towel or gel — or opting for a specialized grip yoga mat from our guide instead. 

We put the Manduka PROlite through rigorous testing as both a fitness instructor and a yogi student, assessing the highs and lows of its weight, grip, and cushioning. Find out the many benefits of yoga for your physical and mental health, or read on to see how we got on.  

Price and availability

The MSRP of the Manduka PROlite yoga mat is $99-$115/ £69-$120 depending on size, available on the Manduka website. It sits on the (slightly) more affordable end of the scale of our guide. 

You can recycle your old mat for $10 with any mat purchase using the Live On scheme, and Manduka also offers add-ons like a yoga mat wash at checkout. This mat is available for international shipping and is also available via third-party websites like Amazon. 

Design

We tested the thunder-grey color in a standard size and loved the understated look. The palette ranges from olive ‘celadon green’ to striking pink ‘majesty’, with only a Manduka logo stamp adding to the design. 

There aren’t any alignment lines or patterns to speak of on the Manduka PROlite range; this could be off putting for beginners that require a helping hand. The underside of the PROlite yoga mat features a proprietary dotted pattern that holds the mat firmly on the floor, and a textured top layer helps you flow through transitions without the sticky grip of other models, like the tried-and-tested Lululemon Take Form yoga mat. 

The PRO series yoga mats are all made using PVC (100% latex-free) and emissions-free manufacturing. They’re also OEKO-TEX®️ certified, which means they have tested for toxic chemicals and harmful substances. Each mat is recyclable via the Live On scheme — good news for those trying to up their sustainability efforts.

This yoga mat has a closed-cell surface, which means it’s non-absorbent. The idea is to prevent bacteria from building up to improve the hygiene and longevity of your yoga mat, but because moisture isn’t absorbed, it becomes slippery — quickly.

Manduka recommends pairing your mat with a grip towel or applying grip gel to improve traction, especially during hot yoga practice. They also offer handy tips via their blog, like engaging your core during practice and using a proper mat cleaner post-use.

On the plus side, this design makes for an incredibly easy clean, unlike the super grippy and coarse Jade Harmony yoga mat. But we cover this more below.

Performance

Manduka advises practicing breaking in the PROlite yoga mat as much as possible, clearly stating that the grip improves with use and time. 

We can only speak for the limited time we’ve spent testing, but we will update this review in the coming months after more time is spent on the mat. Manduka says the ‘professional medium grip, as preferred by teachers, allows you to flow between postures without sticking to the mat,’ — an issue found with very grippy models. 

We found this model slippery throughout testing and wouldn’t practice without a grip towel. For more precarious balances and poses like a wheel, handstand, or downward dog, we wouldn’t feel comfortable relying on the mat grip alone to hold us. There’s only so much core engagement to improve your stability in poses. 

When trying to maximize hot yoga benefits in a vinyasa or Bikram class, we strongly recommend having a towel handy to help absorb moisture and improve your grip until you’re further into the breaking-in process. However, Manduka dishes up a nifty salt treatment trick if you’re keen to speed up the process, recommending yogis sprinkle a layer of coarse sea salt over the mat, leave it in the sun for 24 hours, then gently rub away with a damp towel. It does help, although it gets messy in a second-floor apartment with no garden.  

The Manduka PROlite yoga mat uses 4.7mm of high-density cushioning to help improve joint protection whilst still maintaining versatility and stability. We could have done with slightly more cushioning, especially in frog pose (similar to child’s pose, but with knees wider and knees and ankles aligned). The thickness will likely suit teachers and those with advanced practice as it provides much more grounding and stability on the mat. However, beginners or those with a Yin practice might prefer a thicker mat like the Lululemon Reversible 5mm yoga mat.

That aside, we had more than enough room to flow, and it was a joy to freely test our parameters without resorting to planting down on the floor around us. As a 5”2 yogi, I hardly need the space of taller buyers, but the roomier options encourage inclusivity, and it’s an ethos we can get on board with. The extra wide option also allows you to play with alignment, especially if you have a mandala-style practice that requires using all four corners of your yoga mat. 

The standard size supports a lightweight design and weighs 1.9kg, so it should suit those on the go. The large option peaks at a hefty 2.7kg, so ensure you check which size you’re buying if you know you’ll be traveling often. Manduka individually make mats and they do warn that size and pattern could differ very slightly from images and specs.

Care

We recommend our handy go-to guide on how to clean a yoga mat. 

Manduka PRO mats should be stored top side facing outwards to prevent any curling during your practice. The popular brand recommends breaking in your mat with repeated use to improve the grip and adding a performance yoga towel to initially help you out alongside the salt treatment if you have some outdoor space.

To clean the mat, yoga mat washes and disinfect mat cleaners are both tried and tested methods of preserving materials. 

User reviews

The Manduka PROlite yoga mat pulls in 4.33 out of 5 stars on their website and a more impressive 4.7 on Amazon. Users compliment how well-made it is and like how it stays in place during practice. One user said ‘it’s lightweight and stays firm on the floor during yoga class…the thickness is just right, allowing cushioning when doing poses on knees.’ Another loved the balance between thickness and weight and how much stability it offers. 

Negative feedback reported how slippery the mat was, with one user reporting theirs didn’t improve over time despite breaking in using sea salt. 

Should you buy?

If you’re looking for a larger or lightweight yoga mat from a reliable and popular brand, then the Manduka PROlite is a staple you can count on. It sits in the mid-range price market, and more affordable options exist, but you are partly paying for a brand many yoga teachers depend on — and the materials will last. If you’re looking for unparalleled grip, other yoga mats could serve you better.  

Alternatives

We loved the Lululemon Take Form yoga mat(pictured above). It has an innovative built-in 3D pattern design to help improve posture and positioning. It’s expensive, but it provides ample cushioning, high-quality materials, and stability — perfect for all practices. 

Like to travel? The Primasole Folding Yoga Travel Pilates mat is affordable, lightweight, and compact. If you prefer to take your yoga on the road, it will slip neatly into your suitcase — and travel plans. 

 The Lululemon Take Form yoga mat is the latest addition to the yoga mat family, aimed at improving positioning and alignment so you can focus on finding your flow state instead. 

Makers of some of the best yoga mats on the market, we’re big fans of the Lululemon brand and — having practiced yoga for a long while — couldn’t wait to plant our limbs down on the Take Form mat.  

 The Take Form incorporates innovative 3D concentric circles into a stunningly eye-catching design. They ripple across the mat like raindrops, forming cleverly positioned and subtle ridges for your body to learn intuitively.

Alignment yoga mats often have lines drawn into the design to create clear-cut cues, but this approach is delicate and almost mindful. We spent hours testing it and exploring our way around during class while maximizing the benefits of yoga. 

Find some surprising hot yoga benefits, or read on for our full review of the Lululemon Take Form yoga mat and whether it’s worth the steep price tag.  

Price and availability

The MSRP of the Lululemon Take Form yoga mat is $138 / £94-£118 (depending on design), available via Lululemon and other third-party retailers. It’s not cheap — especially with the cost of living crisis currently consuming us all — which we cover more on below.

Design

When we read that this mat uses 3D design to help improve your positioning and practice, we were stumped on how Lululemon could achieve this. But once we rolled it out, we could see how clever the design was.

Concentric circles splash like raindrops across the mat, and they’re not sporadically placed either. Instead, two circles at the top and bottom indicate positioning for your hands and feet, connected by a line of circles dripped neatly down the center. Each ridged ripple allows you to intuitively sense your position and the remainder of the mat is textured so you can feel the difference between the spaces compared to where your body is. 

First and foremost, the design is beautiful. The soft hues of dusty pinks, pastel blue, and tidewater teal create a tranquil tye-dye marble effect, and the white streaks look like sunlight dancing across the mat. It’s pretty, subtle, and very calming. It is heavy though, and we’ve got plenty of lightweight travel options in our guide.

The Take Form mat is made using natural rubber that is sustainably sourced and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which supports the protection of forest ecosystems. Throughout testing, we have found natural rubber mats to be the grippiest, and this mat is no exception.

Unlike the Jade Harmony yoga mat, the polyurethane surface is smooth with a textured rubber underside. However, the smooth surface doesn’t take away from just how much grip you get; we were able to use this mat just as effectively in a heated Vinyasa as we could in a restorative class, which is a testament to design versatility.

Performance

Much of yoga involves balance and proprioception (a sense that allows you to perceive location, movement, and action of your limbs and judge their movements and positions around you, according to Science Direct).

The idea is that the 3D design should (in theory) improve your practice by helping you to find poses and positioning without looking down. When we scanned through the reviews on the Lululemon website, we were surprised to see how many people didn’t find the design helpful. 

Having tested this mat in several settings, we found that the ridges could be clearer and it’s understandable why some people felt undersold. However, we think this model is a grower, and get the impression that you learn this mat over time, rather than after one or two classes. After all, it’s about striking a balance. Making the ridges too big could be distracting and affect your ability to find balance in more complex poses, whereas too subtle mutes the point of the design entirely. 

We found our way around the mat just fine, but it didn’t entirely eliminate the need to look down. We hope this will decrease as time passes, and we’ll update this review soon. 

We loved the size of the mat. As a 5”2 yogi, I never really have to worry about length, but the spaciousness is noticeable, and you can play around more with alignment in warrior two and transitions like jump-backs. 

Some reviews say the mat feels thinner than the Lululemon Reversible 5mm yoga mat, even though they both provide the same 5mm thickness. We personally wouldn’t want it to be any thicker, and it was certainly enough for us to melt into the mat during restorative classes comfortably. Any thicker, you’d struggle for balance and to feel adequately connected. 

The Take Form is up there with its peers for grip, primarily due to the natural rubber material, and we didn’t have any issues with slippage, which could be down to the textured rubber underside. The slightly squeaky and sticky texture could make smooth transitions harder, but this feature on mats generally divides crowds. 

With grip comes a common gripe — marks and scuffs. This model does collect dust and dirt, but it’s nearly impossible to find a grippy mat that doesn’t; with a quick clean you can hit the reset button ready for your next class, and we found it easier to clean than the coarsely textured Jade Harmony mat.

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that spending big on a yoga mat is a luxury for many people right now, and the Take Form model is extravagantly priced. If you think you’ve got your alignment down pat, it could be worth saving your money and exploring other options in our guide.

Care

 Learning how to clean a yoga mat will improve its longevity. Lululemon recommends wiping the mat down post-practice with a natural cleaner and keeping the mat away from direct sunlight. To protect the 3D surface, roll the mat topside facing out. 

The Take Form mat is unsuitable for weight training and shoes.

User reviews

We were surprised that this yoga mat only pulled in 3.4 stars out of 5. Positive reviews complimented the comfortable thickness, and one user stated they ‘do not slip in the slightest, even during hot yoga,’ while another said ‘excellent grip.’ 

Negative feedback said the 3D design didn’t help with positioning as the markers were too subtle. Some also thought the mat felt thinner than 5mm, although we disagree that it’s too thin. Another user said the Take Form was ‘too sticky’ and made transitioning hard.

Should you buy?

If you need a helping hand with your positioning during practice and cost isn’t a concern — you could love this model. It’s super comfortable, grippy, spacious, and beautiful, but you’ll need the patience to learn your way around. Those expecting lots of help from the mat might be disappointed, but we thoroughly enjoyed testing it, and it’ll be a staple in our future classes.  

Alternatives

If you’re after a budget buy, the Gaiam Premium 2-Color yoga mat Premium 2-color yoga mat from Amazon comes highly recommended. It offers 6mm of plush thickness and is both sweat-resistant and reversible.

If you want to stick with Lululemon, then the Lululemon Reversible 5mm yoga mat (pictured above) is arguably the brand’s most popular model. It’s highly versatile and cheaper than the Take Form if you want to save some cash.

Whether you’re a beginner exerciser or a seasoned pro in the gym, you will want to know how to improve your flexibility. Supple joints will not only help to prevent injury, they will also allow you to maintain a full range of motion as you age.

The good news is that it’s possible to improve your flexibility, so if you struggle to touch your toes, don’t despair. You could take up yoga and Pilates, for example, and make use of blocks, straps, and the best yoga mats to help you master poses and improve your reach.

But there are other ways to help boost your range of motion, too, including stretching and foam rolling, so we asked phyisotherapists how you can measure and improve your flexibility.

Why is flexibility important?

“If you lack flexibility in the movement you are trying to perform, other muscles have to activate to compensate for the lack of flexibility and this can lead to injury,” says physiotherapist Phil Evans.

“By stretching your muscles, you are counteracting the overloaded muscle, meaning you’ll have a greater range of movement as well as greater control over that movement.

“You’ll also likely improve your posture and reduce any aches and pains you may suffer from. No matter what movement you’re doing, you can perform it better and feel better if your muscles are more flexible.”

What’s a good way to measure your flexibility?

There are a number of different flexibility tests but three are most important: shoulder stretch, trunk lift test and the sit-and-reach test. We asked chartered physiotherapist Katie Knapton to explain.

Shoulder stretch

“The person being tested reaches over their shoulder and down their back with one hand whilst reaching their other hand up and back to try and touch the fingers of the hands together,” says Knapton. “The distance between the hands or the amount of overlap is then measured.”

Trunk lift test

“The person who is going to be tested lies prone on the floor, with their face down and lifts the upper body off the floor and holds this position,” says Knapton. “The height of the chin to the floor is then measured. This tests not only flexibility but also strength.”

Sit-and-reach test

“There are lots of variations to this test but the most simple and easy to evaluate is simply flexing at the hips to touch the floor while maintaining straight knees,” says Knapton. “Then, the distance from the floor is measured or how much of the hand touches the floor is noted.

“A more recognised way is when it is performed seated with legs extended and straight about (8 to 12 inches apart) while the person being tested reaches forward with their hands overlapping. The distance reached is measured using a line marked on the floor.”

Four ways to improve your flexibility

Consistency is key if you want to improve your flexibility. You might need to take up some new exercises or introduce some stretches to your usual workout routine. Here’s what the experts recommend.

1. Take up Pilates

“Pilates is fantastic for making you more flexible and mainly involves mat-based stretches,” says Evans. “It improves your core strength and stress levels and it has a significant impact on your flexibility. Core strength in particular is vital for a good range of motion, especially as we age, so Pilates is an ideal way to work on this.”

A study published in the Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity showed that core strength training can improve flexibility and dynamic balance in sedentary people. The results of a six-week core strength exercise program showed significant improvements in lower back flexibility and lateral flexion, as well as overall dynamic balance.

2. Start foam rolling

You may associate foam rolling with a post-workout strength training session. But research shows that it can also be an effective tool in helping promote flexibility and therefore boost performance, as it helps to reduce muscle knots in the tissue.

A study published in Frontiers in Physiology sought to determine changes in performance, flexibility, and muscle pain both before and after foam rolling.

It showed that foam rolling was an effective strategy for short-term improvements in flexibility and didn’t decrease overall muscle performance.

• Related: How to exercise without hurting your knees

3. Try yoga

“Yoga relies on improving your strength, flexibility and breathing through a series of increasingly difficult stretches,” says Evans.

A study by the International Journal of Yoga revealed that participants who took up a 10-week long, bi-weekly yoga practice, saw a significant increase in their flexibility and balance, specifically in their shoulder flexibility and their sit reach.

“Yoga is also designed to improve your mental wellbeing as well as boosting your health,” adds Evans.

4. Perform stretches before and after training

In addition to more general types of exercise, you could try introducing certain stretches before or after a workout. We asked Evans to outline a couple of examples.

Child's pose

This focuses on the glutes, back, hips, ankles and shoulders, allowing for more movement in these areas if performed on a regular basis:

• Start on all fours (your hands and knees).
• Drop your buttocks back onto your heels.
• Stretch your hands forwards, dropping your head between your shoulders towards the floor. You will feel this stretch through your back and upper arms.
• Hold the stretch for 60 to 90 seconds.

Pigeon pose

This stretch opens up your hips and loosens your lower back:

• Start on all fours (your hands and knees).
• Bring your right knee forward and get as much external rotation in your hip as you can.
• Lay your leg down on the mat and lower your chest down to the floor as far as you can. You will feel this stretch through your right buttock/hip.
• Hold the stretch for 60-90 seconds.
• Repeat for your left hip.

Dubbed their most popular design to date and ‘nature’s best yoga mat’, the aptly named Jade Harmony yoga mat is a sustainable and all-natural selection for anyone on the hunt for a durable, grippy, and earth-friendly yoga companion.   

The best yoga mats come in all forms, often playing on a unique selling point like grip, cushioning, or a travel-friendly foldable design, so it’s always exciting when a yoga mat offers an amalgamation of several desirable features. 

We tested the Jade Harmony mat in a heated vinyasa class and restorative Yin to see how its eco-friendly design fared when challenged with balmier temperatures, as well as our need for comfort and cushioning on our joints. We weren’t disappointed.

Discover the many benefits of yoga, or read on to find out why this mat pulled in an excellent 4 stars from testing.  

Price and availability

The MSRP of the Jade Harmony yoga mat is $84.95/ £73.95. It’s available from the JadeYoga website, and the brand ships internationally. They’re not cheap, but for every teal mat purchased, $5 will be donated to ovarian cancer charities (available in September for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month). $5 goes to Autism causes for each saffron mat bought, and for every pink mat purchased, $5 will go to breast cancer charities (available in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month). For every mat sold, one tree is planted in partnership with Trees for the Future, which sounds like a pretty good deal to us.  

Design

The eco-friendly attention to detail is outstanding. From the mat’s natural rubber tree tapping origins to the brand's tree planting partnership, you can rest assured that you’ve done a good deed before you even step onto your mat.  

The corse, almost grainy-like texture is the reason this mat scores so highly for its grip factor, though the rougher feel could divide opinions. It’s not our favorite material, and we tend to favor a smoother PU top layer (which is also easier to clean), but you can’t argue with the seriously sticky grip this mat achieves – enhanced even more by the open-cell natural rubber material.

The Jade Harmony yoga mat is made using natural rubber tapped from rubber trees (a rapidly renewable resource) and contains no PVC, EVA, or synthetic rubber. JadeYoga says it's ‘everything you want in a yoga mat – cool colors, incredible grip, great comfort, and eco-friendly.’ We have to agree – nothing about the design is an afterthought. What’s more, the Jade Harmony mat is reversible. So, in effect, you could double down on durability. 

We loved the minimalist, earthly approach to color design, too. Enticing palette tones like midnight blue, olive green, raspberry, and Tibetan orange only increase the appeal and we love how the colors pop when sat alongside other mats in a yoga class. 

If you can get on with the texture of this mat, you’ll have a lot of fun using it for your practice.

Performance

The Jade Harmony mat is an epic choice for dynamic practices and most ability levels. As a self-confessed fussy yogi, we find it hard to strike a balance between a firmer mat for inversion practice (like wobbling our way into a headstand) and enough cushioning during low-impact classes.  

During testing, the mat offered up just the right amount of cushioning (it’s 5mm thick) but still provides enough stability to keep your footing during more challenging balances – something that’s often lost on foam or thickly padded mats. Although there’s a nice bit of bounce in the mat, beginners might require a bit more support from a thicker model or the use of yoga props. 

You could probably throw a bucket of water over this mat and still practice with the same efficiency. The gritty texture improves traction and moisture absorption in wet and dry conditions, so you’re guaranteed to stay put during really balmy hot yoga classes. That said, the mat can initially feel a bit slippery when wet, but the quick-absorbing rubber tackles this head-on. 

The ultimate test is downdog,  where the ability to reach the pose can be heavily affected by a slippery design. We found it easy to plant down and rely on the Harmony mat, allowing us to flow freely and be present in the moment of the class. At no point did we have to adjust it (or our pose) due to slippage, which is ideal for keeping the awareness on our body rather than our surroundings. 

However, the slightly rougher rubber texture does attract dust, dog hair, and sweat staining. The stickier surface makes it tons harder to wipe this off like you can with the PU top layer of the Yogi Bare Wild Paws mat, which could be an issue for hot yoga lovers or very sweaty yogis. This is typical of grippy mats, so just be prepared to clean it down more often after use.

The mat is also quite heavy, so we wouldn’t recommend it if you plan to travel or you like to head to class on foot, as it can feel quite cumbersome on the move. There are more travel-friendly options included in our guide for jet setters.

Worth noting is that there is some static when used on wooden floors, although this could be down to the mat being new.

Care

Not sure how to clean a yoga mat? 

This all-natural yoga mat requires very gentle cleaning. JadeYoga recommends wiping your yoga mat down with a damp cloth, using only water, and cleaning it every week. For anyone practicing daily, consider doing it after each use. For a deeper clean JadeYoga sells a plant-based mat wash formulated for natural rubber yoga mats.

It’s also recommended you avoid direct sunlight (this includes practicing outside) or drying your mat outside, as UV light damages the natural rubber. JadeYoga says to avoid alcohol, essential oils, soaps, detergents, and cleaning products, as well as washing machines or dryers. 

User reviews

Gushing reviews on the JadeYoga website are abundant, with one user saying ‘thank you! … I loved it immediately.” Another buyer said ‘thank you for creating the ultimate mat. Your mats are hands down the very best I have ever used … You understand what it means to be in your body and not thinking about slipping.”

Many of the comments are from those around the world in humid climates and yoga instructors who use JadeYoga mats to teach, so you can rest assured that it’s versatile.

Should you buy?

The JadeYoga brand’s eco-friendly roots and initiatives are at the heart and soul of its products, so if you’re looking to make more sustainable choices, then you won’t do much better than the Jade Harmony yoga mat. Alongside tons of grip, springy support, and a durable reversible rubber design, this mat is well worth its $85 price tag.  

Alternatives

Our top budget-friendly pick is the Gaiam Premium 2-Color yoga mat from Amazon. If you prefer thickness, this one offers you 6mm of cushioning – perfect for sore joints and beginner yogis. It might be too slippery for hot yoga, but it’s a steal for under $50. 

If you want to travel light, the JadeYoga Travel Mat (above) is a stowable steal for those who want to take their yoga practice on the road with them. It’s eco-friendly, grippy, super thin (only 3mm thick), and only weighs 1.3kg (2.8 lbs).  

If you’re the type of yoga enthusiast who loves to experiment, finding your perfect partner in a yoga mat could be a cumbersome chore. 

For example, lightweight travel yoga mats might slip neatly into your vacation plans, but can they hold firm during humid hot yoga classes? And would you choose to plant down on a plushly padded yoga mat if you plan to seamlessly transition into crow pose during your practice? Probably not. 

While there might not be a one-size-fits-all answer, Yogi Bare certainly comes close with the Natural Rubber Extreme Grip yoga mat. As the name Yogi Bare suggests, the brand strips it all back with its accessible ‘everybody, every body’ ethos, and range of eco-sensitive mats designed to be planet and person conscious. 

We put this yoga mat to the test as a fitness teacher and a yoga student to see if it could hold its own in various settings. This super grippy, subtly (and beautifully) designed yoga mat ticked nearly every box for extreme grip, durability, and looks and it comes in various stripped-back color palettes. It easily secures itself as one of the best yoga mats you can buy, allowing you to focus on getting all the benefits of yoga. 

Price and availability

The MSRP of the Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip yoga mat is £74.95 and is available for shipping directly from the Yogi Bare website. For orders outside of the UK, you can purchase the Yogi Bare range on Amazon for $104.95.  

Design

The beautifully designed mat offers an eco-friendly approach to extreme grip. You won’t find yourself sliding out of downdog or turning warrior one into the splits when you’re planted on this spacious mat and we found very little to critique in terms of design.

The natural rubber and PU (polyurethane synthetic leather) materials used to make this mat non-slip are fully recyclable and biodegradable. You can even send your old mats in to be repurposed as part of Yogi Bare’s recycling scheme – which will also bag you 15% off your next purchase. The closed-cell rubber is also resistant to bacteria. 

Ample cushioning coupled with superb grip is the dream for any yogi yet hard to achieve. Although the 4mm thickness suggests an overly plush design, this mat doesn’t feel too cushioned for inversion practices and advanced yogis should find it easy enough to find balance. That said, our joints still got enough support for poses (like dolphin pose) where most of the weight-bearing is on your shoulders or elbows; it’s a tough balance to strike, yet Yogi Bare has nailed it. 

The 2.5kg weight results in a heavy-duty yoga mat that slaps onto the ground with a satisfyingly smack, ensuring it stays put. But it might not be suitable for those traveling to class on foot – we found it heavy to carry. 

The Paws mat rolls out ready to go without any irritating corner curling found on cheaper or lightweight yoga mats, which is likely down to its weight. We tested the black model and marveled over the softly engraved Aztec print across the top and bottom of the mat, connected by an alignment line sliced through the center. This feature is perfect for those who need a gentle assist for positioning during poses; it’s understated, fuss-free, and stripped-back – just like the brand itself. 

Performance

We got to work testing the Paws mat in a hot yoga vinyasa class (taking full advantage of some hot yoga benefits) before winding down with a restorative Yin session. This mat is definitely designed by a yogi for fellow yogis, with performance carefully considered every step of the way. 

If you’re paying a premium price for a yoga mat, premium performance should be a given. Although we appreciate disposable income feels like a distant memory right now, this yoga mat is seriously durable and versatile, and we believe it’s worth the relatively steep price tag. What’s more, each model is recyclable, and Yogi Bare offers discounts for all PU mat returns. 

The grip factor alone is enough for us to seriously rate this mat. While foam mats tend to slide out from underneath your hands, this mat resists. Downdog requires you to push away with your hands and draw your shoulder blades down your back to avoid wrist-dumping (which can cause slippage during hot yoga), but the Yogi Bare Wild Paws yoga mat prevents you from sliding forwards and allows you to maintain posture instead.

The grip is equally desirable when moving through a sequence of movements or exercises. For those who enjoy a dynamic vinyasa, hot yoga, or more up-tempo fitness class, you’ll find you can transition more freely than with less grippy mats. This should also encourage you to practice inversions and be more playful with your practice or exercise.  

During restorative long-hold stretches (like pigeon pose), focus shifts towards cushioning. As we mentioned, we found we could bed down into our stretches with ample support for our joints but without losing the grounding connection associated with thinner mats. Teachers often prefer thinner yoga mats for this reason – and because it’s better for balance – whereas beginners tend to benefit from more cushioning; we think Yogi Bare strikes a brilliant middle ground for most customers.

It’s worth mentioning that this mat collects dust and dirt quite easily, and we noticed scuff marks appear after the first use. However, our model was super easy to clean (we discuss how you can do this below), and you’re more likely to notice this if you use the mat for workouts rather than everyday yoga classes.

Care

As with all things you love, you need to take care of them. And your yoga mat is no exception. Yogi Bare recommends a few top tips for keeping your Paws mat preened to perfection. 

Avoid folding your mat or allowing the PU surface to touch itself and try to clean it once a week at least, if not more, for frequently flowing yogis. Yogi Bare recommends wiping the mat down with warm water and diluted lemon juice but avoiding harsher chemicals like washing-up liquids or even using essential oils. 

User reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon says it all, and 82% of users even gave this yoga mat the full 5- stars. One user said the Wild Paws mat is  "pretty and functional." Another said they’re a "Yogi Bare convert for life." However, one user mentioned that the stickiness wore off after 8-10 hot yoga classes, and one person noticed some wear and tear – after 1.5 years.  

Should you buy?

The Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip yoga mat won’t let you down if you love getting stuck into sweaty workouts, hot yoga classes, and inversion practices. This mat isn’t just about looks either – although it’s beautiful – and offers lashings of sticky grippy traction with enough support on joints to see you safely through your practice. 

If you’re seeking a more beginner-friendly, cushioned, or lightweight yoga mat, we recommend checking out our best yoga mats guide to find a better fit. 

Alternatives

If the price tag feels a touch steep, our budget-friendly top pick is the Gaiam Premium 2-Color yoga mat available on Amazon. Offering 6mm of bouncy cushioning and available in enticing colors like honeydew and plum jam, it’s a solid bet if you’re looking for a workout and yoga mat solution for under $50. It isn’t suitable for hot yoga, though. 

Looking for maximum versatility? The $88 Lululemon Reversible 5mm yoga mat (shown above) offers 5mm of thickness, resilience, grip, and durability with two reversible sides perfect for multi-purpose use. It’s also beautifully designed with plenty of colors to choose from – a given considering Lululemon is one of the biggest yoga and activewear brands in the world.  

More people than ever are learning how to be good at yoga, especially since the pandemic made working out at home a priority for millions during lockdown. Named by the American College of Sports Medicine as one of the top 20 worldwide fitness trends for 2021, yoga is a consistently popular and effective way to exercise. The benefits of yoga are truly remarkable, and it is widely accepted that yoga can help you lose weight, build muscle and even fix your posture. 

Here, we take a look at some of the key things you need to get started, dispel common yoga myths such as that you have to be super flexible to be good at yoga, and explain how and why it’s so beneficial for your core.

Once you're ready to start practicing, make sure you read through our round-up of the best yoga mats, where we rank popular yoga mats such as the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat and Lululemon 5mm Yoga Mat. 

• Related: 7 types of yoga

How to be good at yoga

From Ashtanga to Bikram and Hatha yoga, there are many different types of yoga out there—each with their own benefits.

But if you’re new to this form of exercise, you might be wondering how to be good at yoga?

The first thing to do is find a class!

Most gyms and fitness centers will have yoga sessions on their timetables or you could look at attending a class at a more specialized yoga studio. Here you may find a wider choice of sessions, instructors and different types of yoga available.

The key, according to TV sports presenter and qualified yoga teacher Alexandra Legouix, is to look for a class which is suitable for beginners.

Attending an entry level class will help you get comfortable with the basics without the pressure of trying to keep up with more experienced participants or feeling intimidated by more advanced poses. If you prefer working out at home, you could also find an online yoga tutorial or use a DVD as your guide.

Yoga blocks are also good for beginners to provide support and help you work at your own level or you could try a chair yoga class for a more gentle introduction.

As Alexandra points out, you should check out the credentials of the person teaching you, as “If you are following a DVD or online class, it’s very important you choose one that is being taught by an accredited practitioner, as you are not getting the hands-on guidance which you would get in a class.”

Regular practice can lead to improvement, so it’s a good idea to commit to a few sessions per week. 

Alexandra recommends three times a week "as a good way of getting into a routine, that also gives you time for rest days."

But she believes people shouldn’t feel obligated or pressured to attend a certain number of sessions. 

Instead your yoga practice should fit into your lifestyle and alongside any other fitness activities you’re participating in.

And if you’re struggling for time, a quick 10-15 minute stretching or meditation session can be a great start to the day.

• Related: When did yoga originate?

Do you have to be flexible to be good at yoga?

While the thought of yoga can conjure up images of super-flexible people in poses which may seem impossible, it’s encouraging to hear from the experts like Alexandra that you don’t have to be super bendy to enjoy the practice.

"You don’t have to be flexible to be good at yoga—that’s such a common myth. I never encourage people straightaway to try and touch the floor with their legs straight."

Alexandra advises building up gradually and easing your way into poses; increasing blood flow and warming up your muscles makes you more comfortable in the poses and increases flexibility.

How can yoga help your core?

Yoga is very core-focused—if you don’t control your core, you won’t be able to balance correctly or stay in position.

Yoga and breathwork teacher Laura Pearce said: "There are quite a few aspects of most yoga practices that help to improve core strength.

"There is the obvious balance work that wakes up proprioceptors and helps strengthen the neurological connections that help us 'access our core' and there are the big abdominal moves in dynamic practices, namely the high-low plank combo of the Chaturanga Vinyasa sequence.

"There are also lots of intense oblique activating poses, such as side plank, half-moon, where you're facing sideways with one arm and leg lifted high, the other limbs touching the floor, and let's not forget the backbend work we do in yoga, which strengthens the lower back and glutes."

For serious core strengthening, Laura recommended Forrest Yoga who use an opening sequence of sit-ups, as well as most Power, Rocket, Ashtanga or other very dynamic practices.

As well as physical poses, the breathwork involved in yoga is also good for strengthening the core.

She added: "What a lot of people don't realise is that the diaphragm is one of our biggest and most important core muscles. The diaphragm stabilises the spine and connects to so many important deep set muscles, such as your Psoas.

“In most yoga practices, breathwork is a big portion of what we do. We work with cultivating a strong, mobile diaphragm through breathing and also literally engaging the diaphragms of the body in Uddiyana and Mula Bandha aka 'tummy and root lock'. These practices are tough, and take a long time to cultivate, but have a profound effect on our deep, deep core."

Knowing how to clean a yoga mat is the best way to ensure that your mat is always in the best condition whatever your activity of choice, be it developing your mind-body connection with yoga, or strength and flexibility with pilates.

Consider how you care for your yoga mat, as it’s important not to overlook the hygiene and longevity of your mat as it sustains you. You may wipe down your mat after a session, or wonder if you should put it through the washing machine for a good clean. There are some clear tips to enhance the health of your mat and advice for how to clean a yoga mat.

With the range of yoga mats available, there are a number of ways you can keep your yoga mat clean giving you the best base to work from. Check out when, how and why to take of your yoga mat plus evidence-based strategies, to ensure optimal health for you and your practice.

• Related: Best yoga mat

How often should you clean a yoga mat?

It is a good idea to clean your mat after each yoga session. Think about the way you use your yoga mat, whether in a hot yoga class or focussing on centering yourself in stillness with Yin yoga. Your yoga mat is in constant contact with a sweaty, warm and moist environment.

Jessica Ek, Director of Digital Communications at the American Cleaning Institute, told Live Science, "Bacteria and germs thrive in dark, moist environments, like a rolled-up yoga mat that has sweat on it after being used but not cleaned. The next time you use that mat, those germs that have been multiplying can transfer back onto your skin and clothes. For skin health as well as general health, it’s important to keep your workout gear clean."

Cleaning your yoga mat after each class will reduce the build-up of bacteria and germs. 

"If you’ve been sweating, you’ll want to clean it after each use. That could be as little as spot cleaning it or wiping it down and letting it dry." 

If left untreated, there is increased potential for health issues with continued exposure to dirty surfaces.

• Related: Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat review

How to clean a yoga mat thoroughly

You may clean your mat after class and once in a while do a thorough clean, but there is a key difference between cleaning and disinfecting. For the best results it is important to use both processes in the maintenance of your yoga mat.

"It’s a matter of removing vs. killing or inactivating pathogens, microorganisms that cause infection and disease," said Ek.

A combination of soap and water is all you need to clean most mats.

Yoga mats are commonly made of PVC, a material that is non-porous and can tolerate soap and water quite well.

With PVC mats, make sure to protect the integrity of your yoga mat. PVC mats often have a sticky feel to the surface that enhances grip and stability in practicing yoga, scrubbing the mat surface can damage that supportive top layer.

While regular cleaning is important, don’t overlook the process of disinfecting your yoga mat. Tea tree is commonly used as a disinfectant as it has antiseptic properties. 

Ek explained that, "When disinfecting, you are irreversibly inactivating the pathogens on that surface."

While cleaning removes germs and dirt, disinfecting kills any remaining bacteria and other contaminants. 

Again, with the varying material of yoga mats do check the advice of the manufacturer as some mats will be made of materials more sensitive to certain oils and soaps. 

With yoga mats made from polyurethane, you can wipe down your mat to clean it. However, be aware that these mats are more porous in nature and as such exposing them to too much fluid may damage the non-slip properties of the yoga mat, something that's so important for people practising yoga. Too much liquid may also interfere with the aesthetics of your mat, as the absorption may leave stains.

At a foundation level, it’s helpful to know that rubber mats are not suited to a high concentration of essential oils as they can damage the mat over time. 

Yoga mats made from cork are also sensitive to high levels of oils but due to the natural anti-microbial properties of cork, they are much more sustainable as they are able to resist bacteria and germs as well as smell.

Do you need to wash your mat if you use a towel?

Using a towel during yoga isn’t a bad idea as it provides a layer between you and your mat that is easily cleaned between classes. However, using a towel doesn’t mean you don’t need to think about mat hygiene. 

While a towel can provide some absorbency for sweat and moisture accrued during a yoga class, your mat will still pick up some germs and bacteria during use. 

You may need to clean it less regularly but it’s important not to neglect it completely. Every time you wipe down your mat after use you are lessening the risk of health issues and unpleasant odors interfering with your session.

How often should you replace your yoga mat?

There are a few factors at play in deciding when to invest in a new mat. How often you use your mat, the kind of classes you’re doing, and your level of care in cleaning and storing your mat will all impact the life of your yoga mat. The more eco-friendly mats made from rubber or cork will also break down quicker than the PVC yoga mat.

"If you notice the mat coming apart, getting slippery in places or providing inadequate cushioning over time, those are probably signs to look for a new mat," says Ek.

The most important thing in terms of hygiene, protecting yourself from germs and bacteria, is the odor factor. Once you’ve become aware of an unpleasant smell that isn’t removed by cleaning, then it may be time to get a new mat. 

The JadeYoga Travel Mat is compact and well designed, and we love that it’s made from sustainable natural rubber. This means it’s not suitable for anyone with a latex allergy, and brace yourself for a rubbery smell when you first open it, which goes away after a few days.

We love how it folds up nicely (as well as rolls), which makes traveling a breeze. It’s pretty lightweight – just 2.8lbs – but there are lighter travel mats on the market. It’s nice and thin, but that means there’s not much padding or cushioning for joints and bones. Depending on your needs and budget, it might not be the right choice for you; luckily we've reviewed plenty more mats in our best yoga mats guide.

The JadeYoga Travel Mat has superb grip and offers a good level of support for all yoga styles. Its sticky surface makes it easy to hold poses without slipping. Throw some sweat into the mix though and it can be prone to being a bit slippy, so it might be useful to have a towel to hand during yoga flows.

It comes in two lengths, 68” and 74”, which is great if you’re on the tall side, and four colors: black, midnight blue, purple and olive green.

The JadeYoga Travel Mat can be a bit of a dust and lint magnet so you need to clean it down after each session, but that kind of comes with the territory of sticky mats and is no bad thing in the Covid era. For a quick clean, use mat cleaner and wipe down with a cloth and warm water.

The JadeYoga Travel Mat is made from biodegradable material so avoid harsh soaps and definitely don’t leave it to dry in the sun unless you want to throw it in the trash straight after!

It is durable enough for daily use and thin enough to pack and transport easily, meaning you can carry on doing your yoga practice wherever you are in the world.

JadeYoga Travel Yoga Mat: Design

The JadeYoga Travel Mat comes in four autumnal colors (black, midnight blue, purple and olive green) and is made from sustainably sourced natural rubber so it’s eco-friendly, and biodegradable – ticking a lot of planet-friendly boxes.

It has a pleasing, simple design and is lightweight enough to easily transport in your suitcase or bag. For that reason it’s super practical, as you can carry it on public transport or under your arm when you’re heading to yoga class - or even for some al fresco yoga in the park, weather permitting.

The JadeYoga Travel Mat contains no PVC, EVA or other synthetic rubber and is made ethically in compliance with all US environmental, labor and consumer protection laws. This is a brand that cares about its carbon footprint, too. For every mat sold, Jade plants a tree (more than 2 million trees have been planted to date).

JadeYoga Travel Mat: Performance

The JadeYoga Travel Mat is easy to unroll and stays fairly flat, although the corners do tend to stick up a bit. For a thin mat it’s supportive enough without being bulky, and it has great traction when moving in between poses. It’s not very padded though, so anyone with weak knees or joint problems might want to consider a thicker mat.

The open cell construction makes it really grippy, which is ideal for daily yoga. But it’s not such a high performer when it gets wet. We found that a sweaty HIIT class made it too slippery, and we weren’t confident doing dynamic moves like jumping squats or burpees on it in case we suffered an injury. For that reason, the JadeYoga Travel Mat is better suited to slower exercises like yoga, Pilates, stretching and meditation.

The only downside of the grippiness is it collects dirt and dust easily, but it’s nothing a wash down can’t resolve. 

JadeYoga Travel Mat: Care

On the whole, the JadeYoga Travel Mat gets rave reviews: 4/6 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with 76% giving it the full five stars.

Reviewers loved the great grip and that it was easy to roll up and take on vacation. They also appreciated that it was made from renewable resources.  One Amazon reviewer praised the JadeYoga Travel Mat for being “undeniably sticky” but said it was equally “high maintenance” and needed a lot of cleaning.  

Should you buy the JadeYoga Travel Mat?

The JadeYoga Travel Mat is an affordable, eco-friendly choice for traveling yogis who don’t want to compromise on grip or support.

It has great traction and works well for daily yoga practice, but the rubber material means it collects dirt easily and can get slippery when wet, so not the best choice for high impact exercise like HIIT or circuits. 

It’s durable, easy to fold away and pack and has a nice design, although limited color choices (just four). We love the eco-friendly ethos of the brand and knowing that our mat is made from renewable resources that won’t cost the earth.

If this product isn’t for you

If the JadeYoga Travel Mat is not for you, here are three alternatives to consider:

The Manduka eKO Lite Travel Mat is one of the most popular on the market and for good reason. Similar to the JadeYoga Travel Mat, it’s made sustainably and has good cushioning (3mm) for daily practice. It’s fairly heavy to lug around at 4lbs but it’s a durable choice from a reputable brand. It also comes in a ton of fun colors.

The JadeYoga Voyager is super light and thin (1.5mm), and folds up to the size of a yoga block making it an ideal choice for yogis on the go or those with limited space. As with all Jade products, it’s eco-friendly but the brand recommends that this mat isn’t durable enough for daily use, so save it for vacations.

YOGO Ultralight Travel Mat weighs just 2.1lbs and is only 1.5mm thick so it’s super compact and easy to pack. As a result it’s not very padded so not good for people who need more support, but it has enough grippiness to enjoy some yoga flows on trips away.

Yoga is a practice that focuses on flexibility, breath work and strength – but when did yoga originate? People often practice yoga to find mental wellness and stillness in addition to the physical benefits it offers. Yoga is one of the few exercise routines that focuses on developing unity and harmony between the mind and body. 

Such is yoga’s popularity that you’ll find it everywhere, whether it’s classes at your local fitness centre, on television shows and in films, or in social media. Practicing the different types of yoga can be as simple as unfurling your yoga mat in your living room and doing some sun salutations before work.

• Read more: Is yoga good for you?

When did yoga originate? The history

The history of yoga is commonly segmented into four main eras: Pre-classical Vedic, Classical, Post-classical and Modern.

Pre-classical Vedic period

There is a lot of speculation about the exact period in which yoga originated, with some saying it came into being in some form 5,000 years or more ago. According to information from the Indian Government’s Ministry of External Affairs, the earliest theory of yoga was developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India around 2,700 BC. 

The Sanskrit word "yuj" which "yoga" is derived from, means "to join" or "to unite" and was first mentioned in the Rigveda, the earliest of four religious texts known as the Vedas. The Rigveda is a collection of Indian hymns written in Sanskrit and is one of the holiest and most sacred texts of Hinduism. It is thought to have been written around 1500-1200 BC, according to Britannnica. Tips for controlling one’s breath and balancing energies were discussed in the Vedas. Yoga-like practices are also described in other Vidic Sanskrit texts known as the Upanishads. 

According to Vimala Thakar’s book Glimpses of Raja Yoga: An Introduction to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Indian people would go to a "rishi", or enlightened person, to guide them in the teachings outlined in the Veda. Yoga in this period was known as Vedic yoga. Ceremonies that encouraged mental fortitude were led by the rishi. 

Classical period

Yoga then moved into what’s known as the Classical period (roughly between 500 BC to 800 AD according to the Indian Government’s Ministry of External Affairs). During this time, many new texts systematically laid out the ways to practice yoga. A pioneering text called "The Yoga Sutras" is widely attributed to the sage Patanjali in ancient Tamilakam. 

This collection of Sanskrit musings about the theory and practice of yoga is seen as a must-read for yogis and introduced the concept of "ashtanga" or the "eight limbs" of yoga, also known as Raja yoga. The eight limbs are:

Patanjali is renowned as the forefather of yoga and his eight-step system is the backbone of modern yoga practice.

It’s also thought that Hinduism and Buddhism (which are thought to have had origins at a similar time) could have played integral parts in the formation of coherent systems of yoga. In fact, yoga is one of the six schools of philosophy within Hinduism, which helps to answer the question: is yoga a religion?

Post-classical period

Centuries after Patanjali’s seminal text, somewhere around 800 to 1700 AD, yoga was still developing. Perhaps due to the practice’s religious origins, the benefits to the mind had been the main focus for centuries. However, yogis wanted to explore how yoga improves one’s physicality. They deemed the physical more important than the mental in the journey to achieving enlightenment. 

This brought about changes in the types of yoga that were practiced. According to Med India, yogis within this period developed body-centered yoga practices such as Tantra yoga and Hatha yoga. Hatha was a Sanskrit word for force, reflecting how important the physical is in this type of yoga.

Modern period

As reported by Yoga Journal, from the late 1800s, yoga masters began to travel to Europe and America to share the teachings of yoga. The first Hindu teacher to lecture about yoga was Swami Vivekananda in 1893. His teachings were received warmly and curiously by the Western intellectuals. Scholars such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Arthur Schopenhauer were among the audience of Vivekananda’s lecture. Literature promoting Hatha yoga was written by yoga masters such as Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and Swami Sivananda. Sivananda has published over 200 books on the theory and practice of yoga. Krishnamacharya went on to open the first Hatha yoga school in Mysore, India in 1924. Sivananda established the Divine Life Society in 1936 to teach the philosophies of Hinduism, which included yoga.

Indra Devi was the first woman to study under Krishnamacharya. She went on to teach the first yoga classes in China. Subsequently, Devi opened one of the first yoga studios in Hollywood, in 1948.  She had many celebrity pupils, such as Gloria Swanson, and advocated yoga as exercise and stress relief. Devi was nicknamed the "first lady of yoga".

Following Devi’s success and the boom in the fitness industry, many other schools were founded in the 20th century. These include Bikram Choudhury’s Bikram yoga and Sivananda Vedanta schools of yoga.

• Related: Best resistance bands

Why is yoga so popular?

One of the aspects that really catapulted yoga into the mainstream was its use as a form of exercise. The blending of Western gymnastic styles with classic yoga poses took off in the 20th century. Yoga developed into a multi-billion dollar industry, worth an estimated $80 billion dollars globally. According to Statista, the yoga industry’s revenue in the United States was $11.56 billion in 2020, up on the $9.09 billion revenue seen in 2015. 

Meanwhile, the United Nations Assembly announced in 2015 that the 21st of June was the "International Day of Yoga", to be celebrated annually. The following year, yoga was declared by UNESCO as a practice that has an "intangible cultural heritage". This meant that yoga was officially recognized as being an integral part of Indian culture. 

The Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat lives up to its name – it’s super grippy and provides excellent support and stability for all types of yoga. Its sticky latex surface makes it durable enough to withstand a hot yoga or HIIT session, and its non-slip nature makes it great for stability and means you can move from downward dog into cobra with ease.

Its 4mm thickness provides ample cushioning for joints and bones (it’s a great buy for anyone with knee issues) and it’s easy to store and lightweight to travel with at just 4.4 lbs. 

As you’d expect from Sweaty Betty, it comes in gorgeous colors – all super stylish and chic.

Because this eco-friendly mat is made from natural latex (avoid if you have allergies) expect a strong odor at first, but this does wear off in time. It’s a little thin for headstands, so you might need to add a towel to make it thicker.

The latex also makes the mat feel soft with more give when you grip it. If you’re a fan of hot yoga, the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat is going to be your new best friend! For the reason alone, we rank it among our best yoga mats.

Our only real complaint was the stickiness of natural latex meant it picked up dirt easily, but if you clean it down after each session this shouldn’t cause a problem. This yoga mat is resilient and durable enough for daily use, as well as higher intensity exercise like circuits and HIIT. Well designed, good value and stylish, it’s a win-win.

Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat: Design

The Super Grip Yoga Mat comes in Sweaty Betty’s signature colors so it looks luxe and marries nicely with their activewear range. It comes in five different colors with calm-inducing names like mountain green, nerine pink and cornflower blue. There’s much more to it than its looks though. 

It’s a well-designed, high-quality mat and as its name suggests, the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat provides excellent grip and stability for all types of yoga. 

Our one complaint is because of its stickiness it’s also a bit of a dust and dirt magnet and picks up marks easily, but nothing regular cleaning (and a carry bag for storage) can’t sort out.

Because it’s made from natural latex - avoid if you have allergies - it’s eco-friendly, but it has a strong odor when you unwrap it which wears off after a few days.

• Related: 8 benefits of yoga

Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat: Performance

The Sweaty Better Super Grip Yoga Mat is really easy to unroll and stays nice and flat once it’s on the floor. 

Being on the thinner side and weighing just 4.4 lbs, it can easily be rolled up and carried, making it ideal to take to yoga class or an outdoor HIIT workout. The only downside of this is it’s a little thin for headstands, so you might need to add a towel to make it thicker.

The great thing about the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat is the grip. We can’t fault the support it gives – it’s called ‘super grip’ for a reason. It really keeps you in place even with sweaty hands (we recommend washing your hands before you start your flow for extra grip).

Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat: Care

The Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat is made from sticky natural latex so it’s durable enough to withstand a hot yoga session. It has a non-slip layer which makes it great for stability and means you can stay in balance poses like downward dog or core exercises like plank for longer.

As it’s made from rubber you can expect a strong odor at first, but rest assured this odor disappears after a few uses. We recommend laying the mat out flat in a spare room when you first unpack it to get rid of some of the smell.

It picked up dirt quite quickly, and because of its stickiness it tends to mark easily, but if you clean it after every practice this shouldn’t be an issue.

To keep your mat super fresh, wipe it clean with a damp cloth and a small amount of mild soap. Don’t use harsh chemicals or rubbing alcohol on your mat and take care not to over scrub the mat as this could damage it. 

We also recommend a monthly deep clean – gently wash it in a bath or shower then leave it to air dry for a day or two afterward to get all the moisture out. But don’t leave it out in the sun, as it ruins the rubber.

Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat: User reviews

Online reviews for the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Mat are a bit of a mixed bag. Lots of people praised it for its grip; whereas equal numbers said the downside of that was that it got dirty quickly.

One reviewer on SweatyBetty.com said they had used the mat every day for yoga and HIIT, and it was the best mat they had ever had. 

One reviewer on SweatyBetty.com said they would like the mat to be bigger to accommodate their height. They said: "I'm quite tall so my only point would be I'd love it a couple of inches longer and an inch or so wider, but other than that, spot on. It’s super grippy, to the point where it means you can't slide your foot up, which is encouraging better movement to get into those lunges from a downward dog."

Should you buy the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat?

So should you buy the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat? If you want a multi-purpose mat that you can do several activities on, this is the one. It performs well in hot yoga and in HIIT classes, is durable enough to be used daily, and has excellent cushioning for more difficult poses, with zero slip. 

It’s nice and squishy for more restorative yoga like yin or meditation, or even a nice little sleep at the end of class.

• Related: Can yoga fix your posture?

If this product isn’t for you

If the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat isn’t for you, then you might prefer something similar from Lululemon: The Reversible Mat 5mm has cult status and for once you can believe the hype. It’s well made, durable and has excellent traction in both wet and dry conditions. It’s a little on the pricey side, and at 2.38kg rather heavy for lugging to class or on public transport, but it’s a great home yoga mat that will last a lifetime.

If you are on a lower budget then we recommend the Gaiam Premium 2-Color Yoga Mat, which comes in at under 50 bucks. It’s reversible so you can choose which side suits your yoga style or activity. Plus it’s a good size for taller people who need a bit more mat space, and has great cushioning to support joints and bones. 

If you want something more premium, the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat delivers on style and function. We have to say that, despite being one of the most expensive out there, this is one of the best yoga mats you can buy. It looks and feels luxurious and is made with non-toxic ethically sourced rubber, which gives it an excellent grip. It also has an extended length (75" / 6.2ft) and the thickness (5mm) means it is super durable and comfortable. 

Newsflash! The Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat lives up to the hype — it really is worth every cent. Well made, durable, and with excellent traction in both wet and dry conditions, it’s the yoga mat that keeps on giving.

Let’s face it, the multi-purpose design of The Reversible 5mm Mat is everything you’d expect from the fitness giant Lululemon. The marble effect gives a luxe, calming vibe while the mat itself is springy enough for you to get into the most difficult poses. Thanks to the 5mm thickness, it has great cushioning to support bones and joints.

Its thin polyurethane layer and ‘sweat-wicking’ natural rubber base do a great job at absorbing moisture, while the antimicrobial additive in the mat prevents bacteria from building up (and stops it from getting too gross!). All these reasons earn it a place on our guide to the best yoga mats and best workout equipment for home workouts, right now.

The rubber base means that it’s a bit smelly when you first open it (avoid this mat if you have a latex allergy), but the odor disappears after a few days. It has amazing grip and is resilient enough for daily use; our only complaint is it scratches easily on the polyurethane side. Regular users also claim that The Lululemon Reversible 5mm Mat loses its stickiness after a few years.

Weighing in at 5lbs (2.39kg) it’s pretty heavy to carry around and therefore not travel-friendly. You certainly wouldn’t want to walk too far with this under your arm or take it on vacation, but if you’re driving to the yoga studio it shouldn’t cause an issue. It’s also a top performer for people who tend to sweat a lot or enjoy hot yoga, and unlike many of its rival mats, warrants the high price tag.

Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat review

Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat: Design

The Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat comes in 12 colors and has a premium look and feel, which is what we’ve come to expect from the fitness giant. 

The marbling design on the polyurethane side has a calming vibe, while the dark block colors on the natural rubber base feel more practical. It would be nice to see some lighter colors in the range, but it makes sense to keep the rubber side darker as it helps disguise any marks.

For once, you can believe the hype: the Reversible 5mm Mat’s non-stick reputation is legit, and it has superb grip. Made from a mix of polyurethane and rubber, it’s not entirely eco-friendly, but it’s close enough.

• Related: Is yoga good for you?

Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat: Performance

If you’re looking for a mat that can withstand regular use without cracking under the pressure, the Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat is the one. It unrolls like a dream, staying flat as a pancake without curling at the ends once in position.

Its sweat-wicking material means it can handle an intense HIIT workout or hot yoga just as well as a slower yin yoga flow. The bumpy polyurethane side gives just enough grip to help you connect with the mat without slipping. Its stickiness means you can move easily into downward dog and hold the pose for longer without sliding, even in a heated class.

Meanwhile, the antimicrobial rubber base is superb for slower exercises from stretches to meditation, and it seems impervious to any kind of stain or mark (the deep color choice of the base sure helps). Both sides give great support and cushioning, thanks to the 5mm padding.

Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat: Care

As you might expect from a rubber-based product, the Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat emits, you guessed it, a rubbery odor when you first open it. We laid ours out in a spare room for 24 hours before using it, and it only had a dull smell after that. The odor was completely gone within a few days.

The Reversible Mat 5mm is super durable. In fact, the rubber side is scratch and stain-proof as far as we can tell - not so much on the polyurethane layer, which tends to mark easily, but it’s nothing a wipe and spray with water or mat cleaner can’t quickly resolve. We recommend cleaning down the mat after every practice.

The mat does absorb water (as well as sweat and oil) so you have to commit to regular deep cleaning once a month to preserve and maintain the mat. We scrubbed it in a bath or shower every few weeks and left it to air dry for a day or two afterward to get all the moisture out. But don’t leave it out in the sun, as it degrades the rubber.

This is one of the most resilient yoga mats we’ve ever used and has a lifespan of around five years.

Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat: User reviews

On the whole, user reviews on Lululemon's website are positive with many people claiming it the 'best mat they’ve ever used'. One Lululemon reviewer said it was "the ultimate mat. Quality unbeatable. Versatile from yoga to HIIT and this mat will last you, so value for money". 

Meanwhile, another Lululemon user who bought The Reversible Mat 5mm for a friend, said: "Apparently there were a few head turns for the mat at the yoga studio. She loves it and says it’s the comfiest one she has ever tried."

One Lululemon user wasn’t happy with the color of the mat compared with the website image, and said it looked a lot "like a piece of ham".

Should you buy the Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat?

If you’re after a springy, supportive mat that you can do all your favorite poses on, the Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat delivers on every count.

The sweat absorbent side actually gets grippier the more you sweat, which makes it perfect for nailing the downward dog and those more challenging poses.

It looks luxe, comes in a good array of calming color hues and the anti-microbial layer means it’s great for repelling mold and mildew. We only have two small complaints – it’s a meaty 2.4kg so not very portable, and the polyurethane side marks easily. Other than that, it’s worth every dollar. The Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat is every yogi’s new best friend.

• Related: 8 benefits of yoga

If this product isn’t for you

If the Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat is not your bag, here are three alternatives to consider: 

Gaiam Premium 2-Color Yoga Mat
This 6mm yoga mat ($29.98) is ideal for people on a budget. It comes in a range of colors, is latex-free, sweat-absorbent, and has a lifetime guarantee. It’s great for taller people (68” x 24”), has superb cushioning and is a great starter mat for people new to yoga. However, it does tend to mark easily, the stickiness doesn’t last as long as we’d like and it’s not compatible with hot yoga. 

Alo Yoga Warrior Mat

This oversized $100 mat has a reputation for its awesome grip, moisture-wicking capacities (making it great for hot yoga), as well as its super luxe design. It is made from ethically sourced rubber and its 5mm thickness means it offers great cushioning and support. When you buy the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat, you also get a free 30-day trial of Alo Moves - access to unlimited yoga, fitness and meditation classes led by their pro instructors.

Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat

This high-end yoga mat ($78) is most comparable to the Lululemon Reversible 5mm Yoga Mat. Similar in size and weight, it is a well-made, eco-friendly mat with excellent grip and stickiness. Like The Reversible Mat 5mm by Lululemon, it’s also quite heavy, marks easily and has a strong rubbery odor when you first open the packaging. It’s a bit thin for headstands if that’s your thing, and if you’ve got a latex allergy it’s not for you, but other than that, it is a high-performing mat that can withstand a hot yoga class one day and a chilled stretch session the next.

Your pulse starts racing, your breathing speeds up, your body begins to tremble – if you experience anxiety, these symptoms are probably all too familiar to you. While we can all feel anxious from time to time, if you find yourself struggling with persistent or recurring feelings of worry, panic and stress, you may want to consult with your doctor. However, you may also find these seven anxiety tips helpful for coping with the symptoms of anxiety.

When anxiety sets in, it can be scary. In some cases, it can even be a debilitating condition, making it impossible to get on with your regular daily tasks. However, there are a few changes you can make to your lifestyle with anxiety tips to keep stress at bay. We spoke to experts about how aspects such as sleep, exercise and diet all play a huge role in regulating and managing anxiety. 

• Read more: Best yoga mats

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, panic, or fear that can often manifest itself in physical symptoms like sweating, trembling, or breathlessness. These symptoms are a reaction to the stress hormone cortisol, and the fight or flight hormone adrenaline. 

As Yuko Nippoda, psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy, told Live Science, anxiety can be a normal reaction in certain situations, but when anxiety begins to affect you more frequently it may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder is, in basic terms, a condition in which the brain incorrectly releases cortisol and adrenaline in "normal" situations that don't actually require a fight or flight response. 

According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety disorders affect almost 30% of adults during their lives, making them the most common mental health condition. 

7 anxiety tips

Whether you experience mild anxiety from time to time or you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you can relieve anxiety and reduce its impact on your life with a few simple changes to your lifestyle. Here are 7 anxiety tips to help you manage any stress and worry in your day–to–day life. 

1. Improve your sleep hygiene  

Poor sleep habits are closely linked to anxiety disorders. A 2007 study by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine found that a 30 hour sleep deprivation could increase anxiety levels, while a 2020 study by the journal Nature found that getting a good night's sleep with periods of NREM sleep could dramatically improve anxiety the following day. 

Unfortunately, anxiety can lead to unhealthy sleep patterns and can even cause sleep disorders such as insomnia, as shown in this study in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. This means that if you suffer from anxiety, getting a good night's sleep might be easier said than done. 

Try improving your sleep hygiene to improve your chances of getting enough shut eye. As one 2003 study in Sleep Medicines Reviews showed, improving sleep hygiene can help to improve the quality and length of your sleep.

Try improving your sleep hygiene by:

• Putting away your screens an hour before sleep.
• Avoiding large meals before bed. 
• Creating a calm, clean, dark environment in your bedroom. 
• Using a relaxing scent such as lavender or chamomile. 
• Investing in good quality bedding. 

2. Get some exercise  

Exercise is often touted as a kind of magical cure-all for both physical and mental conditions. When it comes to anxiety, it's no different. Numerous studies have shown that exercise can reduce and relieve anxiety. A 2013 study in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry found that "exercise and regular activity positively impacts the pathophysiological processes of anxiety". 

As clinical psychologist Sopagna Braje told Live Science, "When you are exercising, you might initially produce more stress hormones but your body quickly adapts and you actually experience lower levels of stress hormones when you are engaged in physical activity. You are also producing more of different types of neurotransmitters associated with mood, anxiety, and stress responses." She added that exercise can also improve your sleep, which is another proven method of reducing anxiety.

• Read more: What does exercise do to your brain?

3. Clean up your diet 

What we eat can actually have a significant effect on how we feel, both physically and mentally. Studies have shown that having a balanced, healthy, natural diet plays a big role in our mental health. A 2019 study in the journal Nutrients, for instance, found that a diet of saturated fats and added sugars could lead to higher levels of anxiety. Meanwhile, a 2021 study in Frontiers in Psychiatry showed that artificial sweeteners and gluten could increase anxiety, while omega-3 fatty acids, turmeric, vitamin D and ketogenic diets could all contribute to reducing anxiety.

• Read more: What are the best supplements for anxiety?

 4. Cut back on alcohol and caffeine 

Alcohol and caffeine may seem like the perfect distraction or remedy to anxiety, but in reality, they have both been shown to make the symptoms of anxiety worse. One 2017 study by the Society for the Study of Addiction, for example, suggested that a reduction in alcohol consumption could improve the frequency and severity of anxiety, while a 1992 study from the journal JAMA Psychiatry demonstrated that caffeine caused an increase in sweating, blood pressure, and feelings of anxiety in people with generalized anxiety disorder.

Both alcohol and caffeine are addictive substances, so cutting back may seem tough – in fact, at the beginning, it may temporarily make you feel even more anxious. Make the transition easier by switching to herbal tea or hot water and lemon in the morning and a tasty mocktail in the evening. 

5. Find a mindfulness exercise that works for you 

While mindfulness is sometimes dismissed as a pseudo-science, studies such as this 2010 study at the American Psychological Association, have shown that meditation is a great way to reduce stress hormones and thereby manage anxiety. Mindfulness meditation is a practice that helps you regulate your breath, connect with your body, and calm the mind.

As Braje explained, "There are a lot of studies that support mindfulness meditation in improving stress management. Luckily, there are many apps which can help people who may struggle with meditation. Like exercise, people may have to do it in small doses, like 2 minutes, before working up to 10 or 15 minutes."

• Read more: Is yoga good for you?

6. Become familiar with your anxiety triggers

In some people, the symptoms of anxiety can crop up seemingly at random. In others, the triggers may be more easy to define. However, in just about everyone, there is usually a specific trigger that causes the feelings of anxiety. Identifying your triggers can help you to understand your anxiety and begin to manage it. 

Some triggers may be purely physiological. For instance, caffeine, hunger, or reactions to medications can cause anxiety. Other triggers can be external, such as money concerns, social situations, or even a specific individual. 

Nippoda suggested writing down your triggers. "People who are over-anxious do not even know what is causing the anxiety. If they write their worries down they can conceptualise what their anxiety is about and it might become easier to manage." After writing down your ‘worry list’, try scrunching up the paper and tossing it away. "This is a symbolic gesture that they do not have anything to do with the issues anymore and it can help them feel empowered," Nippoda said.

7. Speak to your doctor or a mental health professional 

It is possible to manage an anxiety disorder at home, but in most cases, it is recommended that you seek professional help, too. By speaking with a therapist, psychologist, or medical doctor, you'll be able to get a professional opinion on your anxiety disorder and pinpoint the best possible management methods for your unique case. 

As Floss Knight, psychotherapist and CEO of UK Therapy Guide, told Live Science, "Know that there are many experts out there who can help you and offer that essential support. Many people find that verbalising their feelings helps remove them from their head – and this space offers a chance to think about solutions.”

With the presence of yoga on social media claiming to help you lose weight, it’s important we consider the evidence behind these claims. While there are many other health benefits associated with a regular yoga practice, the evidence is mixed on whether or not it helps you lose weight, with there being a few caveats worth mentioning.

Our yoga expert, Kat Bayly, has been teaching yoga for over 10 years and has completed various yoga teacher trainings over the years. She comments, “One of the many questions I get asked as a yoga teacher is, does yoga help you lose weight? Moving your body is always going to be helpful in any weight-loss journey and yoga is great for this. While the amount of calories you burn will depend on how much dynamic movement is involved in the yoga practice you do, yoga can help you become present with your body giving you a sense of clarity. This clarity and mental focus can help us stick to our goals and become more mindful in how we live. This ultimately has an impact on the food we eat and the lifestyle we choose, all helping us to lose weight more holistically.”

Let’s explore the pros and cons of adding yoga into your weight loss journey to see if it can make a real difference and if so, how it might help. If you’re tempted to try a practice, be sure to grab one of the best yoga mats.

Does yoga help you lose weight?

Harvard Medical School acknowledges the overall benefits of yoga go beyond the mat. They found those who practiced yoga were more mindful eaters meaning they were more present while eating. These findings are supported by a recent study published in the Obesity Science and Practice journal that found women who took part in yoga for 24 weeks following a behavioral weight loss treatment reported fewer dietary lapses than the control group. However, the Harvard Medical School found years of practice and the length of sessions undertaken per week were associated with participants’ mindful eating scores. This suggests yoga isn’t a quick way to help you lose weight and that it requires consistency, perhaps over years, to see these effects. This was shown by the researchers also finding that the people who practiced yoga once a week for a minimum of 30 minutes over at least a four-year period gained less weight during middle adulthood. However, for those who were overweight, researchers found they actually lost weight. Consequently, it appears yoga can help you lose weight but it is a slow process.

Interestingly, a recent study published in PLOS One looked at the implementation of yoga into a weight management program after weight loss treatment. Treatment groups undertook 2 weekly sessions of yoga for 12 weeks after a behavioral weight loss program. They found no difference in the treatment groups in terms of their weight loss after 6 months. But more importantly, they did find those who had high initial weight loss of more than 5% managed to lose significantly more weight after 6 months. This could indicate yoga acts as a good supplement to those who have already lost a significant amount, rather than those just starting out on their weight loss journey.

With some yoga practices being more gentle and others involving more flow and dynamic movements, it can be hard to know if they all help you burn calories which is effectively what’s needed to help you lose weight. We already know that if we move more, we burn more calories. However, our physical weight can fluctuate quite dramatically from one day to the next due to aspects such as hormones, the amount of sleep we’ve had, injury and levels of water retention. In order to specifically achieve weight loss, Harvard Health Publishing states that we must eat fewer calories than we burn to be in a calorie deficit. A Harvard Medical School article shows weight loss essentially comes down to simple math. As 3,500 calories are stored in one pound of body fat, we would need to cut 500 calories per day in order to lose one pound of body fat per week.

However, 30 minutes of Hatha Yoga has been shown to burn 120 calories for a 125-pound person, 144 calories for a 155-pound person and 168 calories for a 185-pound person, as found by a Harvard study. It appears the largest amount of calories burnt are for those who weigh more and, combining this with the knowledge that those who were overweight actually lost weight in the previously mentioned Harvard study, it implies yoga may be more effective in helping those who are already overweight to lose weight rather than those simply wanting to lose a few pounds for summer.

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Does yoga help you build muscle and strength?

While there are a variety of types of yoga, all forms include moving through a number of poses (asanas). Over time, these help to increase flexibility and strength as the body adapts to holding these poses for longer.

One trial in the Complementary Therapies in Medicine journal followed 60 patients that presented with abdominal obesity who were practicing 90 minutes of yoga twice a week for 12 weeks. When compared to the control group, the yoga group showed a significant reduction in their abdominal circumference as well as an improved waist to-hip-ratio. The yoga group also showed reduced body weight and body fat percentage as well as an increase in body muscle mass percentage. Furthermore, a more recent article published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found 9 months of yoga increased the leg, back and hand grip strength of obese adults. This shows that yoga does build muscle effectively and can help those on a weight-loss journey to also build strength.

Meanwhile, The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health also reported 63% of adults said yoga motivated them to exercise more regularly and thus increasing their chances of becoming stronger. However, a systematic review published in Obesity Science and Practice found there was limited evidence yoga increased physical activity in adults classed as overweight or obese. Consequently, it could be argued an increase in physical activity, or the motivation to exercise, comes down to each individual’s intrinsic motivation whereby someone performs an action, regardless of external stimuli or reward, with the action itself being seen as the reward. Some people love exercise for what it is whereas others struggle to motivate themselves to do it.

While yoga in itself may not be the most efficient way to lose weight, the research shows some evidence that those who practice yoga are more likely to be motivated to exercise, be in tune with their body and be more mindful eaters. This can all help in a healthy weight loss journey.

How does yoga improve your balance?

Yoga consists of several balancing poses as part of its practice which means that your balance will improve over time. This is because of the natural engagement of your core and other muscles that happens with regular practice.

In a review of studies published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine involving a healthy population ranging from school-age to seniors, it was determined yoga improved balance as well as other physiological factors. A recent systematic review published in the Osteoporosis International journal corroborates this finding yoga had positive effects on balance when participants were compared to a no-intervention control, with the meta-analysis considered also indicating yoga improved static balance. However, the review in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine concluded that more detailed research would need to be carried out to determine the measurable amount of balance gained, as well as which postures contributed best to improved balance.

Significant gains in balance and improved flexibility were also observed in a yoga group study of college athletes published in the International Journal of Yoga in 2016. One group of subjects undertook 10 weeks of yoga practice as well as their regular training that involved resistance training and weight lifting, while the control group did no yoga on top of the other training. The results from the yoga group were significantly better at the end of the trial than the non-yoga group. If you want to know how to improve your flexibility, this is a positive sign that yoga could be adopted as a fundamental part of athletic training in order to enhance overall performance.

So, does yoga help you lose weight? Yes, when combined with a suitable and healthy calorie deficit or if you’re willing for the process to be very slow and steady. The evidence suggests yoga may be a good supplement to those already losing weight, rather than something to be relied on alone. However, what is clear from these studies is that yoga is a great option to strengthen muscles and improve balance.

If you are struggling with how you view your weight, please consider reaching out to these support networks in the US and UK:

ANAD (US)

National Alliance for Eating Disorders (US)

Beat Eating Disorders (UK)

Eating Disorders Support (UK)

Coming up with new and interesting home workout ideas can be tricky sometimes, no matter whether you’re an avid fitness enthusiast or you simply want to keep yourself healthy. However, with gym prices often being prohibitively high, home workouts can be a great alternative option. That extra $50 every month that you save from going to the gym could even be put towards some home gym equipment.

All you need to work out at home is a little bit of time and space. Your own body can provide the same results as a top-class gym, you just need to activate the muscles correctly. 

We sat down with some fitness experts who shared some of their favorite home workout ideas, as well as providing us with some insightful knowledge around the benefits of their selected workouts. We also put together a buying guide for the best treadmills, if you're thinking of trying running at home, and the best rowing machines for anyone looking to vary their exercises more. 

Home workout ideas: DIY home gym

The most cost–effective and creative way to workout at home is if you bring the gym to you. While investing in proper weights and machines can give great results, items within the home can aid you just as well. Try slotting your feet under the sofa to help you with sit ups and use a chair as an alternative to a gym bench. Meanwhile, tins and bottles can act as dumbbells and towels can become resistance bands to give your arms a killer workout. Plus, with countless workout tutorials available online for free, there’s plenty of home workout ideas to experiment with. 

Sports scientist and advisor Andy Bedford told Live Science that "equipment doesn’t make or break a workout. Even during a body weight workout, we have to resist against gravity by slowing down the tempo." When our bodies resist against gravity, it engages the muscles, and the more we resist, the stronger we become. For example, when performing a plank you’ll feel your core muscles straining and tightening as you resist against the Earth’s natural pull.

Andy has formulated an effective abdominal HIIT circuit workout that requires no equipment, and can be done in under 30 minutes. He recommends 3 rounds (once again, depending on your fitness level), which will each include 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest between each exercise.

• Ninja Jumps
• Mountain Climbers
• Lateral Leg Lowers
• Plyo Push Ups
• Half Burpees
• Toe Touches
• Reverse Lunge
• High Knees
• Tall Plank & Shoulder Taps

If you're keen to incorporate weights into this circuit, you can use canned goods or bottles of soda to really make those reverse lunges burn!

Home workout ideas: Yoga

Yoga is an excellent home workout because not only does it improve your physical health, its holistic nature means it can drastically improve your mental health too, as shown in a study in the Brain Plasticity journal. 

The benefits of yoga focus mainly on how to improve your flexibility of the joints, meditation and mindfulness, and through this practice, National Health Service experts in the UK believe that there's some evidence to show that regular yoga practice helps people with ailments such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lower back pain, depression and stress. Plus, yoga can build muscle too. 

All you need to practice the different types of yoga is a mat and a peaceful environment to work in, making it an ideal home workout. There are many yoga videos online to follow along with if you are unsure. However, yoga teacher and fitness trainer Sarah Pretty has developed a beginner’s session for Live Science. “Here are some of the key poses that I think collectively are great for those that are new to yoga. I include these asanas in almost all of my classes as they are at the core of what yoga aims to achieve physically. With these essential postures, a practitioner can increase strength, enhance flexibility, and improve balance.”

• Spinal Twist - this is a gentle reclined posture and a good way to start a practice. The pose helps improve spinal mobility and the twisting aids digestion. This is a restorative stretch and can ease tension.

• Boat Pose - a classic core strengthener with many optional levels to make it more accessible or more challenging depending on what you wish to get out of your practice.

• Child’s Pose - Physically, this is a hip opening stretch, it lengthens the spine, and opens the shoulders. However, it’s also a moment of stillness and an opportunity to travel inwards and reflect in a safe space.

• Downward Dog - probably the most recognizable pose and the most essential all-rounder. This posture works on lengthening the spine, improving shoulder mobility, and strengthening the core. This is an energetic stretch and lies at the heart of almost all my flows.

• Tree Pose - the best starting place for testing your balance. Tree pose has several options making it engaging for everyone and anyone. It can be gentle or advanced and it encourages your yoga practice to be playful.

• Related: Best yoga mats

Home workout ideas: Cycle circuit

Andy Bedford believes that investing in an exercise bike could be a great home workout idea. Not only does bike riding build your glutes, but it's also a great way to do a cardio workout. “They are a challenging workout due to being lower body concentrated, therefore utilizing the largest muscles in the body.” This leads to a high calorie expenditure when used correctly and can also increase lower body strength.

As using an exercise bike is a low impact activity, it is a brilliant tool for those with joint issues, making it a great way to exercise without hurting your knees. Plus, with these specialized bikes being stationary, this means that they’re incredibly accessible, so there’s no excuse not to jump on your bike if it’s raining outside!

Andy also told Live Science that "the more advanced bikes include a variety of programs that can be used to make a cycling workout even more effective and fun as they incorporate interval training and HIIT." Andy frequently uses an exercise bike to warm up and cool down, and he even incorporates it into his current favorite HIIT workout that’s perfect for beginners.

He recommends beginning with three or four rounds (depending on your fitness level), doing 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest for each exercise. 

• Cycle
• Walking Lunges
• High Knee Sprints
• Plank Hold
• Glute Bridges

If you don’t have access to an exercise bike, this circuit can still work – just swap a cycle for some squats or leg raises! Depending on your ability and stamina you can alter the work/rest times, and even break up the exercises with further cycling. If you want a real challenge, replace all your rests with a cycle! 

Yoga is widely practiced around the world, but does yoga build muscle? While most people tend to pick up a barbell when they want to gain muscle, yoga can actually be an underrated, yet effective tool in your arsenal when it comes to building definition. 

The practice is known primarily as a great way to improve your flexibility (as shown in this 2016 study from the International Journal of Yoga), but the benefits of yoga actually include building strength and muscle as well. Here's what the latest research says.

• Read more: Best yoga mat

Does yoga build muscle?

Yoga can be an effective tool in your weight-training routine, with a strong yoga practice including principles such as progressive overload, mechanical stress, and mechanical damage to increase muscle mass. In fact, a 2015 study published in the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine journal looking at the effects of 12-week Hatha yoga intervention found that yoga improved muscular strength and lower-back flexibility. 

• Read more: Can yoga fix your posture?

However, if you’re looking to build muscle quickly and get a stronger core, simply doing yoga alone won’t be enough. Instead, combining yoga with other forms of exercise will help you achieve your fitness goals, according to  Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. So, how exactly does yoga build muscle?

Progressive overload through pose progression

The principle of building muscle through different types of yoga is similar to weight training. It means increasing the number of your sets and repetitions to encourage muscle growth. Yoga myths might suggest that yoga isn't effective for building muscle, but there are studies that prove the opposite. 

A 2010 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology showed that participants who had included progressive overload in their workout routine could increase bicep strength and muscle growth. However, the critical difference with yoga is that you're not adding plates to your barbells or increasing the strength of your resistance bands. Instead, you're using your body weight to grow muscles through pose progression.  

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To effectively implement pose progression, try changing your yoga variations over time and steadily increasing the difficulty. Each change will put tension on your muscles and cause them to stretch, which will lead to muscle growth, according to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Complementary Therapies of Medicine. 

Start with a basic pose and then slowly add more challenging variations as your strength increases. For instance, if you're looking to build muscles in your legs, Triangle pose or Warrior II are great poses to start on. 

Mechanical damage through eccentric overload

One of the ways that you can build muscles is through mechanical damage, which typically occurs through lifting weights. However, you can also achieve the same effect with yoga. According to a 2014 study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, lifting heavy weights causes stress on muscle fibers, resulting in microscopic tears. When these tears heal, the muscle will increase in size. 

In yoga, you can bring about mechanical damage by holding your poses for longer. This helps the muscles burn out while pushing your body towards fatigue, causing your muscle fibers to stretch and your cells to divide as they heal, enhancing muscle growth.

• Read more: What is hot yoga?

Metabolic stress through challenging flows

Metabolic stress is one of the most important factors for muscle growth, occurring when your body is under a lot of tension and you feel like you cannot do another rep. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging showed that high-loading training combined with long rest helps to induce metabolic stress, leading to an increase in muscle strength. 

In yoga, metabolic stress is a physiological process that our muscles and tissues undergo, sometimes called "the burn". This method can be challenging to achieve when doing yoga because you have to perform more challenging poses. However, as long as you apply a lot of resistance, you will stimulate the metabolic stress that brings your muscles under tension, eventually leading to muscle growth. The amount of metabolic stress you create will depend on the depth and variations of your yoga poses. 

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Does yoga build back muscle?

Many yoga positions help to increase strength in different specific muscle groups. Yoga is one of the best exercises for maintaining flexibility and back strength. It entails stretch training which contributes to muscle growth. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging showed that stretching between active muscle contractions increases muscle growth.  

Yoga can be incredibly beneficial for the back muscles, as most yoga poses depend on the flexibility and strength of your spine. During twisting, your disc decompresses and elongates your spine, causing the muscles around your spine to have an increased blood flow leading to growth. In fact, a 2015 study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies showed that Hatha yoga helped to improve flexibility, muscle strength and balance in an individual with spinal injury.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Gerontology recommends yoga as a form of strength exercise on its own. Strength training is an exercise that requires an increase in progression to strengthen the musculoskeletal system, as explained by the Australian government's Better Health website. 

However, yoga can be considered a well-rounded form of strength training that goes beyond muscle size and strength to focus on other aspects of health, such as flexibility, concentration, mindfulness, and cardiovascular endurance. Other benefits can include:

Yoga is a fantastic way to exercise that has a multitude of benefits, including increased flexibility, strength, and endurance. Plus, it's also a low-maintenance way to work out, with only a yoga mat and some comfortable clothes needed to start you off. 

Is yoga safe during pregnancy? Whether you’re an experienced yogi or you just want to reap the benefits of exercise, yoga is a great way to keep mobile and active. Regular physical activity during pregnancy is essential to keep your body healthy and strong and prepared for birth – and yoga is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise.

But is yoga safe while you’re expecting? Advice from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for moms-to-be is that modified yoga is a safe exercise during pregnancy. However, like with all new exercises during pregnancy, it’s recommended that you get the go-ahead from your health care professional before joining a class.

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Yoga is a popular way for expectant moms to increase flexibility and strength, ease tension and stress and help relieve some common prenatal symptoms, from lower back pain to tight hips. And best of all, all you require is comfortable, loose-fitting clothes, a supportive maternity sports bra and one of the best yoga mats.  

We spoke to the experts about everything you need to know about yoga during pregnancy, any potential issues that could occur and the benefits of yoga during pregnancy.

Yoga during pregnancy: What you need to know

Yoga supports your changing body

"Yoga can be a great way of maintaining strength and flexibility throughout your pregnancy," Leanne O'Brien Consultant Women's Health Physio at Six Physio told Live Science. It also strengthens and tones important muscle groups, especially your hip and abdominal core muscles and pelvic floor in preparation for labor and delivery.

"However, it’s important to be mindful of how far you’re stretching your joints when pregnant as you’ll naturally have more joint mobility due to a hormone called relaxin. This hormone encourages the joints around the pelvis to slacken slightly in preparation for vaginal delivery. Because of the additional mobility, you’re more prone to over-stretching and potentially straining the muscles or ligaments."

• Read more: Can yoga fix your posture?

Start doing yoga in your second trimester

Although there’s no evidence that yoga in your first trimester is harmful, it’s generally recommended that you should start in your second trimester. The British Wheel of Yoga recommends that you don’t attend a yoga class before you’re 15-weeks pregnant. "As your body changes during pregnancy, it’s important to adapt the practice as well. The most important thing is to start listening to what works and what doesn’t because this can change daily," Indaba Yoga Teacher, Giulia Lurza told Live Science.

Be aware of your changing body

"Your center of gravity changes during pregnancy to accommodate your growing bump, and this can make it more difficult to maintain your balance when completing more challenging exercises," O'Brien said. "Yoga is a great way of growing more accustomed to your changing center of gravity by allowing you to practice maintaining your balance in different positions. By challenging your balance, it helps to stimulate the neural pathways in your brain responsible for balance and helps you grow accustomed to your ever-changing center of gravity."

"This does mean that you may need to be more cautious in yoga classes and use blocks for support. You may also want to position yourself close to a wall in case you need to reach out and steady yourself," she said.

Which type of yoga is best during pregnancy?

Though there are a variety of different types of yoga, it’s important to do a class that is suitable for your nine-month stretch. Most classes typically involve physical postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama) and relaxation.

"If you’re starting yoga for the first time whilst pregnant, I would recommend that you find a prenatal yoga class," suggested O'Brien. "Prenatal yoga classes have an adapted repertoire of exercises that prevent you from over-stretching the ligaments and muscles around the pelvis. The poses are less intense and focus more on balance and postural control. It’s incredibly important to remain strong and active during pregnancy, however, exercises often need to be adapted to ensure you can complete them pain-free," explained O'Brien.

If you practice yoga regularly, you may want to reduce the intensity of your sessions depending on how your body is feeling. Hatha and restorative classes are good options due to their gentle and slow-paced style. According to Lurza, Forrest yoga has a lot of variations for pregnancy. "It works on posture, builds up physical and emotional strength and helps you bond with your growing baby."

What are the benefits of pregnancy yoga?

There are a variety of different benefits of practicing yoga in pregnancy, including:

1. Pregnancy yoga helps relieve stress

Pregnancy can be a stressful time for some women and with mental health affecting physical health, yoga can be a good source of stress relief. "Yoga is a great way of alleviating stress and tension in the body, allowing you to connect with your thoughts and your breathing. Your breathing becomes shallower in the second and third trimester as the baby restricts your diaphragm from lowering effectively, so you naturally become breathless more quickly," O'Brien explained.

2. Pregnancy yoga improves your posture

Your posture changes during pregnancy as your pelvis tilts forward due to the weight of the bump. According to O'Brien this can encourage the upper back and shoulders to slouch forwards slightly, creating tension and stiffness in some women. "Moving the upper back and shoulders during a yoga session can alleviate this tension and ensure that the postural muscles are working to support your back."

3. Pregnancy yoga prepares your body for birth

"It’s important that women maintain their ability to squat and bend forwards comfortably during their pregnancy," O'Brien said. "Squatting forms the basis of the most effective birthing positions and is essential for daily movement. Yoga can be a great way of keeping you active and maintaining strength in the pelvis and leg muscles to assist with squatting and to improve your ability to bear down and push during labor. It also helps to strengthen the pelvic floor."

4. Pregnancy yoga improves your mood

We all know that exercise has a positive impact on our mental wellbeing, including reducing anxiety and depression. But yoga during pregnancy also has the ability to boost your mood. One study in the Nursing Science Quarterly journal found that pregnant women who took part in a 6-week yoga program during their second and third trimester felt stronger, more optimistic and had better overall wellbeing.

5. Pregnancy yoga promotes better sleep

It’s not uncommon for pregnant women to suffer from sleep problems due to fluctuating hormones, physical discomfort and worries about motherhood. But studies show that regular yoga practice can improve the quality of your sleep. One study published in the Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice journal found that yoga reduces sleep disturbances, as well as anxiety and prenatal depression.

Pregnancy yoga safety tips

Here are some ways that you can practice yoga safely:

• Always tell your yoga teacher that you’re pregnant, so they can modify postures, and check that they’re trained to teach pregnant women. Or better still, go to a prenatal yoga class.
• Don’t exhaust yourself – if you can’t hold a conversation while moving, you’re working too hard.
• Always listen to your body – Mentally check in with how you’re feeling throughout the session to ensure you don’t over-stretch.
• Avoid yoga positions that involve lying flat on your back from 19 weeks onwards, O'Brien recommended. “This is to reduce the risk of your uterus pressing against the main blood vessels in the abdomen. Poses that place a lot of pressure on your abdomen, such as boat pose, should be avoided.”

There’s no denying the mass appeal of yoga, but is yoga good for you? Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, there are plenty of options for giving yoga a go. With fitness centers and gyms usually offering regular classes and a plethora of online classes, yoga is one of the most accessible workouts around. 

Plus, with the essential kit for yoga consisting of some comfortable clothes and one of the best yoga mats, it’s also one of the most affordable options for getting some exercise. However, is yoga good for you and your physical and mental health? And if it is, how exactly does it benefit you?

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Is yoga good for you?

According to Liz Joy Oakley, Head of Wellness and a yoga and meditation teacher at MoreYoga, some of the biggest physical benefits of yoga include improved flexibility and strength and the release of tension in the body. Depending on your goals, Oakley told Live Science, "there are many different styles of yoga to suit your body and what you need, whether you’re recovering from an injury, wanting to break a sweat or reduce stress."

To get the most from your practice, she suggested participating in a class as regularly as you can and trying different styles. "Some people will do yoga every day and it becomes part of their lifestyle whilst other people might prefer to do two to three key classes per week. To really support your physical, mental and emotional health through yoga, I would suggest combining some dynamic, flowing classes with more restorative or meditative classes throughout your week."

Yoga can be good for our mental health and wellbeing, helping us to calm the mind and reconnect with our breathing. Yoga can also help to ease the symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression, which is particularly helpful when considering how mental health affects physical health. The John W Brick Foundation Move Your Mental Health report found that mindfulness-based activities such as yoga deliver more mental health benefits than walking.

The research also found that types of yoga and other mindful exercises, such as Tai Chi and Qigong, show strong evidence for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Plus, exercise and mindful movement such as yoga should be strongly considered for integration into the treatment of symptoms of anxiety.

Yoga and breath–work teacher Laura Pearce told Live Science, "Yoga has been shown to help with management and treatment of anxiety, stress, sleep disorders and burnout. There could of course be an element of perceived efficacy; any 'self-help' program you embark upon gives you a sense of hope and empowerment, so the very act of committing to take up yoga could on the psychological level have benefits.

"Having said that, there are actually very tangible mechanisms at work when we practice yoga and meditation that have a measurable effect on our mental health. For example, the key mechanism is parasympathetic nervous system activation.

"Through breath–work and single-pointed focus we bring the body into a 'rest and digest' state. When we feel agitated, stressed or anxious, our body shifts to 'fight or flight' aka its sympathetic state, and so one of the main 'goals' of yoga is to bring the body out of chronic sympathetic (stress) activation, and balance the nervous system, keeping us calm and literally reducing secretion of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline."

Oakley agreed, "Attending regular yoga classes can help to build mental resilience, due to neuro–plasticity in the brain we are able to build new neural pathways that can help us to respond to stressful situations with a calmer response. The more we practice yoga, meditation and breath–work, the more mental resilience we can build to help us better navigate challenging times in our lives."

For meditation or relaxing, she recommends poses such as Child’s Pose (Balasana) and Elevated or Supported Corpse Pose (Savasana).

Is yoga suitable for all ages?

Yoga can be beneficial for all age groups, with research from the University of Edinburgh finding that yoga improves physical function and mental wellbeing in healthy adults over 60. This busts yoga myths that suggest that the practice is only for the young. Oakley explained, "For many older adults, it can help to improve their holistic wellbeing, including cardiovascular health and blood pressure. Regular practice can also greatly aid in the recovery of injuries whilst helping to reduce stress, anxiety and depression."

Meanwhile, Pearce believes that one of the great things about yoga is that it can be taken up at any stage of life – including by young children. "Yoga for kids is seen as a great way to settle overactive children, and help behaviorally challenged kids to learn to self-soothe. You'll see yoga on the curriculum at many primary and high schools nowadays. 

"I personally think the younger you begin to practice yoga the better. The prefrontal cortexes of young children haven't fully developed yet, which means they don't have as much 'functional fixedness' as adults i.e. they are literally more open minded and creative. 

"Kids are able to explore the many different aspects and layers of yoga in a much more curious way, hopefully creating coping mechanisms and skills that will stay with them for life."

How can yoga help knee pain?

If you’re suffering with knee pain and you want to know how to exercise without hurting your knees, yoga can be a good choice of exercise as it’s low-impact and puts less strain on the body and joints, according to MSK Specialist Physiotherapist Benoy Matthews. He told Live Science that practicing yoga regularly can strengthen the joint, improve blood flow and circulation of synovial fluid (the lubrication around the joint), help with stiffness and improve coordination and stability.

However, he also advised that it’s really important to "work with a practitioner who understands pain" and inform them of any pain or injuries you’re carrying before the start of a class, so they can advise on any modifications or poses to avoid.

Oakley agreed, adding: "Many styles of yoga, such as Hatha, Restorative and Slow Flow, involve low-impact exercise, minimizing the amount of pressure it puts on the joints. 

"Yin yoga in particular is a much slower style of yoga where we hold postures for one to 10 minutes at a time. This helps to promote supple, flexible joints and works into the deep connective tissue and fascia throughout the body.

"If you suffer from knee and joint pain, it’s important to avoid high impact sports or anything that can put too much strain on the affected area. In yoga classes make sure to use props such as blocks, blankets or bolsters to support your joints. Make sure not to push yourself too far and listen to your body. Our bodies are our best teachers when we listen to what they need."

If you’re looking for the science-backed benefits of yoga, look no further. Practicing yoga regularly has been proven to offer a range of physical and mental health benefits, improving everything from flexibility to stress levels. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) reported that around 94% of people who practice different types of yoga in the U.S. do so for wellness reasons, citing improved sleep, less stress, and healthier habits as benefits of yoga.

Whether you’re looking to buy one of the best yoga mats and try an online class or you’re thinking of venturing out to a studio class, we’ll be looking at eight benefits of yoga for the body and mind.

• Read more: Is yoga a religion?

What are the benefits of yoga?

Yoga offers physical and mental health benefits for all ages and abilities. Research has shown that yoga may:

• Improve flexibility
• Build strength and endurance
• Reduce stress
• Improve sleep
• Benefit heart health
• Encourage healthy eating habits
• Reduce inflammation
• Ease and prevent back pain

8 benefits of yoga: Improve flexibility

There is tangible evidence that shows yoga can improve performance using specific poses that show you how to improve your flexibility.

A 2016 study, published in the International Journal of Yoga looked at the effect of 10 weeks of yoga on 26 male college athletes. It found that yoga significantly increased several measures of flexibility and balance, compared to the control group (who did not practice yoga).

However, yoga isn’t just beneficial to athletes. Helping to bust yoga myths where the practice is perceived to just be for the young, a study from the National Library of Medicine compared the flexibility of elderly individuals who had practiced Hatha yoga for at least three times a week for a year with those who had practiced calisthenics. After a year, the total flexibility of the yoga group increased by nearly four times than that of the calisthenics group.

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8 benefits of yoga: Build strength and endurance

Yoga is also a great addition to your exercise regime if you are looking to boost strength and endurance. 

In a study published in the Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, 79 adults performed 24 cycles of sun salutations six days a week for 24 weeks. The results showed a significant increase in upper body strength, endurance, and weight loss. A significant decrease in body fat percent was also observed in female participants. 

Meanwhile, a 2015 study in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine of 173 participants had similar findings, showing that 12 weeks of Hatha yoga practice lead to improvements in endurance, strength, and flexibility.

8 benefits of yoga: Reduce stress

People often practice yoga because they’re seeking stress relief and relaxation. After all, mental health affects physical health and vice versa. 

Scientists are now researching the reasons why yoga lowers stress. A study from the International Journal of Yoga shows that the practice of yoga produces a physiological state opposite to that of the flight-or-fight stress response. With that interruption in the stress response, a sense of balance and union between the mind and body can be achieved.

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Meanwhile, a separate study from the International Journal of Yoga has also found that practicing yoga for at least three months may lower stress levels.

8 benefits of yoga: Improve sleep

Studies show that incorporating yoga into your life can help promote better sleep. In one study in the National Library of Medicine, 69 elderly adults were assigned to either practice yoga, take Ayurveda (a herbal preparation), or be part of the control group. Research showed the yoga group fell asleep faster, slept longer, and felt more well-rested in the morning than the other groups.

Yoga has also been shown to have an effect on common contributors to sleep problems such as anxiety and depression. Pregnant women who practice yoga have been shown to have reduced sleep disturbances in addition to reduced prenatal anxiety and depression, according to research from the National Library of Medicine. 

8 benefits of yoga: Benefit heart health

A large number of studies show that yoga benefits many aspects of heart health. Yoga is an effective practice for your heart because it increases circulation and blood flow. One study from the Diabetology and Metabolic Syndrome journal has shown that blood pressure and waist circumference (a marker for heart disease) improved in middle-aged adults with metabolic syndrome who practiced yoga for one year.

Heart failure patients typically have co–morbidities that prevent them from participating in traditional exercise programs and require an individualized exercise prescription. Yoga has been shown to improve exercise capacity, according to the International Journal of Yoga, and quality of life in heart failure patients. They also had lower levels of markers for inflammation in their blood, which contributes to heart disease.

8 benefits of yoga: Encourage healthy eating habits

Yoga places an emphasis on mindfulness and encourages the participant to be present and aware of senses and feelings. Now, some studies show that yoga and mindfulness could be used to encourage healthy and mindful eating behaviors.

A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health assessed the effect of individualized yoga treatment on adolescents receiving outpatient care for diagnosed eating disorders. It found that yoga helped reduce both eating disorder symptoms and preoccupation with food. 

Another study in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity found regular yoga practice amongst young adults was associated with eating more servings of fruit and vegetables, fewer servings of sugar-sweetened beverages and snack foods, less frequent fast food consumption, and more hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

8 benefits of yoga: Reduce inflammation

Chronic inflammation can contribute to the development of diabetes, cardiovascular and autoimmune disease, according to a study in the National Library of Medicine. Several recent studies suggest that yoga could slow the harmful physical effects of inflammation.

A 2015 study from the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research divided 218 participants aged 20 to 60 into two groups: those who practiced yoga regularly and those who didn’t. Both groups then performed moderate and strenuous exercises to induce stress. The research showed that the regular practice of yoga can lower levels of inflammatory markers, protecting the individual against inflammatory diseases. 

A systemic review from the National Library of Medicine of randomized controlled trials found that yoga may be useful as a complementary treatment for populations at risk or already suffering from diseases with an inflammatory component. 

8 benefits of yoga: Ease and prevent back pain

The American Chiropractic Association has estimated that lower back pain affects around 80% of adults at some point in their lives. However, yoga for back pain may be a way to provide some relief.

A 2011 trial in the National Library of Medicine researched the long-term effectiveness of a 12-week yoga program versus a back pain education booklet for low back pain patients. The yoga group had significantly better back function at the three, six, and 12 months follow-ups.

Chronic low back pain is the most frequent pain condition in veterans and can affect quality of life. Results of a clinical trial, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, showed that a 12-week yoga program improved scores for disability and pain intensity. Meanwhile, the use of opioid medication also declined among all participants. 

How much yoga should you do to see the benefits?

Anna Rose, a yoga instructor who has been teaching in California for 25 years, told Live Science that the amount you should practice depends on your overall goal. “If my clients were looking to improve their flexibility and balance I would recommend a short series of poses to be carried out every day. If strength is your goal, I would recommend three power yoga classes a week. You don’t have to spend hours a week on the mat but the key is consistent practice to see results.” 

Research backs up the claim that yoga practice doesn’t have to be long to be beneficial. A study from Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation of 700 participants looking at the impact of yoga on bone strength found that just 12 minutes of yoga per day is enough to see improvements. If you are struggling to set aside time every day, another study from the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies showed a significant increase in flexibility when practicing yoga once a week for six weeks.  

Yoga is known for a variety of benefits, but can yoga fix your posture as well as helping to increase flexibility and mindfulness? If you’ve been working from a makeshift home office for long periods or find yourself with a pain in the neck from spending hours looking at your phone, you might be looking to fix your posture.

The Cleveland Clinic defines posture as the position in which you hold your body while standing, sitting or lying down. Our everyday movements and activities can affect our body alignment and put stress on joints and muscles, sometimes resulting in pain. The good news is all types of yoga may be able to help with body alignment issues and relieve body stiffness.  

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If you have back pain, improving your posture may not fix the root cause of your pain, but it may help alleviate muscle tension. If you have been experiencing back pain for a few weeks or are suffering from an acute injury, speak to your doctor before embarking on a new exercise regime.

Can yoga fix your posture?

Any kind of exercise may help improve your posture, but certain types of exercises, such as yoga, can be especially helpful. In a study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 80 women aged 50–79 followed a program of intense weekly yoga posture sessions and found it contributed more to improving spine mobility than any other conventional exercise program.

Kerry Maiorca, Board Chair of Yoga Alliance and Owner of Bloom Yoga Studio in Chicago believes that yoga alone will not fix posture, but it can certainly help. She told Live Science, "Yoga can be beneficial for anyone seeking to improve posture because so many of the poses build core strength which is crucial to finding healthy spinal alignment. The mindful practice of yoga also enhances self-awareness, and that can make it easier to notice when you're slumping in your chair or jutting your head forward while using a device."

Which type of yoga is best for your posture?

Yoga and breath–work teacher Geraldine Joaquim told Live Science that body alignment is integral to all yoga poses but cites some specific yoga for back pain poses that can help the shoulders and upper back specifically:

• Cat pose works on moving the chest forwards and back, creating flexibility in the upper back, stretching, and lengthening the spine.
• Bridge pose helps improve strength in the muscles that support the spine.
• Downward Facing Dog can relieve back pain whilst strengthening the muscles by opening the chest and shoulders which can help to straighten vertebrae and align the spine.
• Seated poses such as Dandasana (Staff pose), which is sitting on the floor with legs straight out in front, feet flexed and back straight, strengthens the chest and back muscles as well as stretching the legs and strengthening the abdomen.

Joaquim told Live Science "Yin yoga is especially beneficial for posture, it’s a slow-moving yoga that focuses on the deep connective tissues (ligaments, joints, fascia) rather than the muscles which are the focus in other types of yoga. Yin yoga helps improve flexibility, blood circulation and aids muscle recovery through holding poses for longer, using the breath and relaxing into them – but really most yoga practices will help to improve posture naturally."

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How should I sleep to improve my posture?

We spend about a third of our lives sleeping (or attempting to sleep) so our sleep position may be as important to posture as how we sit and move during the day. But is there such a thing as a perfect sleep position?

Chiropractor Philippa Oakley, clinical director at Acorn Health and member of the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) told Live Science, "One of the most optimum sleeping positions is side-lying, with a pillow to support your neck and a pillow between your knees. We typically say to avoid sleeping on your stomach as this can cause neck and upper back pain, but a lot of people can only get beneficial rest if they sleep in this position – so it’s about finding a way to make this position work, which might involve more or different pillows."

"My biggest piece of advice, is not to worry too much about how you’re sleeping – particularly as you’ll move around overnight. We sleep to restore and heal and, if you’re anxious about how you’re sleeping, you won’t sleep as well or as deeply and potentially won’t get the restorative benefits of a good night’s rest."

If you are waking up with back pain and stiffness, try mixing up your sleeping position to see if it helps.

Can you correct years of bad posture?

It might surprise you to learn that there is no medical consensus on what constitutes 'good' or 'bad' posture. A 2012 study from the National Library of Medicine investigated the perceptions of 295 physiotherapists in four different European countries on sitting posture. 

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The respondents were asked to pick their perfect posture from pictures of nine options ranging from slumped to upright. While 85% chose one of two postures, these were very different, with one having less lumbar curve than the others and a more erect upper back. Overall, disagreement remains on what constitutes a 'correct' spine posture, and what is the best sitting posture.

Philippa Oakley of the BCA says trying to correct what you believe to be bad posture can actually cause pain. She told Live Science: "Worrying about maintaining ‘good posture’ by drawing in the stomach muscles, bracing the lower back and generally stiffening your body can, in fact, lead to more pain. We need to be less concerned about undoing what is perceived as bad posture and concentrating on moving well and often – particularly as so many of us work in static positions for much of the day."

"It’s important to incorporate regular movement into your everyday routine to reduce and alleviate pain. If your work involves you sitting at a desk for a long period of time, make sure you take regular breaks to stand up, move around and do some deep breathing. Chiropractors can work with you to reduce pain and improve mobility in your joints and muscles as part of a package of care which can get you moving and feeling better."

The different types of yoga have helped contribute to its sustained popularity over thousands of years. With so many ways to practice this ancient form of exercise, there’s something for everyone. We’ve focused on seven types of yoga that are widely available to help you find one that works best for you and your lifestyle.

With 5,000 years of history under its belt, yoga combines movement, mindfulness and meditation in various forms. From gentle stretches and meditative breathing techniques to sweating it out in deliberately hot studios on one of the best yoga mats, there’s guaranteed to be a type of yoga that works for you.

Read on to learn about different types of yoga as we explore their origins, style and benefits for both the mind and body. 

• Read more: Is yoga a religion?

7 types of yoga: Hatha yoga

It’s important to begin here because Hatha yoga is, strictly speaking, an umbrella term that means ‘discipline of force’. In other words, any type of yoga that teaches physical postures is technically Hatha. However, in reality, when you see a class advertised as ‘Hatha’, it’ll likely be a gentle, slower style using basic poses that are suitable for beginners. 

When and where Hatha yoga first appeared are debated, but it aimed to use mastery of the body to help you reach spiritual perfection. It’s still often defined as including poses or postures (known as asanas), breath–work (pranayama), and meditation in various combinations, and, as with many commercial yoga classes, you’re likely to have more of a physical workout than a spiritual experience in class. 

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Yoga in general is thought to help improve flexibility, range of motion and strength, as well as helping reduce stress. Indeed, in a meta-analysis of studies published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine in 2017, results showed that Hatha yoga is “a promising method for treating anxiety”.  In short, it’s a great choice for those who are new to yoga.

7 types of yoga: Ashtanga yoga

Ashtanga yoga is an athletic and challenging style of yoga that follows a set sequence. This type of yoga was taught and popularized in the mid 1900s by Indian yoga guru, K. Pattabhi Jois. It’s actually a form of Vinyasa yoga, with ‘Vinyasa’ referring to the flowing movement of linking one pose to another. 

Ashtanga follows the same six series of specific asanas that flow into each other accompanied by synchronized breath–work. It’s a physically demanding technique that has been said to improve the body’s endurance and flexibility. It also potentially has mindfulness benefits due to the need to be present while moving through the challenging sequences. 

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A study published in 2016 in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine looked into the benefits of yoga for weight loss and suggested a positive effect for both number of calories burned and participants reporting a reduction in stress and food cravings as well as improved mood and self-esteem, and since Ashtanga is more physically demanding than some other types of yoga, it could be a good one to try if weight management is important to you.

Ashtanga is often confused with power yoga, which is similarly athletic but does not follow a set pattern. Teachers often like to design their own vinyasa flow routines in order to increase the challenge and give advanced students a more demanding practice. 

7 types of yoga: Bikram yoga

Bikram yoga was founded by Indian-born American yoga guru Bikram Choudhury who emigrated to America in 1971 and gained worldwide popularity in the 1990s with a number of celebrity advocates. This type of yoga consists of a set 26-posture series and two breathing exercises performed in a room heated to 104℉ (40℃) in 40% humidity, to help recreate the Indian climate Choudhury knew. 

Hot yoga classes, while probably inspired by Bikram yoga, may not follow the set sequence of poses of Bikram. The heat is said to help participants increase their flexibility, detoxify through sweating and make their cardiovascular system work harder to keep them cool. Indeed, a study published in the International Journal of Yoga in 2021 reports increased cardiovascular fitness after 12 sessions of Bikram yoga.

Meanwhile, according to a review published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2015, there is evidence to suggest that Bikram yoga has favorable effects on metabolic markers including blood lipids, insulin resistance and glucose tolerance. In other words, it may help those at risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and Type-II diabetes.

One of the studies in the review also showed that the incorporation of physical postures and breath–work encouraged the mind to be present, producing increased mindfulness and lower perceived stress from participants at the end of the study. 

7 types of yoga: Iyengar yoga

Founded by B.K.S Iyengar in India in the 1970s, this type of yoga focuses on the precision and alignment of the postures. Participants may use a number of props including yoga blocks, bands, blankets and cushions to help their body achieve the correct postural alignment. 

Though a slower style of yoga than both Ashtanga or Bikram, it takes immense concentration to achieve the correct alignment of each posture as well as an ability to hold the asanas for longer periods of time. 

This style of yoga can benefit those recovering from injury or who find themselves very inflexible, as the props aid in achieving the desired postures without over–stretching.

According to a research project published in the Journal of Bodyweight and Movement Therapies in 2009, flexibility increased in just six weeks when subjects practiced Iyengar yoga once a week. A study published in the journal Spine in 2009 also found that participants who practiced Iyengar yoga during the trial reported a significant reduction in chronic lower back pain.  If you're looking for yoga for back pain or other injuries, this might be a good type to try – although we always recommend consulting with a doctor before beginning a new exercise regime.

7 types of yoga: Kundalini yoga

Thought to date back to around 1000 BC, Kundalini yoga was first brought to the US by Yogi Bhajan in the 1970s, though its exact origins are unknown. It combines movement, breath and sound in the form of chanting or song. 

Kundalini is designed to activate your spiritual energy known as shakti, located at the base of the spine. A typical class begins with an opening chant followed by a series of postures with breathing techniques before closing with meditation or song.

The idea is that through the practice of Kundalini yoga we can send energy upwards from the base of our spine and out the top of our head, stimulating our chakras (energy centers) on the way to provide a number of health benefits such as improved mood, greater focus, lower blood pressure, balanced metabolism, and improved strength. Do you struggle to sleep well? In a study cited by Harvard Medical School, participants were sleeping an average of 36 minutes longer per night after eight weeks of practicing Kundalini yoga.   

7 types of yoga: Restorative yoga

This type of yoga could be seen as Iyengar’s calmer baby sister. Developed by renowned American yoga instructor, Judith Hanson (a student of B.K.S Iyengar), she adapted his use of props to help assist and support the body as it calms and rests. 

Each pose can be held for up to 20 minutes, meaning very few poses might be achieved during a class, but the time spent being guided by a yoga teacher and relaxing into the asanas can have profound effects as participants achieve a state of deep relaxation. As a result, Restorative yoga can contribute to increased flexibility and overall suppleness of your muscles. 

Stress relief can also be a huge benefit of Restorative yoga, as lying in these postures for prolonged periods provides the perfect opportunity to listen to the body’s signals and focus the mind. In a study published in the Journal of Occupational Health in 2019, nurses working night shifts reported that their psychological and physical stress reactions were significantly reduced after the group restorative yoga sessions. 

7 types of yoga: Yin yoga

Originating in the 1970s from American martial arts expert, Paulie Zink, Yin yoga is similar to restorative yoga in that it incorporates slow-paced postures and stretches to lengthen muscles and connective tissues on a deeper level. 

Beginners start by holding these poses for a couple of minutes while experts can hold them for ten or more. The aim of the practice is to slow the body down, activating the parasympathetic nervous system and allowing the body to relax fully into the asanas in order to release stress and tension both physically and mentally.

A study on stressed adults published in the journal PLOS ONE in 2018 concluded that the practice of yin yoga over five weeks helped reduce participants’ sleep problems. So, if getting enough sleep is something you struggle with, consider taking up yin and reaping the bedtime benefits. 

Are you feeling under pressure? Has the global pandemic left you increasingly anxious? If so, breathing for relaxation can help. According to the American Psychological Society, more than three-quarters of Americans (78%) report that COVID-19 is a significant source of stress in their lives. The good news is, calming breathing practices used in ancient yoga and meditation traditions have been proven to ease tension and soothe the mind. 

Here yoga teacher, counselor, and holistic health practitioner, Eve Boggenpoel has taken a look at the science behind breathing for relaxation and shows how it activates the rest and digest branch of your nervous system to help you find a better balance in life. All you need is some time for yourself, a quiet place to practice in and a yoga mat.  

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If you'd like to learn more about the practice of yoga then check out our features on whether yoga is a religion and how to improve your flexibility.

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What are the benefits of relaxation breathing?

Breathing for relaxation is nothing new. Originally used to prepare the body for meditation, yoga and mindfulness practitioners believed concentrating on the breath could calm the mind by giving the brain something to focus on. Now, these early theories have been confirmed by modern-day research at the Emory University School of Medicine, which confirms that slow deep breathing is helpful in the management of anxiety and depression. In fact, breathing for relaxation is so effective at calming the system it has a measurable physiological effect. A review of existing studies published in the American Journal of Cardiology found that even short-term slow breathing techniques can reduce your resting heart rate and lower blood pressure.

So what exactly is the relationship between your breath and state of mind? According to Kat Farrants, founder of Movement for Modern Life, when you're feeling stressed, your breathing becomes faster and more shallow. This is because your brain has activated your sympathetic nervous system (SNS), one of three branches of your autonomic nervous system. Also known as the fight or flight response, the SNS instructs your body's systems to protect you from perceived threats. Farrants explained that the reason your breathing rate increases is to allow your body to take in more oxygen. Your heart will also beat faster and contract more strongly in order to swiftly transport the newly oxygenated red blood cells to your larger muscles – all of which will allow you to better defend yourself or run away from danger.

Conscious slow breathing, on the other hand, activates the second branch of your autonomic nervous system, the PNS or parasympathetic nervous system, according to Farrant. The PNS is also known as the rest and digest mode. This system returns your body to its normal resting state after a threat has passed, slowing breathing and heart rate, and reducing blood flow to the muscles. Research as to the exact mechanisms for this is scarce, but one theory as to how slow breathing influences the PNS is that it stimulates the vagus nerve, according to the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. The longest cranial nerve in your body, it carries around 75% of PNS nerve fibers, influences heart rate and respiration and, importantly, balances your nervous system.  

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How to do breathing for relaxation

Learn to breathe deeply

Before working on the individual exercises below, learn how to control your breathing with a full yogic breath. Lying down, place your hands on your lower abdomen and, as you inhale, direct your breath to the area beneath your fingertips, letting your stomach gently rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. After a few minutes, place your hands on the sides of your ribs and focus on expanding your rib cage towards your fingers as you inhale, feeling it sink back inwards as you exhale. Finally, place one hand on your upper chest over your breastbone and direct your breath into your chest only. Can you feel it rise slightly as you inhale? Once you've learnt to isolate your breath into these three phases, put them together in one full breath, expanding first your stomach, then your side ribs and finally your upper chest, releasing with a long slow exhale. 

Slow your breathing rate 

Normal breathing rates vary from around eight to 16 breaths a minute, according to MedlinePlus, but the benefits of slow breathing generally refer to less than 10 breaths a minute, with six breaths a minute being found particularly beneficial. Indeed, research published in the journal Hypertension found breathing at this rate reduced blood pressure and calmed the fight or flight response. To breathe around six times a minute, each breath cycle (one inhalation, one exhalation) will need to take around 10 seconds. 

Lengthen your exhalation 

Another way to maximise the benefits of slow breathing is make your out-breath longer than your in-breath, as this significantly activates the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system, your rest and digest mode. Using the six-breaths-a-minute technique above, for example, try inhaling for a count of four and exhaling for a count of six. 

Pause after exhaling 

If you're feeling anxious, taking a pause after you exhale and before your next inhalation has been shown in the journal Psychophysiology to slow your heart rate and improve your heart-rate variability (a measurement of the variation in time between your heartbeats), a sign of relaxation. After you breathe out fully, rather than rushing to take your next in-breath, consciously relax your shoulders, chest and abdomen and take a short pause before you inhale again. 

Count your breaths 

Counting the breath has been used for centuries in mindfulness traditions and now research in Frontiers in Psychology confirms it is associated with better mood and increased focus. To give it a try, gently close your eyes. Allow your breath to settle, then when you feel ready, begin to count, by silently repeating to yourself as you inhale 'in, one', then as you exhale, 'out, one'. On your next breath, repeat 'in, two', 'out, two'. Continue in this way until you reach 10, then start again at one. 

Try the 'bellows breath' technique

For longer-term management of anxiety, this yogic breathing technique has been shown by researchers in the Frontiers in Psychiatry journal , to significantly reduce anxiety after four weeks by modulating the activity of your amygdala, a structure in the brain involved in emotional processing. Sit in a comfortable position with hands on your abdomen. Inhale. Quickly draw your navel inwards and upwards as you exhale forcefully through your nose, followed by a strong inhalation through the nose. Repeat the pattern up to eight times to complete one cycle, then gradually increase the speed over another three or four cycles until your inhalations and exhalations each last around a second each. As you become more familiar with bellows breath, increase each cycle to 15-30 breaths. 

• CAUTION: Bellows breath increases pressure in the abdomen, according to Yoga International. Do not practice while pregnant or menstruating, or if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, a stomach ulcer, hiatal hernia or chronic constipation. 

Watch a yoga class and chances are by the end of the session you’ll have seen students bow their heads, hold their hands in a prayer position and quietly whisper ‘Namaste’. So is yoga a religion? It’s a reasonable question to ask, especially as they may have also knelt on their mat with closed eyes and chanted ‘OM’  in front of a statue of a Buddha or Indian god. 

While these rituals are not uncommon in yoga, most classes today focus on physical postures. However, it wasn’t always that way; early yoga practitioners had an entirely different agenda. Here we speak to world-renowned yoga expert and co-author of Roots of Yoga, James Mallinson, about the origins of the practice. Then UK author and yoga teacher Eve Boggenpoel explains how to get started with yoga so you can enjoy its many benefits. 

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Is yoga a religion?

Dating back over two thousand years, yoga drew on a range of traditions including Hinduism and Buddhism, but it wasn’t until Medieval times that physical postures were introduced, explained Dr. James Mallinson, senior lecturer in Sanskrit and Classical and Indian studies at SOAS, University of London. Nevertheless, it was still very much concerned with spiritual matters at this time. "The first text to teach physical yoga practices [known as hatha yoga] was written by Buddhists in the 11th century and called the Amṛtasiddhi,” he told Live Science, "and, certainly, through these practices they were aiming for some kind of salvation or liberation.”

Modern-day yoga has echoes of these religious beliefs - natarajasana, or dance pose, for example, is a representation of Hindu god Shiva, and sun salutations may also reflect earlier beliefs. "In the Vedas [ancient Indian texts], the sun is a god, so you could argue that sun salutations are religious to some extent,” suggested Mallinson. Today, however, many practitioners simply enjoy yoga as a physical practice that increases feelings of calm and gives them the opportunity to carve out some space for themselves in an otherwise busy week.

How to start doing yoga

Ideally, try to learn yoga in the physical presence of a teacher who can tailor postures specifically to you, offer personalized advice based on what they see, and provide hands-on adjustments to enable you to experience the best alignment your body can achieve. If that’s not possible, the pandemic has meant teachers are increasingly teaching over Zoom, while online streaming sites, such Yoga International or Ekhart Yoga in Europe, offer a wide range of teachers and yoga styles. Classes can vary from 10 to 90 minutes and you can usually search by teacher, yoga style, level of proficiency, and other parameters, such as energizing, relaxing, or women’s health. Initially, try out a variety of classes to find something you resonate with, then build a base from there. 

What you need to start

You don’t need to invest in expensive clothing when you’re just starting out, as long as what you wear is comfortable and allows you to move freely. If you do hot yoga, though, you might like to invest in workout clothes with wicking qualities, as these will transfer moisture from your body to the outer side of the fabric where it evaporates. Avoid baggy t-shirts, as they may ride up when you’re in poses where your head is lower than your hips.

Yoga studios will provide you with the equipment you need, but if you’re planning to practice at home, you’ll need a good mat. Often referred to as a sticky mat, specialist yoga mats provide cushioning for your knees and prevent your hands and feet from slipping in poses such as downward dog. Depending on the style of yoga you practice, there are a few other props that can be really useful, especially for beginners. Yoga blocks and straps can act as extensions of your arms, helping you to get the full benefits of the pose before you reach full flexibility. Bolsters are super useful, too. They help you maintain good posture in seated positions when you have tight hips, and can be used to gently open your joints or reduce tension in other parts of the body - placed beneath your knees when lying in relaxation pose, for example, they take the pressure off your lower back.

Setting goals

Yoga is unlike other forms of exercise, in that progress isn’t necessarily measured by external gains. It’s what you feel like inside that matters. In the book, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Edwin Bryant (North Point Press, 2009), the author translates the father of modern yoga, Patanjali’s, famous definition of yoga as: "Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of the mind”, so while you may not be able to do a headstand or place your palms flat on the floor in a forward bend, if you are learning to connect to a place of inner calm and finding it easier to contact stillness both on and off the mat, you will definitely be making good progress.

That said, it helps to have a roadmap when starting yoga, and one approach is to first work with your breath, followed by your ‘foundation’ and then your spine. Learning to control your breath helps you be more present in your body, and will be very useful when you progress onto yogic breathing techniques that support more complex poses and sequences. Your ‘foundation’ refers to the area of your body that touches the ground and, as with a building, the stronger the foundation, the more stable your postures will be. Finally, as the central axis of your body, your spine plays a key role in yoga poses, providing stability, facilitating flexibility and absorbing shock. A healthy spinal alignment will enable you to develop good form in the postures, and maximize the benefits of your practice.

Are there different types of yoga?

There are now many styles of hatha yoga, each with a different emphasis, so when you’re starting a practice it's worth thinking about what you want to achieve. If your main aim is to improve your posture, Iyengar yoga might be a good place to start as it focuses on good alignment. Or Paulie Zink’s Yin yoga, which holds poses for up to five minutes or more to open joints and stretch fascia, is a good option for those looking to work deeply on their flexibility. 

If it’s a strong workout you’re after, ashtanga yoga, developed by K. Pattabhi Jois, will take you through a series of challenging sequences, while other students or those with health issues might prefer restorative yoga, where poses are floor-based, use bolsters and blocks to support the body and are held for up to 20 minutes to deeply relax you. Of course, you can also try a varied range of yoga styles for a balanced exercise plan that works on a number of levels. For more on this, take a look at our feature on how to improve your flexibility or yoga for back pain: what you need to know. 

Many magazine covers and social media posts perpetuate the yoga myths that the only people who practice are young, slim, flexible and female. But if you fall into the trap of believing these myths, you could miss out on the plethora of benefits you can get from practicing yoga. 

Research from the Journal of Occupational Health shows that yoga can beat stress and lower blood pressure. Meanwhile, a study in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback shows that it can also help you get a better night’s sleep.

However, yoga isn’t just the preserve of the young, fit and bendy. Anyone can learn yoga on one of the best yoga mats, and practice as much as it suits them – whether that’s a little every day or 90 minutes, twice a week. Whether you want to practice in the comfort of your own living room, in a local class or even experiment with hot yoga, here we debunk the yoga myths that could be preventing you from becoming fitter, healthier and happier. Read on to discover the science that refutes the popular, but inaccurate, perceptions of yoga. 

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Yoga myths 1: "You have to be flexible to do yoga"

Fact: You don’t need to be super flexible to begin practicing yoga – instead, yoga itself is a great way to improve your flexibility. One study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that women who undertook a series of 20 yoga classes lasting 90 minutes gained greater flexibility in their spinal muscles and hamstrings. 

Men also benefit from getting on a mat, as research on male athletes at North-Eastern Illinois University shows. The men who took two yoga classes a week for 10 weeks not only boosted their hamstring and lower-back mobility, they were also able to increase the flexibility of their ankle, knee, hip and shoulder joints with yoga poses such as downward dog, lunge and chair.

Yoga myths 2: "Yoga is just a series of stretches and balances"

Fact: Stretching warms your muscles before exercise, aids recovery after working out and helps maintain functional movement in later life, but the benefits of yoga go much further. Research in the International Journal of Yoga concludes that it boosts heart and lung function, reduces anxiety and depression, and can even help with managing addiction. 

"Yoga is so much more than the apparent physical practice," Esther Ekhart, founder of yoga streaming site Ekhart Yoga, told Live Science. "It helps you develop interoception, which is about how your body feels inside. Yoga gets you in touch with the needs of your body and mind. It also helps cultivate mindful and loving awareness, which results in knowing ourselves better – and when we know ourselves better we respond wisely to what our system needs."

Yoga myths 3: "Only younger people can practice yoga"

Fact: "It’s not so much a question of what age a student is, but the health of their body," 79-year-old yoga teacher and author Barbara Currie told Live Science. "I’ve been teaching yoga for 51 years, and I’m the same size and weight I was in my twenties." If someone is extremely stiff, a teacher can offer adaptations for them so they can still practice. "A student can start doing yoga on a chair, for example, and we’ll spend time building up their strength and flexibility to the point where they no longer need the chair and can participate in class the same way as everyone else," Currie explained. Even then, age isn’t always a barrier. "I’ve had a 94-year-old student who did the same moves as everyone else. I didn’t need to adapt anything for her," she added.

Yoga myths 4: "You can’t do yoga if you have a bad back"

Fact: Around 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives, according to the American Chiropractic Association. These people will then go on to spend at least $50 billion a year on treatment. However, yoga could provide an effective and cheap alternative. Several studies have shown that yoga helps ease lower back pain, including one in the Annals of Internal Medicine that found it as effective as physical therapy. 

Meanwhile, a meta-analysis of seven studies in the Journal of Yoga and Physical Therapy found participants who practiced yoga reported less lower back pain and greater functional ability. Interestingly, the benefits were reported to continue for 12 to 24 weeks after the sessions had finished.

Yoga myths 5: "You have to be slim to do yoga"

Fact: A growing number of teachers and advocates of yoga for every body size are promoting the message that size and shape isn’t a barrier to yoga. As Ekhart said: "You might believe your body needs to fit and mold into the perfect depicted shape of a pose, but yoga is knowing that the poses are there for your benefit, to adapt and make them functional and loving for your body. This is the wisdom of yoga." 

Where needed, moves can be adapted with the use of yoga props such as blocks and straps, or if forward bends are a challenge, simply widening the legs enables practitioners to reap similar benefits. Research shows yoga can help with body image, too. One study published in Elsevier journal Body Image followed more than 1,600 young adults over a 15-year period and found that practicing yoga is linked to higher levels of body satisfaction. With many people wondering how mental health affects physical health, yoga can be a great way to tackle both. 

Yoga myths 6: "Yoga is just for women"

Fact: Many men perceive yoga as a women’s activity, according to a recent study in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, but perceptions are changing. "Some men think they know what the practice is all about, based on the stereotypes they see, hear or read," Michael James Wong, founder and teacher for Boys of Yoga and Just Breathe Project, told Live Science. "Nine out of 10 times, they’re wrong. They realize yoga is hugely beneficial for their physical and mental health." 

Indeed, yoga even has an effect in the bedroom, with research in Journal of Sexual Medicine showing it increases male desire and boosts performance. But the essence of yoga runs deeper, according to Wong. "The real benefits come from the awareness of self, the mental well-being, the techniques for calming the mind and the shift towards a positive perspective," he said.

Whether you’re young or not so young, flexible or stiff, or anything in between, yoga could be a great option for you. Ignore the myths and stereotypes surrounding the tradition and forge your own pathway. As Wong said: "The best approach is to remember you are unique in your own physical size, shape and proportion, as well as in your daily activities and personal experiences. This allows you to focus on yourself in the practice, not needing to compare your practice to others or judge what 'good' looks like."

Yoga is a spiritual and physical exercise that originated in India over 5,000 years ago, but what is hot yoga? Most people may be familiar with the standard practice of yoga. According to research conducted by Yoga Alliance in 2016, a survey estimated that 36 million Americans practice some form of yoga. That was up from 20.4 million in 2012.

However, adding the element of heat to the exercise may sound strange to some. Find out about the origins of hot yoga, as well as the benefits and negative factors of doing hot yoga.

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Hot yoga is practiced in a similar way to standard yoga and you still use one of the best yoga mats to incorporate a range of poses into the workout. The high-temperature conditions induce more sweating in comparison to standard yoga. Due to this, it’s always advised to stay hydrated before, during and after a hot yoga class.

The heat also helps warm up the muscles which allows yogis to stretch further and be more flexible. An average hot yoga class can range from 90 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. 

What does hot yoga involve?

Hot yoga is a form of yoga performed in hot and humid conditions. There are generally two types of hot yoga: Bikram and Vinyasa yoga.

The exercise was popularized by Bikram Choudhury founder of Bikram Yoga in the 1970s. Bikram developed hot yoga from the traditional hatha yoga practice. The hot temperature in hot yoga was devised to simulate the intense temperatures of India. 

According to the Yoga Journal, Bikram’s goal was to "save America through his yoga". A typical Bikram Yoga class included 26 movements, two breathing exercises and was practiced in a 105 degrees Fahrenheit room with a humidity of 40%. The teaching style at Bikram Yoga was quite hands-on with instructors regularly adjusting their student’s postures. Bikram yoga could only be taught by Bikram-trained teachers in Bikram studios.

Bikram Yoga grew massively in popularity. According to Mind is the Master, at its peak in 2006, there were over 1,650 studios in over 40 countries across the world. Since then the popularity of Bikram yoga has declined, with approximately 600 studios remaining worldwide. The founder Bikram Chourdy’s reputation has been marred with legal trouble and allegations of assault.

From the popularity of Bikram Yoga, other hot yoga studios such as Forrest yoga and Moksha yoga were founded.

The other key type of hot yoga is called Vinyasa. The difference between Bikram and Vinyasa is the transition from one pose to the next. Within the Bikram yoga practice, yogis tend to get into the pose, hold, release and then move into the next pose. Rather than flowing from one pose to another which is done while practicing Vinyasa.

Vinyasa hot yoga also offered more variety. The structure of the classes was less rigid and more up to the individual instructor. Vinyasa classes can be found in a multitude of studios. The heated Vinyasa classes are normally taught at a temperature of 95-98 degrees Fahrenheit and the slightly lower temperatures make Vinyasa yoga more suitable for beginners in comparison to Bikram.

What are the benefits of hot yoga?

The key benefits of hot yoga are: 

Flexibility: According to Healthline, the temperature of the room means it takes less time for your muscles to loosen up. Yogis are able to move deeper into their stretches. 

Cardiovascular health: Exercising in high heat increases the heart rate and makes the body work harder. A hot yoga class would be more strenuous and help to burn more calories than a standard yoga class.

Breathing: The breathing exercises practiced in hot yoga sessions can help increase your lung capacity over time. 

Sleep quality: In 2012, a sleep monitoring study was conducted by Dr. Ravi Kudesia and Dr. Matt Bianchi for ISRN Neurology. The study concluded that Bikram yoga sessions helped respondents improve their sleep quality. Participants fell asleep quicker and if they did wake up, they stayed awake for shorter periods of time.

Stress reduction: A 2018 study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport which was conducted with a sample of stressed and physically inactive adults found that a 16-week program of hot yoga dramatically reduced the participants' stress levels. 

General wellbeing: In 2017, a group of hot yoga lovers told the Washington Post that "doing the exercise in a heated room strengthens the heart, clears out the veins, cleanses impurities from the body, and boosts the immune system."

• Related: Does exercise in heat burn more calories?

Are there any bad things about hot yoga?

Hot yoga, like most exercises, needs to be practiced with caution. The intensity of the workout coupled with the hot temperature may cause a heat-related illness. According to Healthline, people with pre-existing conditions may be at risk of passing out. These conditions include:

• Heart diseases
• Diabetes
• Low blood sugar
• Issues with dehydration
• A history of heat-related illness such as heat stroke

Pregnant people are advised to consult their doctors before practicing hot yoga, but it’s typically not encouraged.

In 2015, the American Council on Exercise published a study that shone a light on concerns about Bikram yoga. During a typical Bikram yoga class, the body temperature of participants rose to 103 degrees Fahrenheit. This narrowly misses the 104-degree threshold that medical professionals class as being dangerous. From the study, Cedric Bryant, PhD, Chief Science Officer at ACE said, "For a person who’s unfit or not used to Bikram, there’s some concern that they might experience some level of heat intolerance." Following this study, ACE recommended that beginners stick to a conventional form of yoga or try a studio that offers it at a lower temperature.

Hot yoga safety tips

• Stay hydrated: Make sure to drink water, before, during and after a hot yoga class. A sports drink may help to replenish electrolytes lost during the workout.

• Wear breathable and lightweight clothing.

• Pay close attention to how your body is feeling throughout the class.

• Stop straight away if you start to feel lightheaded or dizzy. Leave the room and recharge in a cooler location.

• If you have pre-existing health conditions, yoga at a normal temperature is heavily advised.

If you’re thinking about using yoga for back pain, we’ve got all the information you need. In this article, physiotherapist with over 25 years of experience, Mark Brownless tells Live Science whether back pain is actually muscular and whether yoga is really a good idea if you’re experiencing issues with your back. 

So, whether you’ve been looking for a good quality yoga mat that you can use at home or in the office, or you aren’t sure if yoga is the right thing to do, this article should tell you what you need to know.

Please note, this is not an exhaustive article about back pain, and if you are in any doubt about whether you should use yoga for back pain, or have any other concerns about your body, then consult your family doctor or physical therapist.

For now though, here's what Brownless told Live Science about yoga for back pain. 

• Related: Is yoga good for you?

Does yoga help back pain?

A survey by Forbes in 2016 found that 37 million people in the United States practiced yoga. To put it simply, yoga is a series of poses and stretches, coupled with breathing exercises, designed to help with conditioning the body. It can get far more involved and complex than that too, with different types of yoga, meditation, mind-body balance and so on.

If you are using yoga for back pain, or any other musculoskeletal problem, it should target that part of the body more than other areas. Yoga isn’t a magic bullet, however. If your back pain is related to sitting all day at work, then no amount of stretching is going to help if you don’t take breaks from sitting, assess your workstation and think about improving your posture. It’s not a case of ticking a box that yoga will counteract all of those habits.

But if you have tried to address the causative factors, and are still getting back pain, then yoga could be of use to help manage your symptoms.

Is back pain muscular?

You may have heard of people having a prolapsed or slipped disc in their back, or having degeneration / arthritis as a cause of their back pain. These are genuine conditions of course, but sometimes back pain is not as serious or significant as that. The majority of back pain doctors see is either classed as non-specific or mechanical, but what does that really mean? 

Often back pain is described as muscular or as a muscle strain, even by doctors, yet MRI scans never show this, and there is little or no evidence to say that there is actual damage to the soft tissues at all. In the doctor's office, an examination will most often produce the patient’s symptoms when they extend (arch) their back, where there is no load on the musculature. This movement is actually loading the joints in the lower back – the facet joints – and it is most commonly produced in patients with simple back pain. Yes, the overlying muscles can then spasm as a result, but clinical experience suggests that the cause of most simple back pain is not muscular.

If you're wondering about it, we have a feature discussing 'can yoga fix your posture' too.

If not muscular, then what?

I hear stories from patients of how their back "went out" when they bent down to tie their shoelaces or to pick up a pen. Clearly, if tying our laces was so dangerous, we would all be forced to wear slip-ons. So, it can’t really be one simple act that has caused the problem, but rather that it is the last straw from all the times you have done movements that place strain or excessive load on your back, and now one of those tissues is crying out for help.

If you did have a simple soft tissue strain, then this would take a month or two to settle, yet in the clinic, treatment over a week or two can make significant improvements; so it doesn’t fit that you’ve actually damaged some tissue.

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Rather, it is more likely to be excessive stresses and strains on the low back causing pain by placing too much load through the soft tissues and causing them to fire off nerve signals to the brain that are interpreted as pain. It’s impossible to say whether these strains are to the muscles, ligaments or other soft tissues, and as we said above, they are not likely to be be damaged as such.

What about "no pain no gain?"

If you are just training – whether it’s for aerobic fitness or anaerobically using weights to get stronger – it’s probably going to hurt. Cardiovascular demand and load on your body will stress joints and muscles, and training in this way is what people really mean when they think of the "no pain, no gain" expression.

In general, this doesn’t apply to someone with a pain problem. If you have, in this case, back pain, and you do any form of training or rehabilitation that makes your back pain worse, in general, that can’t be making it better. Effectively you are stirring up the hornet’s nest, making you more sensitive to pain, and that isn’t going to improve things. Some studies have shown that patients can push into pain and get good short-term results, but these have been within a supervised physical therapy environment, and are best avoided when you are on your own.

Essentially, if you are using yoga to treat your back pain, it really doesn’t make sense to use it to give yourself more pain.

Equally, there have been studies cited in the New York Times that have suggested that yoga can cause injury, or make existing injuries worse. Does that mean practicing yoga is dangerous? No. But doing it aggressively, pushing yourself too hard without being respectful to your body’s limits and certain poses that might aggravate a problem, certainly increases the risk of injury in any activity.

When shouldn’t you try yoga for back pain?

You shouldn't try yoga if your symptoms are worsening - they’ve gone from being local back pain to radiating into your buttock or leg, or if you’ve developed pins and needles or numbness in one or both legs.

If general exercise or specific yoga poses are painful then you need to ease back, stop those particular poses and review what you are doing exercise-wise. 

For all of these precautions, seeking medical advice is a good option anyway in the first instance, and as to whether yoga might be helpful. 

There are, however, some red flag symptoms that you should seek immediate medical attention for:

• If you lose control of your bladder or bowel
  
• If you develop numbness ‘down below’ in your saddle area
  
• If you are getting significant symptoms with a cough, sneeze or strain on the toilet
  
• If you develop a lack of coordination of your legs when trying to move around 

How to start yoga

You could look for a reputable yoga class in your local area - speak to some of the people that go there and see if the instructor adapts poses for people’s different needs - as a beginner you want to avoid those classes where you'll be pushed too hard.

Find a website or YouTube video that will take you through some poses and stretching at home. Again, try and find out as much as you can about the instructor beforehand via reviews and testimonials, or even email them to ask about suitability.  

Start slowly and build-up 

You might only manage a few simple poses for a minute or two each day - and that’s fine! This is not about doing hours and hours of holding difficult poses whilst in a meditative state, it’s about making your back - and you - feel better. 

If some poses increase your pain, check that you are doing them correctly - filming yourself might be a good idea, if they continue to make you worse, stop doing them - they might just not be for you.

Finally, as always, if in doubt, if your symptoms are increasing, or you have any concerns, seek professional medical advice.

• Related: Does yoga build muscle?

What else is good for back pain?

If you want to try something else other than yoga for your back pain, then you could try some simple stretching exercises, and we’d always recommend following those recommended by a qualified physical therapist. We also have a feature on 10 stretches to do every day. Again, you should make sure that any exercises are not making your pain worse, and probably start with just a few simple exercises to see how your back reacts. You can always add more in as you go along.

You could also try strengthening exercises to prevent back pain. We have an article on some simple dumbbell back exercises to try, if you're new to this kind of movement.

If you want to seek professional help, it may be worth consulting with your family doctor initially, but then seeking out a qualified physical therapist, chiropractor, or osteopath for some treatment.  

When a Virginia woman went to the emergency room with shortness of breath, anxiety, sleeping troubles and difficulty swallowing water, doctors thought she was having a panic attack. But her symptoms were actually due to something much rarer: she had a rabies infection — one that would prove fatal — which she contracted from a dog bite while on a yoga retreat in India, according to a new report.

The case marks only the ninth time in the past decade that a person has died from rabies in the U.S. from an infection acquired abroad, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The tragic case highlights the need for travelers to be aware of the risks of rabies when visiting certain countries and to receive "preexposure" rabies vaccines before travel when recommended, the report said. [The 9 Deadliest Viruses on Earth]

The report is published in the Jan. 4 issue of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The 65-year-old woman went on a seven-week yoga retreat in India from January to April 2017. During the retreat, she was bitten by a puppy outside her hotel in Rishikesh, a city in northern India, according to the report. The bite was washed with water, but no other treatments were given.

About six weeks after her return to the U.S., in May 2017, the woman experienced pain and a tingling sensation in her right arm while gardening, which doctors diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. But the next day, she went to the emergency room with panic-like symptoms and was presumed to be having a panic attack, for which she received an anti-anxiety medication.

Only a day later, she was back in the hospital with chest pain, shortness of breath, tingling and numbness in her arm and increased anxiety. A heart examination suggested a problem with blood flow, and she underwent an emergency procedure to thread a catheter through the blood vessels to her heart.

Later that day, the woman became "progressively agitated and combative," and she was seen gasping for air while trying to drink water, the report said. Difficulty swallowing and fear of water (hydrophobia) due to this difficulty with swallowing are symptoms of rabies, according to Mayo Clinic.

That's when doctors asked the woman's family if she had been exposed to any animals, and her husband told them about the puppy bite.

There is a vaccine for rabies, but in order to be effective, it must be given before symptoms appear. Unfortunately, once a person starts to show symptoms of rabies, there is no effective treatment and the disease is almost always fatal, according to the CDC. As a last resort, the Virginia doctors tried an experimental protocol for treating rabies, known as the Milwaukee protocol, which involves giving antiviral drugs. But the woman's condition worsened, and she died shortly after the family decided to withdraw advanced medical support.

During the woman's medical care, she had contact with about 250 health care personnel, and of these, it was recommended that 72 undergo rabies vaccination, mostly due to possible exposure to the virus through the patient's saliva.

Rabies is rare in the United States, with only about one to three human rabies cases reported each year, according to the CDC. And vaccination programs in the U.S. have eliminated the spread of rabies among domestic dogs, meaning that dogs in this country are no longer a "reservoir" for the virus. But rabies remains endemic in more than 120 countries, including India, which has the highest number of human rabies deaths related to dog exposures, the CDC said.

As such, the CDC recommends that U.S. travelers consult a health specialist before their trip to see if they need vaccinations, such as the rabies vaccine. In the current case, the woman did not arrange to have a pretravel health visit, even though a rabies vaccine should have been considered because of the extended length of her stay and her travel to rural areas in India, the report said.

"These events underscore the importance of obtaining a thorough pretravel health consultation, particularly when visiting countries with high incidence of emerging or zoonotic pathogens," such as rabies, the report concluded.

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Originally published on Live Science.

Physical activity is good for both the body and mind. Indeed, doctors have long known that exercise improves thinking and slows the rate of cognitive decline, particularly among older adults. But what kind — and how much — exercise is needed to achieve a healthier brain?

The answer seems to be just about any kind of exercise that gets you moving, as long as you stay with it, according to an international study published yesterday (May 30) in the journal Neurology Clinical Practice.

Walking, running, weight training, yoga or tai chi … it's all good, provided you do it a few times a week for at least 52 hours over the course of six months or so. A key finding in the study was that the exercise doesn't need to take place within a set number of hours per day or week. [7 Ways the Mind and Body Change With Age]

"The real-world impact is that you can break that [52 hours] up" into an hour here or there, said lead study author Joyce Gomes-Osman, a clinical neuroscientist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "This is encouraging, because it tells you that you may not necessarily need an hour a day. If you exercise a few days a week and start racking up those 'points,' and you do this over several months and you get to that 52-hour mark, this is when you can expect that your mind is going to become sharper."

Gomes-Osman noted that low-intensity "mind-body" exercises (such as yoga and tai chi) work just as well as high-intensity, strength-training and aerobic exercises.

The new research examined nearly 100 previously published studies on exercise and cognition, with a total of more than 11,000 participants whose average age was 73. The common denominator across all these studies was that various forms of exercise all led to sharper thinking if the participants achieved this minimum 52-hour target over roughly six months, Gomes-Osman said. Studies with fewer hours of exercise or shorter time scales did not yield positive results.

Gomes-Osman told Live Science that, as a neuroscientist practicing physical therapy, she has long desired to prescribe a "dose" of exercise to her patients, employing the same precision and individualized approach that a physician would use to prescribe a heart medication. Now, she's closer to that goal, she said.

"We often hear advice to be more active" given with the aim of improving thinking, Gomes-Osman said. But, "What does that mean? Does that mean the person needs to do 30 minutes a day every weekday? Or an hour a day? And what kind of exercise?"

Referring back to heart disease, Gomes-Osman said there are recommendations for the precise amount of rigorous or moderate exercise needed to improve heart health. But a corresponding dose of exercise for cognitive health was not known … until now. This is an important new understanding, she said, because there are no drugs to improve or slow cognitive decline. Exercise, for now, is the only approach.

Dr. Douglas Scharre, director of the Center for Cognitive and Memory Disorders at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, who was not involved with new research, agreed with the study's conclusions.

"I believe that the take-home message is that physical exercise should be done consistently for the long term to gain maximum cognitive benefits," Scharre told Live Science. "It does not seem to matter how much or how long or what type of exercise, just that you do it regularly over the long term."

The researchers found that real cognitive gains were in specific areas of thinking — namely, planning and initiation of tasks, processing speed and executive function, which is the ability to focus and manage tasks, Gomes-Osman said. Her team found that participants’ memory improvement was only seen in about half of the studies analyzed, so averaged together, they could not conclude that exercise improved memory.

That makes sense, according to Scharre, because those nonmemory elements of cognition make common use of frontal brain regions that get more of a workout during exercise than brain regions related to memory. [10 Things You Didn't Know About the Brain]

"Exercise is a fabulous brain activity," Scharre said. "The brain is being activated very much during exercise. We have to learn how to control our muscles to do the exercise; we need to focus attention on doing the tasks; we have to determine if we are feeling tired or … plan to go slower the next time to avoid a certain activity that causes pain. Basically, 'use it or lose it,' I believe, is just as true for the brain as it is for muscles."

Scharre added that watching TV and not socializing does not use your brain as much as exercise.

The researchers, who include scientists from Brazil and Spain, wrote that those brain functions that consistently improved with exercise across all studies examined — processing speed, planning and focus — are the very same functions that start to falter with the onset of age-related cognitive decline.

Follow Christopher Wanjek @wanjek for daily tweets on health and science with a humorous edge. Wanjek is the author of "Food at Work" and "Bad Medicine." His column, Bad Medicine, appears regularly on Live Science.

To ease low back pain, you may want try a downward dog: A new study suggests that doing yoga may be as effective as physical therapy for reducing low back pain.

The study looked at a specific yoga routine designed by experts. Some yoga poses could be harmful to the back.

About 10 percent of U.S. adults have chronic low back pain, according to the study, published today (June 19) in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. And around 80 percent of U.S. adults will experience low back pain at some point in their lives, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Low back pain can have a large effect on people's lives: It's a leading reason why people miss work, the NIH says. In addition, low back pain appears to take a larger toll on people of racial and ethnic minority groups and on poorer people, according to the study. [5 Surprising Facts About Pain]

The most common nondrug treatment for low back pain is physical therapy, which involves individually tailored routines of stretching and strengthening exercises, according to the study. But many patients report that they aren't satisfied with the treatments that health care providers recommend.

In the new study, the researchers at Boston Medical Center wanted to see how yoga stacked up to physical therapy as a treatment for low back pain. Several meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials have found that yoga can be effective for easing low back pain, but yoga had never been directly compared to physical therapy.

More than 300 people with low back pain from low-income, racially diverse neighborhoods were included in the study. The study subjects had all experienced low back pain for at least three months, and in the previous week, had rated their pain at least a 4 on a scale of 0 to 10. In addition, all the people in the study had "nonspecific" low back pain, meaning that it wasn't due to a specific cause, such as a pinched nerve.

The researchers randomly assigned the people in the study to the yoga group, the physical therapy group or the control group. Over a 12-week period, the people in the yoga group attended weekly, 75-minute yoga classes, while those in the physical therapy group went to hour-long physical therapy sessions 15 times. In the control group, patients were given educational materials about how to cope with low back pain, but did not attend any classes.

The researchers noted that the yoga group followed a routine that was devised using input from yoga experts and previous studies looking at yoga and back pain. In other words, it was a specialized type of yoga class. There are yoga poses that could injure the back, studies have shown.

At the end of the 12-week period, the researchers found that the yoga classes were as effective as physical therapy in reducing pain, improving function and lowering people's use of pain medications. For example, yoga patients reported, on average, a 2.1-point decrease in pain on the pain scale, and physical therapy patients reported a 2.6-point decrease. The people in the control group reported a 1.3-point decrease on the pain scale, on average.

In addition, the improvements were maintained in the people who continued with either yoga or physical therapy for a year following the study. [Mind Games: 7 Reasons You Should Meditate]

One limitation of the research was that less than half of the people in the study attended at least three-quarters of the assigned yoga or physical therapy sessions. In an editorial published alongside the study in the same journal, Dr. Douglas Chang, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of California, San Diego, and Dr. Stefan Kertesz, an associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, said that future studies should investigate why so many of the participants failed to attend all the sessions.

In addition, the authors of the editorial noted that the improvements that the yoga and physical therapy patients reported were small, and only half of the yoga patients and one-third of the physical therapy patients reported improvements.

The study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which is a part of the National Institutes of Health.

Originally published on Live Science.

Handstand scorpion, anyone? Yoga poses depicted in magazines and other media outlets may draw eyeballs, but most people probably shouldn't try them, a new study suggests.

Images of yoga in the media often show poses that are unsafe, or just aren't doable for the average person, the researchers said. This means that people could get hurt if they attempt the poses. And for people who've never tried yoga, seeing the images might turn them off from starting yoga altogether, the researchers said.

"It kind of scares people off from starting a practice," said study researcher Nadezhda Vladagina, a graduate student at Pacific University School of Professional Psychology in Hillsboro, Oregon. "They might feel that they're not flexible enough and [yoga] isn't something their body is capable of doing," Vladagina said. "Meanwhile, already existing practitioners [of yoga] see these images of what yoga's supposed to look like, and they force themselves into these postures, essentially often causing injury."

Practicing yoga has been linked with a number of health benefits, including reduced stress, anxiety, depression and chronic pain, as well as improved sleep. However, yoga can lead to injuries if people don't practice it properly. Many yoga injuries happen when people push themselves beyond their capabilities; for example, by overstretching, or by putting their joints under too much tension, the researchers said. Such unhealthy poses may be reinforced by images of yoga in the media, they said.

In the study, Vladagina and her colleagues evaluated more than 1,500 images of yoga postures published in 33 issues of a popular yoga magazine between 2007 and 2014.  

They found that about 45 percent of the images showed poses that were determined to be unsafe because they were presented in a way that could lead to injury. For example, some images showed misalignment of the shoulders or the neck.

What's more, 50 percent of images showed people attempting to do moderate or advanced versions of a pose, and about 22 percent showed people in extremely difficult versions of a pose.

About one-quarter of images showed beginner-level poses, but still, 20 percent of these images showed the poses being done in a way that could lead beginners to hurt themselves, the researchers said.

"The more people are looking through these magazines, the more often they see these poses that there's no realistic way they're going to get into them, and if they do there's a high chance of causing injury to themselves," Vladagina told Live Science. [3 Ways to Keep Yoga Risk Free]

Stereotypical images

Study researcher Elika Razmjou, also a graduate student at Pacific University, said that people can be harmed when they compare themselves to images they see in the media, and create an expectation of what they're supposed to look like, instead of listening to their own body.

"I think those expectations are what can kind of push people sometimes to push beyond what their body is willing and able to do…and that can present a risk of injury," Razmjou said.

Another aspect of the study looked at the demographics of people shown in the yoga poses in the magazine. They found that of 3,100 images analyzed, 71 percent of people in the images were young, 46 percent were thin, 72 percent were white and 74 percent were female.

These limited demographics may discourage people from starting a yoga practice, because they may think they don't fit the image of yoga practitioners portrayed in the media, the researchers said.

"If we're only showing able-bodied, white, skinny, already-fit women, those are the only people who think yoga is applicable to them, and that's not the case at all," said study researcher Heather Freeman, also a graduate student at Pacific University.

Holistic view of yoga?

Finally, the researchers looked at the articles in the magazine, to see how often the articles mentioned the foundational principles of yoga (called the eight limbs of yoga). These principles go beyond the physical practice of postures and breathing exercises, and include ethical practices (such as the practice of nonviolence), self-care practices and meditation.

The researchers found that introspective practices, such as meditation, were mentioned explicitly in only about 8 percent of the articles, and ethical practices were mentioned in 5 percent of the articles. In contrast, yoga postures were explicitly mention in 47 percent of the articles, and breathing exercises were mentioned in 25 percent.

"When we just rely on [the physical] aspect to get people involved in yoga…that’s such a limited door, when we could be opening up so many other doors," for people who may not be able to do the physical aspects of yoga, Freeman said.

The researchers said they would like to see more holistic representations of yoga in the media, as well as more diversity in the people depicted practicing yoga.

Above all, yoga should be seen as a personal practice that helps people have a better relationship with themselves, they said. "Yoga should really be an individualized practice as opposed to a broadband thing that’s applied to everyone the same way," Vladagina said.

Original article on Live Science.

Flexibility exercises stretch your muscles and may improve your range of motion at your joints. There are two types of flexibility exercises: static stretching, in which you stretch a muscle without moving, and dynamic stretching, which combines stretching with movements.

Examples of static stretches include:

• Stretching the hamstring muscles by sitting on the ground with your legs straight, and leaning forward
• Stretching the calves by stepping forward with one leg, and shifting your weight toward the front leg
• Stretching your thigh muscle by bending one leg back toward your buttock, and holding on to your foot

Dynamic stretches are intended to get your muscles used to the types of movement you'll be doing during some other part of your workout, said Dr. Edward Laskowski, co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center in Rochester, Minnesota. For example, if you plan to do an aerobic activity such as running, warm up with some dynamic stretches for your legs (see some examples below).

Also, you should start with a slowed-down version of a dynamic stretch, and then, as your muscles warm up, you can increase the speed of the movement. As with strength training, you may want to work with a personal trainer, or watch videos online, to learn the proper technique for dynamic stretches.

Examples of dynamic stretches include:

• High steps: Raise your knee toward your chest, hold on to your shin and then bring your leg back down. Then, do this with the opposite leg. You can do this while standing in one place or while walking.
• Ankle stretch: Raise one foot up slightly off the ground, keep your leg straight and flex your foot with your toes pointed up. Repeat with the opposite foot.
• Arm swings: Start with your arms straight out in front of you, with your palms facing down. Walk forward, and swing your arms together to the right so that your left arm goes across your chest. Then, swing your arms the opposite way as you keep walking, and repeat a few times.
• Arm circles: Hold your arms straight at your sides, parallel to the floor. Do arm circles in each direction, making bigger circles as you get more flexible.

Benefits of stretching include:

• Improved flexibility, which can be important for everyday activities
• Reduced risk of injury. If a muscle on one side of your body is tighter than a muscle on the other side, it creates an asymmetry that can increase the risk of injury, Laskowski said. Static stretches can help reduce this asymmetry, he said.
• Reduced lactic acid in the muscles. Lactic acid can create a burning sensation in the muscles during an intense workout.

How much flexibility exercise do you need to do?

You can make stretching part of every workout. Many experts advise doing dynamic stretching as part of a warm-up before a workout, and static stretching after a workout. For static stretching, you should hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, according to the National Institutes of Health.

How can you avoid injury when stretching?

• Make sure you don't do static stretches when your muscles are "cold" (before you warm up), because this can lead to injury, said said Kelly Drew, an exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine.
• Don't bounce when you're doing static stretches, because this can cause tiny tears in the tissue, which can lead to decreased flexibility, Laskowski said.
• You should feel a mild pull in a muscle that you are stretching, but if you feel a sharp pain, you're overstretching.

Original article on Live Science.

Yoga isn't just good for the body; it might help your memory too, a small new study suggests.

The study involved 25 adults ages 55 and over who had mild cognitive impairment, or problems with thinking and memory that sometimes precede Alzheimer's disease. The participants were randomly assigned to complete either a three-month course in yoga and meditation, or to practice memory-training exercises, consisting of skills and tricks already known to boost memory.

At the end of the study, the two groups saw similar improvements in their verbal memory, which is the type of memory used when people remember names or lists of words. But those who practiced yoga had bigger improvements in visual-spatial memory, the type of memory used to recall locations and navigate while driving.

The yoga group also saw bigger reductions in their symptoms of depression and anxiety than did the brain-training group.

"Historically and anecdotally, yoga has been thought to be beneficial in aging well, but this is the scientific demonstration of that benefit," study co-author Harris Eyre, a doctoral candidate at Australia's University of Adelaide, said in a statement. "We're converting historical wisdom into the high level of evidence required for doctors to recommend therapy to their patients," said Eyre, who conducted the study with researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles. [7 Reasons You Should Meditate]

The yoga training involved a weekly class in Kundalini yoga, which involves breathing exercises, chanting, meditation, hand movements and visualization of light. Participants in this group were also told to practice a chanting mediation called Kirtan Kriya at home for 20 minutes each day.

The group that did the memory-training exercises participated in weekly sessions to learn skills to boost their memory, such as learning how to associate certain images or words with people's faces and names to remember them better.

Both groups also showed changes in their brain activity that reflected improvements in memory, the researchers said.

The type of yoga practiced in the study may improve memory because it involves chanting and visualizations, which may strengthen certain verbal and visual skills, and also improve overall awareness and attention, the researchers said. It's also thought that practicing yoga may increase the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor, which stimulates the growth of connections among neurons, the researchers said.

However, because the new study was small, more research is needed in larger groups of people to confirm the findings, the researchers said.

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. FollowLive Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

A man in Ireland broke his leg and spent 10 days in the hospital after injuring himself in a surprising way — while practicing yoga.

The 38-year-old yoga enthusiast fractured the thighbone on his right leg while doing a difficult seated yoga pose known as Marichyasana posture B in his morning yoga class, according to a new report of the man's case, which was published online Oct. 9 in the journal BMJ Case Reports. The pose involves sitting down, with the knee bent and drawn up to the chest, and then bending the torso toward the floor.  

When the man got into the position, he heard a loud cracking sound and felt enormous pain in his right femur (thighbone). The pain was so excruciating that he collapsed to the ground and needed an ambulance to get to the hospital, according to the case report.

In the emergency room, the man could not straighten out his right leg, and needed IV morphine to dull his pain. X-rays showed he had a "low-energy femoral shaft fracture." [Best Yoga Apps]

The "low energy" term refers to the amount of force that causes the bone to break, said Dr. Andrew Moriarity, an orthopedic resident at St. James's Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, who treated the man and co-authored the case report. Low-energy fractures are sometimes called "stress fractures."

The man's right thighbone was fractured about 4 inches (10 centimeters) above his knee joint, Moriarity said. Low-energy fractures can happen when a person engages in a twisting motion, or falls from a low height, whereas high-energy fractures are those that can result from a car accident or a fall from a significant height, such as a two-story balcony, Moriarity said.

A break like the one the man experienced would be extremely painful, Moriarity told Live Science.

Although yoga is considered a gentle mind-body practice, injuries can and do happen, especially as the activity's popularity rises. Still, this type of fracture is extremely rare in a young, healthy person, and it's even more unusual for it to occur due to yoga, the researchers wrote in their case report.

Rare injury

At the time the man got hurt, autumn 2014, he had been practicing yoga for two years. Over this period, he had progressed to doing increasingly more strenuous styles of yoga and more challenging postures.

At the time of his injury, the man was practicing Ashtanga yoga, a physically demanding style, for an hour every morning.Research suggests that injuries from this style of yoga are more common in the hamstrings, knees and lower back, according to the report.

Two weeks before the fracture occurred, the man felt a dull pain in his right thigh. He sought advice about the problem from a physical therapist, who diagnosed it as a muscle strain in the man's quadriceps, telling him he could return to yoga.

But that probably wasn't a good idea, Moriarity said.

"The pain he felt in his thigh was likely a stress fracture, a warning of impending fracture if he continued to apply stress to this area," Moriarity told Live Science.

To treat his femoral shaft fracture, the man needed surgery to insert a titanium rod inside his thighbone, which would allow him to walk safely, Moriarity said.

The reason this man sustained such a rare injury from practicing yoga, Moriarity said, "was likely due to repetitive stress on the thighbone, combined with a weakened bone state, known as osteopenia."

Indeed, a bone scan taken at the hospital revealed that he the man had did in fact have osteopenia, a condition in which his bone density is lower than normal, which could increase his risk for low-energy fractures, Moriarity explained.

Five months after his release from the hospital, the man could walk almost pain free and had resumed practicing yoga, but was doing only less-demanding postures.

This was a very unusual case, and most yoga enthusiasts don't injure themselves, Moriarity said. Even so, no matter what sport or physical activity a person enjoys, it's important to remember "to listen to your body," he recommended.

Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science.

If you thought meditation was only good for your emotional well-being, think again. A new study shows that meditation may actually alleviate the symptoms of two gut disorders by altering certain genetic signals.

The study looked at people who had either irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or irritable bowel disease (IBD). It found that doing yoga and meditating regularly for two months eased the symptoms associated with the two gut disorders, the researchers said.

This mind-and-body intervention seemed to work by inducing genetic changes in the body, the study authors said. The findings suggest that stress-relieving meditation can suppress the activities of certain genes responsible for causing inflammation and other immune system problems in patients suffering from IBS or IBD, the study stated.

Previous research has shown that meditation can change people's gene expression in some ways, but the new study is among the first to show an impact on gene expression in patients with a specific disease, said lead researcher Dr. Braden Kuo, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The study used a mind-body technique called Relaxation Response, which a Harvard University doctor developed in the 1970s.

The new findings are especially interesting given that researchers have established a relationship between stress and digestive problems. Research has shown that psychological trauma can contribute to IBS, a disorder that leads to abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea. 

The condition is fairly common in the United States, affecting about 1 in every 10 people at some point in their lives, according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Yet scientists do not exactly know what causes the disorder. [7 Biggest Mysteries of the Human Body]

Although IBS and IBD can be mistaken as the same condition, they are actually very different, and IBD is much less common. Unlike IBS, IBD involves chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. The two main types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which affects the colon, and Crohn's disease, which mostly affects the intestines, but can also occur anywhere in the digestive system.

However, IBS and IBD also share some common factors: Both can be triggered by stress, and neither one has real treatment options. The drugs currently available can only lessen the severity of symptoms and bring some temporary relief. 

In the new study, researchers enrolled 19 patients with IBS and 29 patients with IBD. They all underwent a nine-week program that included breathing exercises, meditation and yoga. The patients met for a 1.5-hour group session every week, and practiced the activities at home for 15 to 20 minutes every day. The researchers assessed the patients' symptoms before, after and midway during the study, and took blood samples for genetic analyses. However, the study design did not incorporate a separate control group of patients who did not practice meditation.

At the end of the study, the patients reported a reduction in their symptoms compared with what they experienced at the study's start. A genetic analysis of their blood provided evidence of changes in genetic pathways related to the two disorders.

Significantly, more genetic changes were observed in IBD patients than in patients with IBS, said Manoj Bhasin, who co-authored the study and is the director of bioinformatics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Researchers found that more than 1,000 genes were altered in IBD patients over the study period, whereas only 119 genes changed in the people with IBS. 

There was one inflammation-related gene, called NF-kB, whose activities were suppressed in both groups, according to the study. This indicates that meditation and similar practices can offset stress and inflammation, the researchers said.  

"In both IBS and IBD, the pathway controlled by a protein called NF-kB emerged as one of those most significantly affected by the relaxation response," Dr. Towia Libermann, a senior researcher in the study and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in a statement. It's possible that relaxation techniques could help both people with IBS and those with IBD, he said.

The researchers noted two important limitations in their study: First, two tests that measured certain markers of inflammation in the blood showed no changes over the study period. Second, previous research has shown that even a placebo can sometimes produce adequate relief of IBS symptoms.

More studies, such as randomized trials that include a control group, are needed before a program of meditation and yoga could be suggested as a treatment for patients with these disorders, the researchers said. 

The study was published on April 30 in the journal PLOS ONE.

Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Originally published on Live Science.

A growing number of kids and adults in the United States are practicing yoga, according to new results from a government survey.

Over the last decade, the percentage of U.S. adults who said they practiced yoga increased from 5.1 percent in 2002 to 9.5 percent in 2012, according to the survey, which was conducted by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2012, about 21 million adults practiced yoga, which is nearly double the number of people practicing in 2002, the researchers said.

Yoga among children is also on the rise: the percentage of children ages 4 to 17 who do yoga increased from 2.3 percent in 2007 to 3.1 percent in 2012, which translates to about 400,000 more kids practicing yoga.

Part of the reason for the rise may be the increase in the number of yoga studios and instructors that has occurred in recent years, making yoga more accessible to a larger number of people, the researchers said.

In addition, there are now more studies suggesting that certain mind-and-body practices, such as yoga, can help people manage pain and reduce their stress, the researchers said. [Best Yoga Apps]

"The survey data suggest that consumers are paying attention to medical evidence and using it to inform their decisions,” Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, director of the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, said in a statement.

Overall, about one-third (34 percent) of adults and 11.6 percent of children used some form of complementary medicine in 2012, according to the survey. Complementary medicine involves treatments that are outside of mainstream medical practice, and that are not always proven to affect people's health. Although sometimes called "alternative medicine," studies have found that these treatments, for the most part, "are not used as an alternative instead of proven therapies, but as a complement to conventional care," Briggs said.

The most popular type of complementary medicine in the survey was taking dietary supplements, besides vitamins or minerals; they were used by about 18 percent of adults and 5 percent of children.

The survey also found that use of fish oil is on the rise. Among adults, the use of fish oil supplements increased from 4.8 percent in 2007 to 7.8 percent in 2012, and among children, fish oil use increased from 0.7 percent to 1.1 percent over the same time period.

In contrast, use of some dietary supplements has declined. For example, use of the supplement echinacea decreased 1.3 percentage points among adults, and 0.4 percentage points among children, over a five-year period.

These shifts in supplement use align to some extent with recent scientific findings. "Since the mid-2000s, several well-designed clinical trials have not seen any benefit of taking echinacea to treat or prevent the common cold. [But] during this same time period, data supporting the use of fish oil for heart health have been accumulating," researchers wrote in a recent report released by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

The new findings are based on data from more than 88,000 U.S. adults who were surveyed in 2002, 2007 and 2012, and 17,000 adults who were interviewed about their children in 2007 and 2012.

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

LAS VEGAS — The largest display of consumer electronics on the planet, CES, kicked off here on Monday (Jan. 6). Among the nearly 20,000 gizmos on display are a huge assortment of technologies designed with health and wellness in mind.

As expected, visitors to this year's CES will see an abundance of fitness trackers for athletes of many different sports, from marathon runners to snowboarders. But attendees will also see gadgets and devices that monitor your health when you aren't wearing workout clothes, such as an arm chair said to help you get fit while you watch TV, and a Bluetooth-enabled pacifier that lets parents know when baby is running a fever.

Live Science scoured CES in search of the most novel technology for the health-minded set. Here are our favorite finds so far:

Mood tracker

Lots of wristbands at this year's CES track your steps, calories burned or time spent working out. But one device aims to monitor your emotional health as well. Called Being and made by Zensorium, the device is touted as a way for people to track some of their moods throughout the day.

Built like a smartwatch, the device features sensors that collect heart rate and blood pressure data. This information is then used to assign the wearer a mood — it doesn't register all moods, but tells you whether you are excited, stressed, normal or calm. If you're feeling stressed, Being provides tips on how to unwind; for example, it may encourage you to take deep breaths.

Being also serves as a more conventional activity tracker, monitoring your steps taken and calories burned, as well as mapping out your sleep cycles. The device, due out in April, will retail for $169.15, according to the company. (Photo credit: Zensorium)

High-tech yoga mat

You don't need much equipment to practice yoga, but for yoga enthusiasts who want to go high-tech, there's SmartMat, a yoga mat with sensors that can detect your pose and provide feedback on how to improve your form.

Users first calibrate the device by providing their heights and weights, and then performing a series of poses so the mat can determine the length of the user's limbs and torso. This helps the device provide customized feedback, such as whether you need to adjust your position to get the perfect pose, the company said.

"The feedback you get is very specific for your body," Leanne Beesley, a representative for SmartMat, told Live Science. And the more you use the mat, the more it learns about your body, Beesley said. [Best Fitness Tracker Bands 2015]

The SmartMat can detect 62 different poses, and can hold a charge for six hours. The mat also has different modes, specialized for use at home or during yoga classes. The device is available now for pre-order at $297, and will begin shipping in July. (Photo Credit: SmartMat)

Workout armchair

At last year's CES, fitness company TAO Wellness unveiled its Wellshell, a cellphone-size fitness tracker that also works as a tiny piece of exercise equipment. The company says that users can hold the device against their bodies to strengthen their muscles (a technique known as isometric exercise). The device connects to an app on your phone, which monitors your progress and teaches you new exercises. The novelty of this product is that it can be used anywhere, at any time, allowing you to sneak in a quick workout no matter your schedule.

But this year, TAO has taken that idea of working out anywhere to another level. The TAO Chair is a piece of exercise equipment that seconds as an actual chair for your office or living room. The device lets whoever is sitting in it work out different muscle groups. That's right, you can tone up those biceps while you binge-watch your favorite shows or shoot off emails.

The TAO Chair likely won't be available until the end of 2015, and the company isn't giving up details on what the device will cost just yet. In fact, the Wellshell of last year is still in the testing phase, and the company is also releasing no details yet about how much that item might cost. (Photo Credit: TAO Wellness)

Smart pacifier

Any parent who has ever tried to take a sick baby's temperature will appreciate Pacif-i, a new pacifier that seconds as a pediatric thermometer. This smart device connects via Bluetooth to your tablet or smartphone, allowing you to record your kid's temperature consistently and without any struggle.

The Pacif-i app graphs baby's temperature throughout the day, which lets parents monitor a fever and check how well a child is responding to medication. Of course, the pacifier can also be used when a child is well. Pacif-i features a built-in proximity sensor that monitors the device's location, so a smartphone alarm will warn parents if their pacifier-toting kid wanders away.

Blue Maestro, the company behind the smart pacifier, says the device is due to ship early this year. The expected retail price for Pacif-i is $40.00. (Photo Credit: Blue Maestro)

Never-forget pillbox

Liif is a new connected device from wellness company Tricella that helps you remember to take your medication. The device uses Bluetooth to connect with smartphones and tablets, but it can also sync up with its own external hub (which looks like a small white speaker), so that even people without the latest tech can receive alerts at pill time. 

Liif was definitely designed with caretakers in mind, and it might help ease the stress of adults who care for elderly family members, or parents trying to monitor their college kids' medications from afar.

The smaller version of Liif, which has four pill compartments, retails for $59.99. A larger version with seven compartments goes for $74.99, and the smartphone-replacing hub is $119.99. You can pre-order all of these products now, but the company's website doesn't list information about when they're due to ship. (Photo Credit: Tricella)

Contributing reporting by Rachael Rettner.

Follow Elizabeth Palermo @techEpalermo. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Bikram yoga is a form of yoga popularized by Bikram Choudhury in the 1970s in California. The patented practice involves repeating the same 26 poses in set cycles over a 90-minute class. Bikram yoga instructors go through a nine-week training program in which they learn the set practice and dialogue. Currently, there are more than 1,650 Bikram studios around the world. 

The poses were chosen by Choudhury from classic hatha poses and are designed to "systematically move fresh, oxygenated blood to 100 percent of your body, to each organ and fiber," according to the official Bikram yoga site. The poses — which include triangle pose, tree pose, eagle pose and cobra pose, among other common hatha yoga poses — should be done in a specific, unchanging order, in order to achieve the desired benefits. This traditional Bikram pose series does not include inversion poses — such as headstands — typically found in yoga classes because it is difficult for beginners to do them safely. In highly advanced Bikram classes, the instructor may lead students in inversion poses. 

In most classes, rooms are heated, often up to a sweltering 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) and kept at fairly high humidity (usually about 40 percent). Consequently, Bikram yoga is often called "hot yoga"; however, the two are different. Hot yoga refers to any yoga practice done in a hot room. Hot yoga rooms are often not as hot as Bikram rooms, which Choudhury referred to as "torture chambers."

Bikram yoga follows the 80-20 method and the exhalation method of breathing. With the 80-20 method, you take a full breath, assume the pose and continuously exhale 20 percent of the air through the nose. With the exhalation method, you take a full breath and exhale completely when you have assumed the pose, and continue exhaling while you hold the pose. Both of these breathing techniques are difficult, and most beginners probably will not be able to do them successfully for a while. 

Proponents of Bikram yoga claim that the practice yields many benefits, including flushing toxins from the body through sweating, and even helping with weight loss. Additionally, they state that the hot temperature improves blood flow and helps oxygen reach muscle tissue, which may make practitioners more flexible. 

Studies have shown that a regular yoga practice can help lessen back pain, sharpen the mind, improve mood and even lower blood pressure. However, no large-scale scientific research has backed up benefits specific to the Bikram practice. Toxins, for instance, are typically flushed out not by sweating, but by the liver and the kidneys, and are removed through urination or bowel movements. 

Bikram yoga does have some potential dangers. The profuse sweating involved in the practice can lead to dehydration if practitioners don't drink enough water. A 2012 study in the British Medical Journal Case Reports described a woman who developed seizures and went into a coma after losing so much salt through profuse sweating in a Bikram yoga class. And the increased flexibility can actually be a bad thing, because it can make practitioners prone to overstretching that can facilitate strains and sprains, wrote William J. Broad in "The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards" (Simon & Schuster, 2012).

Hot yoga can also worsen the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and people with high blood pressure, diabetes or heart conditions should also avoid it, experts say.

Generally, if someone starts feeling nauseated, dizzy or otherwise ill during a Bikram yoga class, it's a good idea to have some water and take a break.

Still, there's little risk of developing heat stroke during a Bikram yoga class, at least if it's practiced in a room kept between 90 and 95 F (32 and 35 C), according to a small 2013 study by the American Council on Exercise. That study, which tracked 20 people practicing both hot and regular yoga, found virtually no difference in core temperature or heart rate between the two groups. Those practicing the hot yoga, however, did perceive it to be harder, even if their bodies didn't register the increased difficulty.

Jessie Szalay contributed to this article.

Even though some people practice yoga to treat their asthma, the exercise does not appear to alleviate asthma symptoms in adults, according to a new study.

But asthma sufferers can still practice yoga as a supplement standard treatments, like taking anti-inflammatory drugs through an inhaler for the condition, the researchers said.

Past research has found that many people with asthma practice yoga to treat their symptoms — which include coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath — despite a lack of evidence that it helps to ease these symptoms.

"We reviewed the available data to see if [practicing yoga] made a difference, and found only weak evidence that it does," Holger Cramer, director of yoga research at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, said in a statement. "Yoga can't be considered a routine intervention for patients with asthma at this time. But it can be considered an alternative to breathing exercises for asthma patients interested in complementary interventions." [Mind Games: 7 Reasons You Should Meditate]

Cramer and his colleagues analyzed the results of 14 previously published studies involving 824 adults. The studies looked for evidence that yoga improved lung function, helped control symptoms and improved their quality of life.

While some of the studies showed that certain forms of yoga — like those that emphasize breathing — had some benefit based on patient reports, the researchers found the overall assessment for yoga's benefits inconclusive. Yoga appeared to be no more effective than regular breathing exercises or no breathing exercises, as measured by the patients' number of asthma attacks and their use of medication. 

People with asthma can continue to practice yoga if it makes them feel better, but they should know that it does not replace standard asthma treatments, Michael Foggs, an allergist at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), said in a statement.

About 18.7 million people have asthma in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is important for people with asthma to take steps to prevent symptoms from occurring in the first place, Foggs said. Patients and their doctors should think ahead to avoid the specific situations that trigger their asthma, such as exposure to allergens, respiratory infections or cold weather, according to the ACAAI. Taking daily long-term medications are also a way to maintain control over asthma symptoms.

The study was published in the June issue of the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Follow Jillian Rose Lim @jillroselim & Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

"The Healthy Geezer" answers questions about health and aging in his weekly column. This is the second of three columns on meditation.

Question: What are the types of meditation?

Answer: Meditation is classified as a mind-body practice. It is used to move the focus of your attention away from the noise of the mind to the inner self where there is silence and peace.

The primary benefits of meditation are immediate relaxation and a better understanding of how your body, mind and spirit work together so that you can handle stressful situations. Over time, you will gain greater peace for yourself and those around you.

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Most meditation originated in ancient spiritual traditions. There are many types of meditation. These include:

• Zazen: Zen Buddhist meditation, which has been practiced for 2,500 years. Zazen is more than meditation, though; it is the study of the self. It is an intense spiritual practice that can't be summarized in a few words. In this form of meditation, you sit still and concentrate on your breathing and being in the moment.
• Kinhin: Another form of Zen meditation practiced while walking. Attention is directed at the feet while stepping slowly.
• Transcendental meditation: By repeating a sound (mantra) to yourself, you can move your focus from your mind to the sound. This form of meditation comes from the Hindu traditions.
• Chanting: Voiced repetitive sounds work like mantras.
• Guided meditation: In this method of meditation you form mental images that you find relaxing such as sunbathing at the beach.
• Qi gong: Qi gong (CHEE-gung) is part of traditional Chinese medicine. This practice generally combines meditation, relaxation, physical movement and breathing exercises to restore and maintain balance.
• Tai chi: Tai chi (TIE-chee) is a form of Chinese martial arts. When you practice Tai chi, you assume a variety of postures in a slow, graceful manner while practicing deep breathing.
• Yoga: In yoga, you use postures and controlled breathing exercises to calm the mind and develop a more flexible body.

How long should you meditate? As long as you like. I find that 15 minutes twice a day has remarkable benefits. During the day I feel more at ease. It takes a lot to get me angry. I worry much less, especially about trivia. I think more clearly and find solutions to problems more easily.

The results of meditation seem magical, but there's no magic involved. When you get deeply into meditating, you will rediscover the person you've always been, the one without all the baggage of responsibilities, life roles, grievances, disappointments, fears.

Researchers have found that meditation makes changes in the body. In one area of research, scientists are attempting to determine whether meditation changes brain function. Some types of meditation might work by affecting the involuntary nervous system that controls heartbeat, sweating, breathing, and digestion.

Meditation is considered to be safe for healthy people. There have been rare reports that meditation might cause or worsen symptoms in people with psychiatric problems. If you want to try meditation, you should consult a physician to discuss it.

[In our next column, we'll give you specific techniques for meditating successfully.]

If you have a question, you can write to me at fred@healthygeezer.com.

All Rights Reserved © 2014 by Fred Cicetti

Herbs and other dietary supplements besides vitamins are the most commonly used type of "complementary medicine" (also called alternative medicine) in the United States, followed by visits to chiropractors, yoga and massage, a new report finds.

In 2012, nearly 18 percent of American adults said they took herbs or other supplements that were not vitamins and minerals. Other types of complementary medicine were less common: 8.5 percent said they were treated by a chiropractor or osteopathic physician, 8.4 percent said they did yoga, 6.8 percent said they had a massage and 4.1 percent said they meditated.

People in the West and Midwest used complementary medicine more commonly than people in other regions, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Wishful Thinking: 6 'Magic Bullet' Cures That Don't Exist]

For example, 16.4 percent of adults in the central northern United States (including North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri) said they went to a chiropractor or osteopathic doctor for a manipulation treatment, compared to about 6 percent of adults in the South.

The use of herbs and other non-vitamin supplements was highest in Mountain region, where 28.7 percent of adults said they used the supplements, followed by the Pacific and central northern regions, in which about 23 percent of adults said they used supplements.

About 12 percent of adults in the Pacific region (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii) practiced yoga, compared to just 5 percent in the part of the United States that includes Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Other studies show that about half of Americans take some type of dietary supplement, most commonly multivitamins. The researchers did not include vitamin and mineral supplements in the new study because use of these supplements has become very common, said study researcher Tainya Clarke, of the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

The new report cannot say why use of complementary medicine differs by region, but these differences may be related to cultural, economic and environmental factors, the researchers said.

For example, previous studies have shown that studios that offer yoga are more common in cities than in rural areas, and Southeastern states also tend to have fewer people in their cities compared to cities in other regions, Clarke said.

The report is published today (April 16) by the NHCS.

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. FollowLive Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Breast cancer survivors have a lot to think about when it comes to their recovery. There are often suggestions from doctors on what kind of food to eat, or how often to exercise in order to help reduce the chance of recurrence. But for breast cancer survivors, sometimes just the thought of exercise can make them want to sit down and rest. A cancer survivor is often weak from the treatments he or she has gone through.

Consistently, cancer survivors' average fitness levels are about 30 percent lower than those of sedentary people without a cancer history. That's why I think the findings of a new study that I just completed will help these patients. The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, show that yoga is beneficial in many ways to breast cancer survivors. Yoga provides graded exercise that can be tailored for individuals who have been sedentary, and the postures can be modified to accommodate functional limitations.

It is widely known that yoga benefits your health. Many people who practice yoga experience gains in flexibility, feel more relaxed, sleep better, have stronger muscles and also might even see a drop in their blood pressure. What my colleagues and I at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center concluded in our study is that inflammation for cancer patients also dropped when they routinely practiced yoga. [Yoga Holds Benefits for Breast Cancer Survivors]

My study was a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) of 200 women who are breast cancer survivors. I compared a 12-week hatha yoga intervention with a wait-list control condition, which is a group who did not do yoga during the study. We collected questionnaires and fasting blood samples at beginning, immediately post-treatment, and 3 months post-treatment — with both groups. Participants ranged in age from 27 years to 76 years old, and had completed cancer treatment within the past three years. We chose these participants who were at least two months past their surgery or last radiation treatment, whichever occurred last. Women in the yoga group participated in two 90-minute weekly sessions, while participants assigned to the wait-list control group were told to continue performing their usual activities, and to refrain from beginning any yoga practice. After their final assessment, they were offered the yoga classes, meaning everyone had the chance to join yoga after the study ended.

When we began this study, we hypothesized that participants who participated in yoga would have decreased inflammation, depressive symptoms and fatigue in contrast to those participants in the wait-list control. After reviewing the outcomes of all women in the study, we now know that our hypothesis was correct.

Immediately post-treatment, vitality was higher in the yoga group compared to the control group. At 3 months post-treatment, the yoga group's fatigue was lower, vitality was higher, and the inflammation markers in their blood that we tested for (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β — which are pro-inflammatory markers) were lower for yoga participants compared to those in the control group. What we also discovered is that the more a woman participated in yoga, the greater the benefits in fatigue, vitality and inflammation reduction.

Despite the fact that our participants' weight did not change and our trial did not include aerobic or resistance exercise, pro-inflammatory cytokine production decreased significantly in yoga participants compared to the wait-list group. This is important, because inflammation enhances risk in many age-related diseases including heart disease and diabetes, and also increases the risks for cancer recurrence.

Another benefit of this trial was that we showed yoga can help cancer survivors get better rest. Previous studies have shown that up to 60 percent of cancer survivors report sleep problems during survivorship, a rate that is two or three times as high as similar adults without a cancer history. The problem with that is disturbed sleep elevates inflammation, as well as fatigue, and thus the improved sleep reported by yoga group participants likely contributed to the positive changes both at the beginning of the trial and through the 3-month post-treatment visit.

While our study may underestimate the entire list of potential benefits of yoga, the results show that yoga can have a significant benefit, and therefore I recommend that all breast cancer survivors consider adding it to their exercise plan.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science.

Women who are recovering from breast cancer treatment may have even more reasons to sign up for a yoga class, with a new study suggesting the practice can lessen cancer-related fatigue and reduce inflammation in the body.

It's the first exercise trial in breast cancer survivors to show reductions in inflammation, said study researcher Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus.

Inflammation is an immune response that's normally protective, when it fights off infection or heals an injury. But high levels of chronic inflammation have been linked to a variety of health conditions, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

To find out whether practicing yoga could affect women's moods, fatigue and levels of inflammation, Kiecolt-Glaser and her colleagues at Ohio State recruited 200 breast cancer survivors. The women ranged in age from 26 to 76, and they had completed treatment for either early or later-stage breast cancer. 

Half the women participated in twice-a-week 90-minute hatha yoga classes for 12 weeks, which involved standing, seated and mat poses, along with yogic breathing exercises. Yoga participants were also encouraged to practice at home.

The other participants were wait-listed for the yoga class and enrolled in it later.

The study was published online today (Jan. 27) in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Health benefits

The women completed questionnaires describing their mood, sleep and eating habits before they started the yoga class, after they completed it and three months later. The researchers also measured inflammatory markers in the blood at these time points.

The study found that women who took yoga for three months had a 41 percent drop in fatigue, and up to a 15 percent decrease in inflammation compared with women who had not practiced yoga. [11 Tips to Lower Stress]

Three months after the yoga class ended, participants continued to reap its rewards: Breast cancer survivors were on average 57 percent less likely to complain about feeling tired, and had up to a 20 percent drop in bodywide inflammation compared with the wait-listed group. 

Although the exact mechanism is unclear, several reasons may explain why yoga benefited breast cancer patients.

One possibility is improved sleep, Kiecolt-Glaser said.

"Our women reported that they slept much better on average, and poor sleep is associated with higher levels of fatigue and inflammation," she told LiveScience.

Another reason is the increased physical activity, and a third is stress reduction.

Practicing yoga

Unlike other forms of exercise, yoga also has breathing and meditative components. So practicing yoga regularly seemed to strengthen the women's bodies, and it also relaxed their minds.

Other research has suggested that the social support that group fitness classes bring could help explain yoga's positive benefits, but Kiecolt-Glaser said this was not the case in her study. The results showed no change in the women's reported feelings of loneliness and social support before and after taking the yoga class. 

One limitation of the study is that the researchers did not compare the benefits seen in the women taking yoga to breast cancer survivors who were regularly engaged in another type of moderate physical activity.

The researchers chose yoga because many of the women had previously been sedentary, Kiecolt-Glaser said.

"By having a less demanding activity, we were hoping the women might find it more interesting and enjoyable, and practice more," she said.

Practicing this gentle form of exercise helped boost the women's energy levels following cancer treatment.

"Yoga provides a good way to become more active and involved, and it also appears to have important anti-inflammatory benefits," Kiecolt-Glaser said. 

Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.

Almost every gym and fitness center nowadays offers at least one class in yoga, a workout that involves performing a series of flexibility- and strength-building poses.

But yoga is more than just an exercise. It's also a spiritual discipline with a long history — and aspects that don't involve downward-facing dog poses. In fact, the word "yoga" translates loosely to "to yoke" or "hitch up," a phrase that emphasizes the practice's focus on mind-body unity.

The history of yoga

Yoga originated in India. The beginnings of the tradition are uncertain, but in the second or third century A.D., an Indian scholar named Patañjal penned the Yoga Sutras, 196 aphorisms that ultimately defined yoga as "the stilling of the changing states of the mind." Today, the Yoga Sutras are considered the fundamental text of yoga, though the practice itself certainly predates Patañjal's treatise.

The Yoga Sutras define eight "limbs" of yoga, only one of which is the poses, or asanas, practiced in gyms and studios around the world today. These limbs are:

1. Yama, which has to do with how to relate to the outside world. Yama consists of five prohibitions: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (non-illusion or truth), Asteya (non-covetousness), Brahmacharya (abstinence) and Aparigraha (non-possessiveness).
2. Niyama, ways to relate to one's inner self. Niyama requires Shaucha (cleanliness, both physical and mental), Santosha (satisfaction with one's self and possessions), Tapas (bodily and mental discipline), Svadhyaya (study of the Vedas, Hinduism's oldest scriptures), and Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to God).
3. Asana, or the practice of yoga postures.
4. Pranayama, or the control of the life force and life energies (known as prana). Usually practiced in the form of breath control.
5. Pratyahara, or withdrawal from physical stimulus.
6. Dharana, or the practice of concentrating attention. Focuses of attention often include the Anja Chakra, or "third eye," a spot between the eyebrows on the forehead, or a mental image of a diety.
7. Dhyana, or meditation.
8. Samadhi, the state of oneness with the object of meditation, in which the self and the object (a deity, a candle flame or some other focus), merge. [7 Reasons You Should Meditate]

Types of yoga

The first hint of yoga in the Western world came courtesy of an Indian monk named Vivekananda, who arrived in Chicago in 1893 to lecture enraptured audiences about Eastern teachings, according to a 2011 article in the New York Times. Vivekananda cared little for the asana side of yoga, focusing more on meditation and worship of God.

The first Western yogis, then, were not crunchy types in the 1970s, but hippies of an earlier age. In 1947, Indra Devi opened the first yoga studio in the United States, in Hollywood. A yogi named Richard Hittleman published popular books about yoga, downplaying the spiritual side for American audiences, throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Seeds like Hittleman's set the stage for an explosion of interest in swamis and gurus in the 1960s, according to Yoga Journal.

Today, Western yoga practitioners have their choice of practice, from gentle and restorative to hot and sweaty. Some delve into the spiritual angle, while others focus on the physical challenge. A few of the more popular varieties of yoga available in studios today include:

1. Anusara yoga, a school invented in 1997 that emphasizes innate goodness and beauty. Poses focus on the heart and are linked with the breath, and all classes end with savasana, or "corpse pose," a meditation conducted while resting, totally relaxed, on the back. This form of yoga is a familiar one to most American practitioners.
2. Bikram yoga, or "hot yoga," a practice conducted in a room heated to 105 degrees F (40 degrees C). Bikram's creator, Bikram Choudhury, long held a copyright on a series of 26 poses which are always performed in the same way in official Bikram classes, but a 2012 decision by the U.S. Copyright Office determined that yoga poses are not eligible for copyright. Competing yoga teachers have established their own hot yoga practices, which also feature poses performed in warm-to-sweltering rooms, but do not adhere to Bikram's rigid program.
3. Iyengar yoga, another practice with a charismatic founder, focuses on perfect alignment with copious use of props such as yoga blocks and straps. Founder B.K.S. Iyengar is a major yoga popularizer and encourages students to start with simple poses before moving to more rigorous postures.
4. Kundalini yoga, a practice for those who like to move. Kundalini practitioners think of the life force as a coiled snake at the base of the spine, just waiting to be unleashed by a fluid series of postures meshed with breathwork.
5. Power yoga, for gym rats who want to feel the burn. Think yoga meets aerobics. Power yoga evolved in the United States in the 1990s, and is a vinyasa-style practice, meaning that participants flow through a series of (often tough) poses while matching the movement to their inhales and exhales. Unlike Bikram or Iyengar, power yoga varies widely depending on the instructor.

Risks and benefits of yoga

Yoga's benefits are both physical and mental, studies show. Yoga poses sooth the pain of the chronic condition fibromyalgia, according to research published in October 2010 in the journal Pain. A yoga practice was about as effective as medication for patients with the conditions.

Yoga at work may ease back pain and stress, and the practice might also reduce inflammation, an immune response that can contribute to heart disease and other chronic conditions. A review of 16 studies on yoga's mental health benefits, published in January 2013, found that practicing yoga can help improve symptoms for people with depression. The same study also found that yoga can ease sleep problems, even without sleep medications.

Like any exercise, though, yoga can have risks. People with herniated disks or osteoporosis, for example, should avoid deep forward bends, and anyone with neck problems should steer clear of headstands, Loren Fishman, a New York City physician who is also a yoga instructor, told LiveScience in 2012. Talking to a doctor about specific issues before starting a practice is recommended, as is letting your yoga teacher know of any limitations.

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+.

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Women who have had children are often advised to do exercises to tighten their pelvic floor muscles. The muscles run from the pubic bone at the front of your body towards the back and help support your bladder and control when you urinate.

As you get older, these muscles can also weaken, and pelvic organ prolapse is a common disorder. This is when the bladder, womb or bowel moves downwards from its normal position because the muscles or ligaments aren’t supporting it as they should. It can lead to pain, discomfort and less enjoyment in life. Problems with the bladder – both difficulty passing urine or incontinence – the bowel and having sex can be embarrassing and debilitating. Prolapse and bladder problems often co-exist but they aren’t always related.

We don’t know the exact number of women with prolapse. This is because women don’t always come forward because they are embarrassed, but also because studies measure prolapse in different ways – some record symptoms, others actually measure how far your anatomy has dropped from its normal position but which may not always be accompanied by symptoms.

According to one large study about 40% of women older than 50 had some degree of prolapse when examined. About 11% of women undergo surgery for urinary incontinence or prolapse in their lifetime, and 7% for prolapse alone. In England, about 29,000 prolapse repairs were done between 2010 and 2011, at a cost of around £60m.

All of this suggests that the problem is common – but there are things that can be done to help. Pelvic floor exercises have been recommended but evidence of their effectiveness has been limited. But a study we carried out with 447 women suggested that women reported fewer symptoms at six and 12 months if they had been involved in a personalised programme of pelvic floor muscle training than if they had been in the control group.

Pelvic floor muscles exercises

You can pull in your pelvic floor muscles by pretending to hold in your wee or stop yourself passing wind. Once located, the muscles can be trained by regularly doing a series of long and short holds. For example, you might squeeze these muscles slowly ten times in a row, then do ten fast squeezes.

The exercises can be built up over time, and in our study we aimed for women to achieve ten long muscle holds for ten seconds, and up to 50 fast contractions three times per day. It does take some time to start to see the effect, but after a couple of months they did start to feel a difference.

Consulting a professional, such as a pelvic floor physiotherapist, as well as giving you the correct exercises, can also help you understand more about the anatomy and function of pelvic floor muscles and the types of prolapse, and offer support. They will perform an internal assessment of the muscles to ensure correct exercise technique and provide an individualised exercise programme.

Risky business

There are a number of reasons why women develop a pelvic organ prolapse. The main one is childbirth, which is associated with a higher risk of prolapse in later life. The more children you deliver, the greater the risk. Other obstetric factors could also play a part. Caesarean sections, for example, might be protective compared to vaginal delivery, while the use of instruments such as forceps during the delivery may increase risk.

Women can also have a genetic predisposition to prolapse, and heavy lifting or a physically strenuous occupation can contribute.

Treatments for prolapse include surgery and conservative (non-surgical) management, which includes the pelvic floor exercises, lifestyle changes (such as weight loss), and vaginal pessaries (a support device worn inside the vagina to push the prolapse up to restore normal anatomy).

Choice of treatment depends on the severity of the prolapse and its symptoms, and the woman’s general health and preferences. Conservative treatment is generally considered for women with a mild degree of prolapse, those who wish to have more children, the frail or those unwilling to undergo surgery. These therapies are less expensive, carry lower risk and don’t stop you having further treatment such as surgery later on. It is also the main form of management used to help women with this condition.

While we reported better results for women who’d done exercises in a follow up after a year, we still don’t know whether in the longer term it prevents women from having to go on to surgical procedures. What we do know is how common prolapse is and what could help. It really is nothing to be embarrassed about.

Suzanne Hagen receives funding from the Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government Health Directorates.

This article was originally published at The Conversation. Read the original article. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on LiveScience.

I often recommend a beginner's level yoga class to clients who prefer to avoid more traditional forms of exercise. I do this because yoga offers a low-impact workout that can really bring about a total body change, if it's done regularly. But I know it's not for everyone.

Yoga is a mind and body practice with roots in ancient Indian philosophy. Although there are many styles of yoga, including Bikram, Ashtanga, Hatha and others, the most common forms focus on physical postures, breathing techniques and relaxation. It all sounds good, right? Well, it certainly can be for some.

Studies suggest that people who suffer from low back pain, for example, may benefit from practicing yoga. A study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine in 2011 found that doing yoga or another form of intensive stretching exercise helped improve back-related function and diminish symptoms of chronic low back pain. A 2012 study from the University of York showed that not only can yoga help with low back pain, but also that it's more cost-effective than other treatments, including prescription medication and visits to a physiotherapist.

 Other research suggests that yoga may help people with mood disorders, such as depression. Several studies indicate that yoga may relieve symptoms of mild depression, even in people who aren't already taking antidepressants, according to a review published last month in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry

If you're thinking about adding yoga to your workout routine, it's important to consider the following:

1.  Research the instructor's credentials. Yoga is generally a safe, low-impact exercise for most people, but if the poses are performed incorrectly, there is a risk of injury. Yoga-training programs range from a few days to a few years in length and standards vary by style. Finding one that's right for you can be confusing. If you have any doubts, ask your doctor for a recommendation. 

2.  Check with your doctor if you have a medical condition. No two people are exactly the same, so even if yoga has been shown to relieve your condition in clinical trials, play it safe and talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of the practice.

3.  Carefully consider the yoga style before trying a class. Bikram yoga is also known as hot yoga because it involves moving in hot, humid conditions. This is not an ideal scenario for everyone, and people who choose to do Bikram must prepare by drinking enough water and wearing appropriate clothing.

Healthy Bites appears on MyHealthNewsDaily on Wednesdays. Deborah Herlax Enos is a certified nutritionist and a health coach and weight loss expert in the Seattle area with more than 20 years of experience. Read more tips on her blog Health in a Hurry!