Effects of Yoga on Life Expectancy and Quality

As owner of Gellis Investment Management, Entrepreneur and Wellness Guru Henry Gellis seeks out opportunities in the lifestyle, health, and wellness arenas. Henry Gellis has personally invested in Awaken.com, which publicizes innovative technologies and techniques for reducing stress and improving overall well-being.

Popular wisdom has long associated yoga with healthful aging. In recent years, scientific knowledge and research have helped to confirm this belief.

One study at UCLA revealed that in patients with a high risk of Alzheimer's disease, practicing yoga and meditation can lead not only to improved memory and cognition but also lower levels of anxiety and depression, improved resilience, and a greater resource of coping skills. 

Yoga can help to combat the physical effects of aging as well. It helps the blood circulate through the body and encourages deep breathing, thus delivering more oxygen to body cells. Joints are guided through their complete range of motion, which guards against joint breakdown. Further, bones receive the benefit of improved density through weight-bearing exercises. The practice of yoga also improves the function of the digestive, immune, and lymphatic systems while controlling blood glucose levels and helping to clear the blood of bad cholesterol.

Even on the genetic level, yoga can offer a benefit. Cardiologist Dean Ornish and his colleagues studied the effects of yoga and other lifestyle changes on men with early stage prostate cancer. The team found that by the end of the study, the participants demonstrated a more youthful physiology and a greater resilience to disease.

Yoga Linked to Improved Health Through a More Diverse Gut Microbiome

The owner of Gellis Investment Management and president of Awaken.com, Entrepreneur and Wellness Guru Henry Gellis is interested in the intersection of stress reduction, nutrition, health, and technology. One of Henry Gellis’ primary hobbies is yoga. 

The benefits of yoga are numerous and some are perhaps unexpected. For example, yoga has been linked to a better gut microbiome. The gut is linked to health in many ways, including immunity, weight regulation, and food digestion. Part of a healthy gut includes good bacteria, but many things can upset this microbiome, include chronic stress, environmental toxins, and processed foods.

Yoga has been linked to a healthier gut microbiome for two key reasons. First, yoga helps control stress levels. Too much stress changes the way in which gut microbes interact with the body. By controlling stress, yoga helps maintain a good gut balance. Secondly, moderate exercise like yoga is linked to better microbial diversity, especially when paired with a high-protein diet. Microbial diversity is very important for strengthening the immune system and maintaining healthy body processes. 

The impact of yoga on gastrointestinal health may explain some of the other benefits of the practice. In addition to a stronger immune system, a good gut microbiome increases energy and endurance, strengthens bones and joints, and combats depression.