Yoga offers several benefits for general physical and emotional health. One problem that has many causes is fatigue. Yoga is being used as alternative therapy to help people cope with fatigue that results from a wide range of health conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer treatments and multiple sclerosis.
Although yoga has been around for thousands of years and has been used for improving health throughout that time, modern medicine is just beginning to catch on to the multiple health benefits of this ancient practice.
There have been several medical studies that have demonstrated the benefits of practicing yoga to reduce fatigue. The study participants have included people with a variety of health conditions and the initial findings support the idea that yoga helps to combat fatigue.
A 2004 study by the Oregon Health & Science University evaluated the effect of yoga on patients with multiple sclerosis. The study found that the patients that practiced yoga experienced an improvement in symptoms of fatigue.
A study by the University of Calgary in Canada found yoga benefitted cancer patients during and following cancer treatments. This study found that yoga offered additional benefits, such as improved mood, depression and gastrointestinal symptoms.
The British National Health Service also studied yoga for breast cancer patients. This study found that yoga helped to improve problems such as fatigue and psychosocial distress. The participants in the yoga group also had improved sleep, which is a problem for cancer patients and survivors.
Although the medical studies have been conducted on people with specific health conditions, the results show improvement in fatigue, regardless of the cause. The practice can also help people combat fatigue that results from stress, pregnancy and other causes.
Yoga can be practiced early in the day to energize the body or in the afternoon when you are feeling exhausted and want a natural energy boost. If you have a health condition that is causing fatigue, speak to your doctor before starting any exercise routine and consider a yoga therapist to help you get started if you have never practiced before.