Yoga has been practiced by people the world over for many centuries, and it is still very popular today. Many people use it to strengthen the mind, body and spirit connection. There are actually several forms of yoga, and a seemingly infinite array of poses and postures that can be used. But however you choose to make use of yoga exercise, here are the top five benefits of including yoga in your home fitness routine.

1. Yoga not only strengthens your muscles but also increases their flexibility. Many people today use weight training to help build larger more powerful muscles. However, short and powerful muscles can be prone to injury. And flexibility is often ignored in many workout routines. Yoga can help round out your workout schedule, not only strengthening the muscles of your body but also making them flexible enough to protect you from injury as you exercise.

2. Yoga also helps increase your energy level. There is an emphasis on increasing the oxygen level in your blood while doing yoga exercises, and that in turn leads to a more energetic overall feeling. And because of the increased flexibility that yoga brings, there is a tendency to move more anyway because there is a wider range of free movement available in the body. And staying active also leads to higher energy levels as well.

3. Yoga also stimulates endocrine gland function by utilizing twisting and bending poses that activate the endocrine system and helps normalize sluggish glands.

4. One of the most popular benefits of yoga exercises is that it not only strengthens and improves your physical condition, but also helps relieve stress and tension to improve your mental outlook too. Today's society is fast-paced and hectic, and this can take its toll on one both physically and mentally. Yoga recognizes this, and many of the slow stretching movements and deep breathing that is part of most yoga exercises help clear your mind of the cares of the day and focus it on positive things instead.

5. Closely related to your mood and mental outlook are other psychological benefits of using yoga. Very often we carry negative messages and feelings inside, and the practice of yoga helps a person better tune into the person that they are inside, increasing self awareness and self esteem.

There are lots of other advantages and benefits of adding yoga exercise into your fitness workouts, including the fact that it is both inexpensive and relatively easy to do. You may find by incorporating yoga into your daily routine, that even more benefits become readily apparent. This is fine because yoga is a deeply personal experience. It is not necessarily the same for each person who practices it. But hopefully the benefits of yoga exercise that we have covered in this article will help convince you that it should be a major part of your daily fitness routine from now on.