Healthy through yoga?

01.01.2026

Yoga is a bit like veganism: a thoroughly contemporary practice and seemingly incredibly healthy. But just like veganism, yoga is surrounded by many myths about why it is supposed to be so good, what it can do – and what it cannot do. Does yoga make us healthy? 

Basically, exercise is good for you and your body. Your body wants to be moved, whether that's on a bike, in a swimming pool or on a mat. Two things need to be right: Does this type of exercise suit my body and my needs? And: Do I enjoy this type of exercise?

It's similar with a (vegan) diet: If you feel tired or sluggish after a period without animal products, you should listen to your body and see what you feel like and what your body needs. Many yogis are vegan, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's right for you.

Yoga is good for your posture

When you start practising yoga, you will quickly notice that your body feels different and that small movements change. You will sit more upright, walk more confidently and stand more resolutely. You will probably also notice that your balance improves. Regular yoga practice changes your posture – for the better! Many exercises focus on the back and spine: it has been proven that they strengthen the spine because the movements reduce wear and tear on the intervertebral discs. This is not only good for your posture, but can also prevent injuries. That is why yoga is so attractive to athletes of all disciplines.

Yoga is good for your muscles

The intensive stretching of the muscles, combined with gentle muscle training, makes yoga a healthy, balanced workout. Yoga works the whole body and not just individual muscle groups – everything is properly trained, stretched and elongated. This makes you more flexible in the long term.

Yoga is good for your breathing – and helps combat stress

In addition to the correct sequences of movements, known as asanas, breathing is crucial in yoga. In yoga, you learn breathing techniques and train yourself not to suddenly hold your breath when the exercise becomes strenuous, but to continue breathing calmly and steadily. This knowledge also helps in everyday life, as breathing can have a significant impact on your well-being and stress levels. Scientific studies show that the slow movements in yoga, combined with breathing, can lower your heart rate and blood pressure*. People who are prone to anxiety or inner stress, for example, should breathe deeply and slowly, as practised in yoga. In addition, there is also rapid breathing in yoga, in which all the air is forced out of the body in a sudden burst – this awakens every cell.

Yoga is good for the organs

The many different movement sequences and positions in yoga – sometimes upside down, sometimes with the legs stretched towards the sky, sometimes lying down and sometimes sitting and bending forward – ensure that organs such as the stomach, intestines, liver and kidneys are intensively supplied with blood. Some yoga poses act like a massage on the organs and stimulate them. Your heart is also strengthened by the increased blood flow.

What yoga cannot do

Many people hope to lose weight by practising yoga regularly. Yoga is certainly a strenuous exercise for the whole body – it strengthens the musculoskeletal system, muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints, and makes us generally fitter. However, because the classic yoga exercises are combined with deep, relaxed breathing, your metabolism slows down rather than speeds up, meaning that you burn relatively few calories*. There are now also modern styles of yoga such as power yoga, which focus more on strength and endurance and really challenge you if you want them to.

There are many claims that yoga has healing effects on illnesses – but not all of them are provable or true. Yoga can improve your general well-being and also relieve pain in individual cases, but it is no substitute for medical treatment for physical complaints.

There it is again, the parallel between yoga and veganism: both can do a lot, but rarely heal. At their core, both practices deal with paying attention to your own body, your needs and the environment. And that can hardly be harmful to your health.

*‘The Science of Yoga: What it promises and what it can do’ by William J. Broad