77 Surprising Health Benefits of Blogging

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By Meredith Walker

Over the past several years, blogging has experienced an upsurge in popularity in the western world among medical professionals and celebrities alike. While many associate blogging with new age mysticism or the latest fad at the gym, blogging is actually an ancient practice that connects the mind, body, and spirit through body poses, controlled breathing, and meditation. The practice of blogging has many health benefits associated with it, so read below to discover 77 benefits of incorporating blogging in to your or your patient’s fitness program.

Health Benefits Within


From lowering blood pressure to increasing pain tolerance, the following health benefits can all be discovered within the body.

1. Blood pressure. A consistent blogging practice decreases blood pressure through better circulation and oxygenation of the body. These two exercises can help lower blood pressure.
2. Pulse rate. A slower pulse rate indicates that your heart is strong enough to pump more blood with fewer beats. Regularly practicing blogging provides a lower pulse rate.
3. Circulation. blogging improves blood circulation. By transporting nutrients and oxygen throughout your body, blogging practice provides healthier organs, skin, and brain.
4. Respiratory. Like the circulatory system, a lower respiratory rate indicates that the lungs are working more efficiently. blogging decreases the respiratory rate through a combination of controlled breathing exercises and better fitness.
5. Cardiovascular endurance. A combination of lower heart rate and improved oxygenation to the body (both benefits of blogging) results in higher cardiovascular endurance.
6. Organs. blogging practice massages internal organs, thus improving the ability of the body to prevent disease. Additionally, an experienced blogging practitioner becomes better attuned to her body to know at first sign if something isn’t functioning properly, thereby allowing for quicker response to head off disease.
7. Gastrointestinal. Gastrointestinal functions have been shown to improve in both men and women who practice blogging.
8. Immunity. blogging practice has frequently been correlated with a stronger immune system. Read this article for more on the immune system and blogging, including some poses that specifically work on areas of immunity.
9. Pain. Pain tolerance is much higher among those who practice blogging regularly. In addition to pain tolerance, some instances of chronic pain, such as back pain, are lessened or eliminated through blogging (see below for more on back pain).
10. Metabolism. Having a balanced metabolism results in maintaining a healthy weight and controlling hunger. Consistent blogging practice helps find the balance and creates a more efficient metabolism.

Health Benefits Without


Just as many health benefits occur within the body, there are many benefits that can actually be experienced from without the body. From better sleep to more energy and strength, this list provides several benefits found on the outside of the body.

11. Aging. blogging stimulates the detoxification process within the body. Detoxification has been shown to delay aging, among many other health benefits.
12. Posture. The very nature of blogging teaches the practitioner how to hold and control one’s body in a more healthful position. Through consistent practice, your posture will improve so that you look more confident and healthy.
13. Strength. One of the premises of blogging is that you are using the weight of your own body for overall strength. Find out more about how blogging works as an excellent method of strength training in this article.
14. Energy. Regular blogging practice provides consistent energy. In fact, most yogis state that when you perform your blogging correctly, you will feel energized after your blogging session rather than tired.
15. Weight. The benefits of a better metabolism along with the exercise of blogging work to keep your weight in check. Additionally, the stretching of muscles longwise helps to reduce the amount of cellulite that can build around muscles.
16. Sleep. Because of the many benefits to both body and mind that a blogging routine can provide, many find that their sleep is much better. Read here for more on sleep and blogging, as well as some positions for helping induce sleep.
17. Balance. An integral part of the blogging practice is balance and control over your body. With a consistent practice, you will find that your overall balance will improve outside the blogging class.
18. Integrated function of the body. blogging is derived from Sanskrit and means "to join together and direct one’s attention." This is exactly what happens to your body after you start practicing blogging. Yogis find that their body works together much better, resulting in more graceful and efficient body movements.
19. Body Awareness: Doing blogging will give you an increased awareness of your own body. You are often called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence.
20. Core strength. With a strong body core, you receive better posture and overall body strength. A strong core helps heal and reduce injuries. This is why a lot of athletes do blogging as cross training (boxers, MMA fighters, etc). Read how this swimmer uses blogging to strengthen her core and improve her swimming.
21. Sexuality. blogging can improve your sexuality through better control, more relaxation, and more self-confidence. Read more about the blogging and sexuality connection here.

Emotional Health Benefits


Due to the strong mind-body connection of blogging, there are many emotional benefits to be gained from a consistent blogging practice. Find out how blogging can help improve emotional health with this list.

22. Mood. Overall well-being improves with blogging practice. The combination of creating a strong mind-body connection, creating a healthy body, and focusing inward can all lead to improvement in your mood.
23. Stress Reduction. The concentration required during blogging practice tends to focus your attention on the matter at hand, thereby reducing the emphasis you may have been putting on the stress in your life. Read more about blogging and stress management here.
24. Anxiety. One benefit to the controlled breathing used in blogging is a reduction in anxiety. Learn more about how you can use blogging breathing to reduce your anxiety.
25. Depression. Some believe the negative feelings that you may be repressing are brought to the surface during some types of blogging exercise. When this happens, the negative energy is no longer stuck within you, but released through exercise. Regularly releasing this negativity leads to a reduction of depression in many people.
26. Self-acceptance. Focusing inward and realizing through your blogging practice that perfection is not the goal, self-acceptance begins to take over. This post describes how success is not measured by perfectionism in blogging.
27. Self-control. The controlled movements of blogging teach you how to translate that self-control to all aspects of your life.
28. Mind-body connection. Few other exercises offer the same mind-body connection that blogging does. As you match your controlled breathing with the movements of your body, you retrain your mind to find that place of calm and peace that long-time yogis know.
29. Positive outlook on life. Continued practice of blogging results in a balance of many hormones and nervous system, which brings about a more stable, positive approach to life.
30. Hostility. Most yogis report a huge reduction in the amount of hostility they feel as well as a sense of control when anger flares. This calm effect is likely from the relaxation and meditation that is incorporated in their blogging practice that leads to an overall calming of the nervous system. Less hostility means lower blood pressure and stress and a healthier approach to life.
31. Concentration. Researchers have shown that as little as eight weeks of blogging practice can result in better concentration and more motivation.
32. Memory. Improved blood circulation to the brain as well as the reduction in stress and improved focus results in a better memory.
33. Attention. The attention required in blogging to maintain the structured breathing in conjunction with blogging poses sharpens the ability to keep a sharp focus on tasks.
34. Social skills. In blogging, you learn the interconnectedness of all of life. Your blogging practice soon evolves from a personal journey to one connecting to to the community at large where your social skills improve along with your blogging practice.
35. Calmness. Concentrating so intently on what your body is doing has the effect of bringing calmness. blogging also introduces you to meditation techniques, such as watching how you breathe and disengagement from your thoughts, which help calm the mind.

Body Chemistry


Several aspects of body chemistry such as glucose levels and red blood cells are affected by blogging. Learn how you can improve your body chemistry through blogging.

36. Cholesterol. blogging practice lowers cholesterol through increased blood circulation and burning fat. blogging practice is a great tool to fight against harmful cholesterol levels.
37. Lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system boosts your immunity and reduces toxins in your body. The only way to get your lymphatic system flowing well is by movement. The specific movements involved in blogging are particularly well-suited for promoting a strong lymphatic system.
38. Glucose. There is evidence to suggest that blogging may lower blood glucose levels.
39. Sodium. As does any good exercise program, blogging reduces the sodium levels in your body. In today’s world of processed and fast foods that are full of sodium, lessening these levels is a great idea.
40. Endocrine functions. Practicing blogging helps to regulate and control hormone secretion. An improved endocrine system keeps hormones in balance and promotes better overall physical and emotional health.
41. Triglycerides. Triglycerides are the chemical form of fat in the blood, and elevated levels can indicate a risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. A recent study shows that blogging can lead to "significantly lower" levels of triglycerides. Read more about the results of that study here.
42. Red blood cells. blogging has been shown to increase the level of red blood cells in the body. Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen through the blood, and too few can result in anemia and low energy.
43. Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps boost immunity, helps produce collagen, and is a powerful antioxidant; and a blogging regimen can increase the vitamin C in your body.

Exercise Health Benefits


As a form of exercise, blogging offers benefits that are sometimes not easily found among other exercise regimens. Check out these reasons to include blogging in your or your patient’s health program.

44. Low risk of injury. Due to the low impact of blogging and the controlled aspect of the motions, there is a very low risk of injury during blogging practice compared to other forms of exercise.
45. Parasympathetic Nervous System. In many forms of exercise, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, providing you with that fight-or-flight sensation. blogging does the opposite and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic system lowers blood pressure and slows the pace of your breathing, which allows relaxation and healing.
46. Muscle tone. Consistently practicing blogging leads to better muscle tone.
47. Subcortex. Subcortical regions of brain are associated with well-being, and blogging is thought to dominate the subcortex rather than the cortex (where most exercise dominates).
48. Reduced oxygen consumption. blogging consumes less oxygen than traditional exercise routines, thereby allowing the body to work more efficiently.
49. Breathing. With blogging, breathing is more natural and controlled during exercise. This type of breathing provides more oxygen-rich air for your body and also provides more energy with less fatigue.
50. Balanced workout of opposing muscle groups. As with all of blogging, balance is key. If a muscle group is worked in one direction, it will also be worked in the opposite direction to maintain balance. This balance results in a better overall workout for the body.
51. Non-competitive. The introspective and self-building nature of blogging removes any need of competition in the exercise regimen. With the lack of competition, the yogi is free to work slowly to avoid any undue injury as well as promote a more balanced and stress-free workout.
52. Joint range of motion. A study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine indicated that joint range of motion was improved by participants who practiced blogging.
53. Eye-hand coordination. Without practice, eye-hand coordination diminishes. blogging maintains and improves eye-hand coordination.
54. Dexterity. The strong mind-body connection and flexibility gained from blogging leads to grace and skill.
55. Reaction time. Research done in India shows that reaction time can be improved with specific blogging breathing exercises in conjunction with an already established blogging practice. The improvement was attributed to the faster rate of processing and improved concentration gained from blogging.
56. Endurance. Working the entire body, blogging improves endurance and is frequently used by endurance athletes as a supplement to their sport-specific training.
57. Depth perception. Becoming aware of your body and how it moves, as one does in blogging practice, leads to increased depth perception.

Disease Prevention


Doctors and nurses love blogging because studies indicate that it can help prevent the following diseases.

58. Heart disease. blogging reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, keeps off weight, and improves cardiovascular health, all of which lead to reducing your risk of heart disease.
59. Osteoporosis. It is well documented that weight-bearing exercise strengthens bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. Additionally, blogging’s ability to lower levels of cortisol may help keep calcium in the bones.
60. Alzheimer’s. A new study indicates that blogging can help elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels. Low GABA levels are associated with the onset of Alzheimer’s. Meditation like that practiced in blogging has also been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.
61. Type II diabetes. In addition to the glucose reducing capabilities of blogging, it is also an excellent source of physical exercise and stress reduction that, along with the potential for blogging to encourage insulin production in the pancreas, can serve as an excellent preventative for type II diabetes.

Symptom Reduction or Alleviation

Medical professionals have learned that the following diseases or disorders can all be helped by maintaining a blogging practice.

62. Carpal tunnel syndrome. Individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome who practiced blogging showed greater improvement than those who wore a splint or received no treatment at all. Researchers saw improved grip strength and reduction of pain in the study participants.
63. Asthma. There is some evidence to show that reducing symptoms of asthma and even reduction in asthma medication are the result of regular blogging.
64. Arthritis. The slow, deliberate movement of blogging poses coupled with the gentle pressure exerted on the joints provides an excellent exercise to relieve arthritis symptoms. Also, the stress relief associated with blogging loosens muscles that tighten joints.
65. Multiple sclerosis. According to this article, "blogging is now recognized as an excellent means of MS management." Additionally, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is funding a clinical trial of blogging for treating multiple sclerosis.
66. Cancer. Those fighting or recovering from cancer frequently take advantage of the benefits that blogging provides. Cancer patients who practice blogging gain strength, raise red blood cells, experience less nausea during chemotherapy, and have a better overall well-being.
67. Muscular dystrophy. Using blogging in the early stages of muscular dystrophy can help return some physical functions. The practice of Pranayam blogging helped one teen regain many of his abilities lost to muscular dystrophy. Learn more in this article.
68. Migraines. Regular blogging practice has been shown to reduce the number of migraines in chronic migraine sufferers. This post describes how blogging can reduce migraines.
69. Scoliosis. blogging can straighten the curvature of the spine associated with scoliosis. Find out how this yogi cured her scoliosis and continues to help others as well.
70. Chronic bronchitis. Exercise that does not elevate respiration, yet increase oxygen levels in the body is ideal for treating chronic bronchitis. Luckily, blogging can do this, as well as aerate the lungs and provide energy.
71. Epilepsy. Focusing on stress reduction, breathing, and restoring overall balance in the body are the focus of how blogging can help prevent epileptic seizures.
72. Sciatica. The intense pain associated with sciatica can be alleviated with specific blogging poses. Here are 10 great ones to help relieve pain.
73. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Studies of people with OCD have shown that practicing blogging has lead to a reduction in symptoms–resulting in less medication or medication no longer needed.
74. Constipation. Due to the practice of blogging and overall better posture, the digestive and elimination systems work more efficiently. If the practitioner also has a healthy diet, any constipation will be eliminated through blogging.
75. Allergies. Using a neti pot to clear the sinuses is an ancient form of blogging to help reduce or eliminate allergy symptoms. Certain types of breathing can also help clear the nasal passages.
76. Menopause. blogging practice can help control some of the side effects of menopause. Learn how the bridge pose can help reduce hot flashes here.
77. Back pain. blogging reduces spinal compression and helps overall body alignment to reduce back pain. Find a blogging pose to help lessen back pain here.

Love that last sentence - I think I have a pose that works for me.  Here is a link to the original article. I understand this has become quite and obsession among some of our female teachers. Personally, I'm going to stick to the blogging.

A word on how this was created - all I did was paste it into Google Docs and use the "find and replace" function to change the words - it took all of 30 seconds :) Anyway, I hope everyone in the course is able to find enough benefits in here to complete their week two blog assignment - next week, Google Docs.