Yoga was developed as spiritual practice thousands of years ago and since then it has become one of the most popular forms of exercise. It connects the body, mind, and breath in sequences of poses that improve flexibility, build strength, and help you destress.

If you haven’t tried yoga before - you might be led to believe that it’s just ‘stretching’ - but it’s so much more and surprisingly quite a tough workout. Yoga is beneficial for the body and mind and there are certain supplements you can take that will help you benefit more from your yoga practice and aid in recovery. Have a read below to learn about 7 supplements that are beneficial to take alongside your yoga practice.

Omega 3

The list of benefits for this supplement is extensive. But where it can benefit your yoga practice is that it decrease inflammation which can lead to joint pain and morning stiffness. Omega-3’s have in addition been shown to have the potential to reduce anxiety symptoms which goes hand in hand with yoga.

Magnesium

Magnesium an important mineral, electrolyte, and a cofactor in over 300 enzyme systems in our body. It’s essential to our health and wellbeing, but it is one of the most common mineral deficiencies. Being deficient in magnesium can have many negative effects from joint pain to muscle cramps to increased inflammation and anxiety…the list goes on. Magnesium helps our muscles and nervous system relax and function optimally. It also plays an important role in energy production - which especially important for exercise.

Vitamin D

The sunshine vitamin. During the winter colder months and when little time is being spent our doors, supplementing with vitamin D is essential. Vitamin D is crucial in the absorption of calcium which keeps our bones strong and healthy. Studies have shown it to be beneficial for our memory and cognitive function too - excellent for memorizing all those different yoga poses and names.

B Complex

A group of 8 vitamins that are important for many different functions in the body. They play a large role in energy production - making energy from the food we eat and transporting nutrients around our body. Being deficient in just one of these b vitamins can throw everything out of sync, it’s beneficial that they can be all taken together in one supplement. If you follow a vegetarian, vegan or high plant based low meat/dairy diet, it is likely you will need to supplement B12 as most high dietary B12 is found in animal products.

Ashwagandah 

The name even sounds like a type of yoga. It’s a nontoxic herb that has gained popularity for its ability to help reduce stress, anxiety and fatigue (Along with some other impressive benefits). Studies have shown it to be also be beneficial in increasing muscle mass and strength when combined with regular exercise.

Turmeric

Curcumin is the active ingredient found in turmeric and you will find it in many herbal anti-inflammatory and joint supplements alongside black peppers active ingredient piperine. Curcumin is hard for our bodies to absorb but piperine increases the absorption. Studies have shown that supplementing curcumin to be just as beneficial at treating joint pain caused by osteo and rheumatoid arthritis as NSAIDs. The perfect natural way to keep your joints pain free during your yoga class.

Probiotics 

Probiotics are the good bacteria that live in our gut - they fight off the bad bacteria that enters our body to make us sick. Our gut makes up around 80% of our immune system and probiotics regulate immune and inflammatory responses in out gut. We can help keep this balance by eating/drinking foods that contain probiotics (try adding in a kombucha drink after your yoga class). In addition, there are supplements available if you are not getting enough probiotics through diet alone.

Taking vitamin and mineral supplements are great for filling in any nutritional gaps in the diet, preventing and treating deficiencies, but they should never take the place of a well-balanced diet.