Fight Allergies with Yoga

Yoga can strengthen your immune system and reduce allergy symptoms

Allergy sufferers are always eager to find relief from their worst symptoms. While some treatments, like antihistamines, are obvious, others may not have occurred to you. One option you may not have considered is yoga. Yoga can help boost your immune system, open up your airways and reduce stress.

All of these can reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies.

Here are a few simple yoga poses to get you started:

• Inversions, like shoulder stands, can help clear nasal passages. This is particularly helpful when fending off nasal congestion caused by allergies. Just be sure to hold the pose for less than two minutes, and don’t force a pose that is too difficult for you.



• Back bends, like the bridge pose, open up the chest and increase lung capacity. This can help to reduce the feeling of tightness in your chest that may accompany allergies.



• Breathing exercises, like the three-part yoga breath, reduce stress and eliminate toxins in stale air. They can also help you ensure that you get ample oxygen when dealing with congestion.



• The fish pose, which requires you to arch your back upward while lying with bent knees, can stimulate the thymus gland. This in turn strengthens your lymphatic system and improves your overall immune system.

Whether you’re a long-time yoga practitioner or just getting started, yoga techniques can help improve your overall health and resistance to allergies. Best of all, yoga is free and has no side effects, so it’s safe for all patients. Used in conjunction with medication and diet, yoga can be a helpful way to manage your allergy symptoms. If you are still suffering from seasonal allergies post workout request an exam with a MeMD provider to find out about treatment options that could work for you.