A Little Bend, A Lot of Benefit

These days, yoga gets more love than whoever's starring on American Idol. And for good reason: It increases three relax-it's-okay compounds in your body (what better in uncertain times?), and brings you a whole host of body benefits. Best of all, you can get its rewards even if you're about as pliable as a two-by-four. Talk about a natural high.

Yoga boosts blood levels of serotonin, dopamine, AND endorphins -- three natural feel-good substances. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel cheerful and content. Dopamine is a brain chemical closely tied to the pleasure centers of the brain. And endorphins? Those are the opiate-like compounds that produce a sense of well-being. Get all these from a single yoga exercise, such as the Sun Salutation, or a full-fledged class.

This ancient practice may boost mood even higher by preventing middle-age weight gain. One study found that it helped adults between the ages of 45 and 55 maintain or lose weight when they practiced yoga regularly for 4 years or more, as opposed to the pound-a-year gain that happens to most people. And the effect of yoga on overweight people was especially dramatic: They gained 18.5 pounds less than those who did not practice. We recommend that you do a few minutes every morning to get you in a good mood for the day (we do it! And we put some suggestions for how you can, too, in our new book, YOU: Being Beautiful). It may not be as good as morning sex, but it can even make you better at that. So down-dog it: You've got nothing to lose . . . except maybe some mental and physical weight.