If appeal is any indication of a fad’s value, yoga may be here to stay.

According to research on the spiritual yet physical practice, yoga’s popularity has increased over the past few years, making it a widespread form of exercise in America, especially among young people.

‘Yoga in America,’ a study sponsored by Yoga Journal magazine, found that over 16 million U.S. adults practice yoga. Additionally, 25 million people say they intend to try yoga within the next 12 months.

Melissa Collins, a yoga instructor at Binghamton University, said she has definitely noticed an increased demand for placement in her courses.

Yoga, she added, ‘is a trend right now, but people will always be doing yoga ‘ There were always people doing it before ‘ [and there] are many ways to practice and it can be done at all stages of your life.’

The prevailing form of exercise has not been lost on those seeking to exploit a new market, either. According to the study in Yoga Journal magazine, Americans spend nearly $3 billion a year on yoga classes and merchandise.

But why is it becoming so popular with our generation? In a fast-paced American culture, an exercise as slow and calming as yoga seems to be an unlikely trend.

Another practitioner and teacher in the area ‘ who asked not to be named ‘ said that yoga is more than just a ‘fad.’ It may even serve as a release from American lifestyle stresses.

‘Believe it or not, but more people in the U.S. practice yoga than do in India,’ she said. ‘I think Americans are desperately seeking a refuge from the stressful environments that we create for ourselves, and I think that anyone who gives yoga a serious and committed try will very quickly realize the benefits.’

She also said that the exercise has been known to relieve lower back and knee pain, lung problems, arthritis and depression.

Collins said she observed the waning popularity of another exercise craze ‘ aerobics ‘ as yoga has begun to rise.