Yoga has been around for thousands of years, and whilst many of us are familiar with its vast number of benefits, I believe that many people are not taking the opportunity to benefit from this life changing ancient practice.
If you're someone who is looking for a way to improve your overall fitness level, alongside an existing health and fitness routine, then incorporating yoga into your exercise regimen can be a great solution.
Yoga is a form of physical exercise that combines stretching, breathing, and meditation. It is designed to help you develop strength, flexibility, and balance while also reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
In fact whilst I write a tick-list of the pros of Yoga it really doesn't do it justice. For me, it's much more. Yoga brings me peace and connection, unifying my body to my mind, and helps me to also feel connected to others.
After a yoga session, my mind feels clear, my breath is deeper and more measured, my body feels open and the energy running through me feels vibrant and alive.
The beauty of yoga is that it can be done anywhere, at any time, with minimal equipment. You don't need to be in a gym, and you don't even need to leave your house. All you need is a mat, comfortable clothes, and a little bit of discipline to get yourself on the mat.
One of the benefits of yoga is that it can be a low-impact form of exercise. Yoga is gentle on the joints and can be modified to suit your individual needs. This makes it an excellent option for people who are recovering from injuries or who have chronic pain.
Yoga is especially beneficial for myself and my clients who often engage in exercises which can be more impactful on our joints - such as weight lifting or running.
Another advantage of yoga is that it can help to build our core strength. Many yoga poses require us to engage our core muscles, which can help improve our posture and reduce the risk of back pain.
A number of my clients originally came to me with back pain. The stretches that i've incorporated into our personal training sessions which from yoga have been hugely beneficial to my clients.
I have clients who once reported back pain now rarely or never suffer from back pain.
Yoga can help to build strength in the upper body, including arms, shoulders, and chest.
This, let's be honest, this is great because we can develop the show-ey muscles, which is a nice confidence boost.
Flexibility is another key component of fitness that yoga can help to develop. Many yoga poses involve stretching our muscles and joints, which can help improve the range of motion and prevent injury. Again, we can avoid getting that achey back!
This is particularly important as we age, as our bodies become less flexible and more prone to stiffness. Also if we are lifting weights in the gym our muscles contract and we will again be more prone to stiffness and injury.
In addition to physical benefits, yoga can also have a positive impact on our mental health.
Practicing yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and promote feelings of calm and relaxation. This is because yoga involves deep breathing and meditation, which can help quiet the mind and promote mindfulness, making us more present - in the here and now.
If you're looking to incorporate yoga into your fitness routine, there are a few things to keep in mind;
First, it's important to find a qualified yoga instructor who can guide you through the poses and help you avoid injury. As a qualified Yoga teacher myself, I can support you with this!
I aim to keep these sessions super simple and well within your comfort range, whilst we learn correct form and really connect our movements to our breath.
Also, find a form of Yoga which works for you. I offer a more gentle flow Yoga and also Hatha Yoga depending on the clients needs, wants and ability.
Additionally, it's important to start slowly and listen to your body.
Many people say that 'Yoga is too hard' but this may simply come down to not going to a class at the right level for you or the teacher not offering adequate adaptations, or entering Yoga with a competitive mind-frame.
Sometimes Yoga classes may seem a little intimidating. I will work to ensure that our Yoga session is accessible and a welcoming experience for you. As our Yoga session will be private, in fact it will be just us, this will take out some of the intimidation factor, at least.
Yoga can be the missing puzzle piece of your fitness routine, helping you to meet your physical and mental health goals faster and holistically.
It can help you build strength, flexibility, and balance while also promoting relaxation and reducing stress. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just starting out, yoga can be an excellent addition to your exercise regimen.
So why not give it a try? Even if it's simply sticking on a Youtube video at home. In fact that's exactly how I got started, with 'Yoga with Adriene' on youtube.
Yoga is a practice, a lifetime journey and a friend, which is always available to us when in need.
You'll be glad to have found this special piece of the puzzle.