Yoga. Something that everyone should try at least once in their life.
You may envision yoga as something that people partake in in order to be able to bend in half like a contortionist. They do. However, it also has a number of other benefits. Introducing Yoga into your schedule doesn’t have to be difficult, nor all-consuming. As little as 15 minutes of yoga a day can influence your mood and physiology.
Building strength and increasing mobility
If you don’t consider yourself a gym-bro, or just want to try an alternative, yoga is a wonderful way of building muscle. A number of yoga poses function as bodyweight exercises, resulting in a strengthened core and clearer muscle definition. Strengthening your core will also make you less prone to lower back injuries. The motions carried out during a Yoga session are usually of a natural nature. This allows for your body to build strength in a functional manner that can be utilised in day-to-day life. Additionally, yoga is designed to create a workout that prevents the development of muscular imbalances.
Reducing inflammation
Yoga is a way of building strength and gaining fitness, but in a low-impact manner. It incorporates a number of varieties of seated meditation sessions, intentionally constructed physical poses and controlled breathing exercises. These have been noted to reduce inflammation and stress in the body.
A particularly important one for those of you who spend a large portion of the day sitting at a desk or at a computer. Yoga can be good as a preventative measure to stop the development of lower back and spinal pain. Some suggest a standing desk, I am suggesting Yoga. It will give you the strength and the appropriate posture to keep your body in alignment.
Improving flexibility
Surely everyone, at some point, has had a flexibility goal that they’re not quite sure how to achieve. Whether this is as simple as touching your toes, or something more complex such as doing the splits, or mastering the Scorpion for a cheerleading competition, Yoga can be a good Segway for getting you there. Yoga incorporates a number of movements and stretches that can be modified to suit your needs. Stretching your muscles will also help to prevent, or reduce, muscle soreness caused by tightness.
Manage depression & reduce anxiety
Yoga additionally has a number of psychological effects, including reducing depression and anxiety. Yoga reduces anxiety through the management of breathing, the lowering of the heart rate, lowering blood pressure and increasing tolerance for pain. There are a number of variants of yoga that can be chosen to target specific needs. Hatha is noted to be a good version of Yoga for beginners as it features slower and gentler movements, whilst Ashtanga is more physically demanding. A quick google will allow for you to work out what is best for you.
Have a quick search on the internet to see where your local yoga classes are, or who is running them online. If you would rather do it on your own, or by your own schedule, then check out a number of creators on YouTube who create free Yoga content. If you’ve never tried yoga, give it a try! You might surprise yourself. If this article hasn’t been enough to convince you, search ‘Dog Yoga’ and I promise you will change your mind!
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