Yoga for fitness is becoming a more and more popular choice today. The reason that yoga can be so effective is that it’s not just about getting fit. It’s about overall wellness — improving flexibility, strength, balance, and breathing techniques.
Yoga can be used by people at any level of fitness to improve their health and happiness, as well as those looking for a spiritual connection.
Here are some of the physical benefits of yoga:
- Improved flexibility
- Increased muscle strength and tone
- Improved respiration, energy and vitality
- Maintaining a balanced metabolism
- Weight reduction
- Cardio and circulatory health
- Improved athletic performance
- Protection from injury
Yoga for fitness and healthier life
Yoga can be a great asset to your efforts to lead a healthier life. It is possible to gain muscle strength, lose weight, improve flexibility, boost metabolism and enhance your overall health and well-being through yoga. Yoga is also known to improve mood, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation in the body, increase attention span, improve cognitive functions like memory and concentration, alleviate stress and anxiety and prevent migraine headaches.
A regular yoga practice can help you look your best physically. It can also help you feel better emotionally. When you develop a regular yoga practice, you learn how to breathe properly; this helps you make more energy available for your daily activities. You will find that it is easier to walk up flights of stairs or run after the bus because you will already be breathing deeply. Deep breathing also helps us handle stressful situations better.
Forms of yoga include:
Hatha yoga incorporates physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation. Hatha yoga also includes many other styles, such as Ashtanga, Iyengar, Viniyoga and Bikram, which is practised in a heated room. Hatha yoga classes include both men and women of all ages.
Kundalini yoga combines rhythmic breathing with movement to release energy from the base of the spine up through the chakras (energy centers) along the spine to the crown of the head. Kundalini is practised in a warm room with chanting accompanied by music and singing bowls.
Bikram yoga is best known for its 26 asanas (postures) performed in a hot room (90-100 degrees Fahrenheit). The Bikram method helps you sweat out toxins while gaining flexibility and strength. This style appeals to athletes who are looking for a challenge but may not be ideal for people with certain health conditions or injuries.
Final thoughts
If you’re a long-time runner or cyclist, your muscles and joints are likely used to the same repetitive movements over and over again. Yoga can help add variety to your fitness routine, work out new muscle groups and prevent injuries.
The best part: It’s easy to learn. The poses are simple — there’s nothing complicated about “downward-facing dog” — and most of them are static, so you don’t need balance or coordination.
Even if you don’t have the time (or money) for a studio session, it’s simple to engage in yoga by yourself. There are hundreds of instructional videos online that can show you how to do individual poses.
You can learn more about Yoga for fitness online.
