Yoga Party

September 24, 2018

When I mention doing yoga to my clients, I often get a response like, "I barely have time to do REAL exercise -- I don't want to waste an hour on yoga." Yoga may not seem like a great workout to many and, hence, may be unappealing, but it is much more strenuous than people think. The benefits of yoga are numerous and so worthwhile, not the least of which is the calming effect yoga has on the body. Many triathletes, weight lifters and even professional athletes (LeBron James and Tom Brady, to name a couple) include yoga in their workout routines.

I will admit that I had no interest in trying yoga before actually trying it (I'm not very flexible and didn't think I'd be able to do it properly) and now it's my favorite form of exercise. I also thought it wouldn't be much of a workout so I passed it over in favor of traditional cardio and weights. But I was wrong -- yoga takes a ton of strength and endurance. And it's a lot of fun to be able to do certain poses you were previously unable to do.

Some of the benefits of yoga include:

1. Increased flexibility -- this is important because, for example, tight hips can affect your knees. Tight hamstrings can affect your spine. Add some yoga into your life and you might see some aches and pains begin to disappear.

2. Stronger muscles -- it takes a strong body to hold a yoga pose. Try doing some ofthese poses and see what I mean (ignore the dated clothes -- this was pre-Lululemon!!).

3. Improved posture -- a strong back and spine are especially important nowadays, when most of us spend all day hunched over our computer screens. Yoga helps reverse that position and keep you standing tall.

4. Reduced risk of back pain/injury -- the disks in your back need movement in order to remain supple. If those disks don't get to shift around as much as they'd like to, they can essentially "dry up", increasing your risk of a back issue.

Everyone should try to squeeze a little bit of yoga into their lives. And, with so many helpful videos online, you don't even need to leave your house to do it (although if you'd like to leave your house to do it and you live in Fairfield or Westchester counties, this teacher is wonderful). Give it a try -- you just may end up asking for a yoga mat for Christmas!