3 Reasons to Incorporate Yoga Into Your Fitness Routine…And Your Life!
December 1, 2009 by Michelle Demus
Filed under Fitness
As a yoga teacher and director, I commonly encounter busy women who are looking for wellness and balance in their life, but don’t want to add yet another line on their to-do lists. They’ve heard from friends that yoga is amazing, but aren’t sure if yoga’s benefits are worth switching out a spin class or missing that Grey’s Anatomy episode for. Well, aside from the fact that a good class feels like you’ve had an excellent workout and massage combined, here are three of my top reasons why you should incorporate yoga into your life:
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The physical practice of yoga helps to bring a body into balance through the diverse practices of strength, flexibility, and endurance. Some women are naturally flexible yet they may lack the strength to do a push up or the stability to reign in their range of motion. Others might possess a great amount of strength, yet can’t touch their toes. A healthy body is a balanced body. Wherever you are at, whether you are a pro athlete or a pro “lounger” the practice of yoga will help bring your body into equanimity. You will develop long, lean muscles, with a strong core and calm mind.
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Yoga can help improve your physical performance in other activities. For example, let’s say you’re a runner – yoga will help lengthen out your overtaxed hamstrings and will also provide core and upper body strengthening, not to mention improved mental concentration. This allows you to run longer and more comfortably (your core takes over when your legs get tired, and then your mind/breath work takes over when everything gets tired!), while also potentially decreasing your risk of injury.
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Yoga provides mental benefits off the mat. During many a yoga practice you will be confronted with a pose or sequence that may challenge you, frustrate you, and you may even find yourself getting really annoyed at the teacher! When this happens, you learn how to start to tune out distractions and the chatter of your mind, coming back instead to your breath and focus, and finding your own best expression of the pose and your own way to be successful in the space. Take this technique off the mat when confronted with a challenging professional or personal issue and you will learn to respond to difficult situations with grace and ease. This is especially important for New Yorkers, as we all tend to go at full throttle day in and day out!
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