For most of my exercise career, I have primarily stuck to weight lifting for muscle building and running for cardiovascular health. Why? Because that’s what I had always done, so it was comfortable to do. Even at times in my life where I have been a member of a gym where yoga classes were offered for free as part of the monthly package, I still stayed away from it, despite many people encouraging me to try out the classes. It seemed to me that women gravitated towards these classes more than men, and I didn’t want to be considered less of a man in the gym.
A couple years ago, I purchased P90X, which has a yoga day in it. I certainly had not purchased the program because of this particular video, and in fact dreaded doing it at first. After trying it a few times, it became one of my favorite workouts out of the bunch, to the point where I have gone to yoga classes and purchased other yoga videos for home practice. Here is why yoga won me over, despite the fact it is a deviation from my typical workout routine.
1. Yoga Works On My Weakest Spot–Flexibility
I can give you one very good reason why women are seen in yoga classes more often then men–because women are often more naturally flexible than men, and we tend to gravitate towards areas we are good at already in order to feel a sense of accomplishment. The reason I avoided yoga and stuck with weights and running is because I can lift weights and run well, and can get back into a routine quickly after an extended break from it. Flexibility is not something that comes naturally to me, and even after practicing yoga for over a year, I have a long way to go still. However, by sticking with it, I feel even more of an accomplishment by watching the improvements I’ve made, and the satisfaction of sticking with something that is not easy for me.
2. Yoga Gets You Ready For Other Exercises
This ties in with the increase in flexibility. By improving at yoga, my muscles are looser and more prepared to complete a hard weight lifting routine without injuring myself. I’ve found that my recovery time decreases significantly when I stick with a routine of yoga and stretching. By staying limber, I am keeping my body from getting injury-prone during exercise and even in day-to-day living. Additionally, yoga increases your core strength, which aids in preventing back injuries as well.
3. Yoga Can Be A Strenuous Workout
I will admit that not every yoga session is a killer, calorie-burning workout. Some are essentially light stretching and soul-calming routines that barely cause me to break a sweat. While those sessions are important too, some of the routines that involve movement and balance will leave me drenched in sweat, and my legs and shoulders aching. I love those sessions because they truly are an accomplishment to complete, and I love a tough workout challenge. I definitely don’t feel like I have wasted my time on days like those.
Give It A Try
You can likely find a yoga studio near you, where you can pay to go to an individual class without locking into a commitment. If you love it, you can likely sign up for discounted access to the classes offered. If you’re embarrassed to try it in front of people for the first time, there are countless DVDs showing yoga instruction, and are likely available at your local library to check out. Flexibility is a key component to overall wellness, and yoga is a great way to work this. Try out a class today.