You hear a lot of these words – mind, body, soul when Pilates or yoga is discussed in studios. Being connected to all three is a central part of these two disciplines. Yet if you are looking to integrate different training methods into your physical health workouts why not. There is a whole wide world out there waiting to be explored. If you haven’t considered strength training maybe you should. Have you heard of kettlebells? And what about cardio in your life. Are you thinking about jogging? Yoga will help ease muscles especially after a stressful run. Integrated training where you combine the disciplines of different fitness workouts is a win-win situation. Don’t be afraid of new territories. Yoga will enhance a sport. It has already helped you to be more flexible. It has improved your stamina and strength. I’m not advocating giving up yoga but doing other fitness workouts will seem more enjoyable because you do yoga.

Motivation is a funny thing. Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don’t. Motivation is not something you learn from a book, but learning to improve your quality of life is cause for motivation. So where do you start to find motivation in losing weight and getting in better physical shape? If you are like most people you may find inspiration for the reality show “The Biggest Losers”, or you may find it in a magazine article that leads you to become motivated yourself in doing something to change how you feel. There are many other scenarios that set up that light bulb in your head, to get you in the right frame of mind and to set realistic goals. Wherever it comes from it’s great to first recognize it and second to act on it.

We see determination among athletes who suffer injury. Their motivation is to get back at what they love doing at the level they once were at before injury sidelined them. Their stories of motivation is no different than the non-athlete. It’s just they are more in the public eye. Motivation keeps all of us young at heart. It drives our engines. It pushes us to go where we never though possible.

Yoga as exercise may not be what most people think of when they hear someone say they’re off for a yoga workout. Just looking at photos of yoga practitioners working through their exercises one gets the impression that they may not be working hard. At least if you compare photos of bodybuilders with bulging muscles looking strain pumping heavy weights. Yet if you ever let’s say do hatha yoga you will learn up to 30 poses that are more than challenging incorporating different degrees of difficulty. You soon would realize the amount of strength and concentration it takes to get through the exercises.

Pilates is another type of exercise that may have a lot of people scratching their heads. When you see someone engaged in a Pilates exercise you too may get the feeling that there isn’t too much with these exercises. But if you ever want to know the truth try signing up for a Pilates mat class. You will know very quickly that Pilates is no slouch when it comes to exercise. Just ask your core muscles.

I’m just having fun with you. I think if it ever was an Olympic sport nobody would watch, but everyone would want to participate. I really can’t say how many of the Olympic athletes practice yoga along with their other training regime, but it may be accurate to say that by watching how strong and flexible they are, it is a good bet that yoga is very much part of their training.

Just watch the skating competition. I love it when they hold their skate pull it high toward their head and go it to an incredible fast spin. One has to be extremely strong and flexible to pull such a feat. Yoga helps strengthen a competitor’s body, helps develop better concentration and prepares their mental state allowing them to relax in all for the betterment to improve an athlete’s performance. Yoga is the perfect vehicle for treating injuries and preventing them too.

You just spent the last hour working out on your yoga poses and you happen to come across a store selling chocolate. It so happens to be Valentine’s Day as well. Dilemma? Maybe if you weren’t so dedicated to your fitness routine and your healthy lifestyle it might make you feel guilty. Okay, regardless chocolate seems to make the best of us feel guilty indulging on this delectable treat. But it is Valentine’s Day so why not treat yourself to a dark chocolate bar. Dark chocolate is high in cocoa. Buy a bar over 65% because although it has its share of fat and calories it does have some health benefits. The bar contains many antioxidants that are good for you. So grab the organic chocolate bar enjoy the day. Life enjoyed is about simple pleasures. Yoga and chocolate are just two.

Trends come and trends go. What roll yoga plays in the trend game of 2010 is yet to be determined, but chances are yoga will only become more popular. One reason why it will see an increase in the participation of our aging population. As Americans grow old they look for an exercise plan that is low-impact. Pilates does it and so does yoga. Another thing today that is worth mentioning is that yoga doesn’t have the stigma of being only for the “earthy crunchy people” Those fond days are long gone. Yoga today is mainstream.

In most department stores you can find yoga clothes. Online fitness stores have a section dedicated to yoga supplies. More and more yoga studios are opening up in the community. And YMCA’s of the world have made it a point to hold yoga classes. After school programs for children in elementary schools are being offered yoga. Kids love it. To them it’s social. Doing the exercises gives kid’s better concentration skills and helps keep their stress level down. Yes, 2010 will once again be a year of yoga.