Having the correct form when doing a yoga pose or an exercise can make the difference of a pain free session or one that may leave you a little sore. And that soreness may be lingering for a week or so. So what can you do to avoid these headaches? To start you may want to pay attention to your yoga instructor or personal trainer. When you exercise you never want to be in a position where you lose energy or puts added pressure on your body. When you are engaged in a plank position, you would want to take the pressure off the shoulders by making sure your abdominal muscles are engaged. Having the proper form of the plank position is important because it will transition nicely into your next pose.
When doing a stretch such as a standing forward bend it is important that you do not hyper-extend your knees. Added tension on the hamstrings may lead to lower back pain. So the best way to do a standing forward bend would be to make sure you bend your knees slightly. This provides you with better balance. With your hips forward you’ll be adding a nice stretch to your quadriceps as well as your hamstrings.
Lovers of team sports such as basketball, baseball or football may be out of luck. But what if you knew yoga? Somehow I don’t think you’d be too hard pressed to be somewhat active and maintain your sanity until you were rescued. Granted if you are a swimmer you can pass the day in the water to stay in shape unless of course you ended up on the part of the island where it has rough seas. If you are an adventurous mountain climber or hiker you could explore the terrain. Yet what if you have no footwear and the terrain is less than ideal for bare feet. With knowing yoga and or Pilates you can do a complete body workout keeping you in top shape while stimulating your mind. Ans that’s not a bad way to spend your time waiting to get back to civilization.
In this economy running a brick and mortar business like a yoga studio is becoming harder as more yogis take the plunge wanting to own their own business. Yet some who do that find themselves with less walk in clients are beginning to rethink their business model and become in-home trainers to supplement their income. What these hungry yoga teachers are doing is taking their expertise to private homes and charging in some cases a good hourly fee. It all depends on the demand where you live. In some cities buyers are getting the best deals here. But if the phone isn’t ringing and the opportunity arises to book new clients even if you need to do it on their grounds so be it. It’s money you wouldn’t have gotten in the first place. And who is to say in time that the client rather come to you. Maybe you offer a different plan at your studio. Maybe the client wants the group class experience. What is important is the client falling in love with yoga and trusting you as the instructor. That’s a win-win to say the least.
Every job has its share of stress. And stress isn’t something you want in your life. Are you finding yourself looking for ways to relieve the tension caused by stress but don’t know where to begin? Start at the root of the cause: your desk. Your posture while sitting is vitally important to preventing tension, muscle aches, and general stiffness. Sit with both feet flat on the floor, spaced hips width apart. If you have a back to your chair, sit with your back against the back of the chair. Keep computer screen at eye level and try not to hunch your shoulders when typing. Several times a day, or even once every half hour, take a moment to get up and walk around. Add in stretches for your neck, shoulders and back. Simple changes in posture can make a world of difference in how you feel.
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.
Owning a nice yoga mat is important. It’s there to make your yoga workout more enjoyable, making you secure when doing difficult poses. So it is safe to say that a good quality yoga mat is an investment. Like all good investments one needs to take good care of it otherwise it will lose its value. Having the mat as one investment isn’t enough. It is best to treat that investment by not carrying around exposed to the elements but protected in its own bag. A yoga mat bag is the answer and unlike in past years where the pickings were slim, today there are many manufacturers putting out quality, stylish mat bags that are so attractive some even can be used as an everyday tote. Bags come in various shapes, styles and colors. Buy solid or floral, quilted or canvas, there are yoga mat bags for different tastes. So the next time you lug your mat to a yoga class under your arms think how much more convenient a mat bag would make your life.
