When it’s less than 30 degrees outside, the last thing you want to do is, well, go outside. This year, I want to encourage you to get out of your house, slip off your shoes, and try a yoga class.
By now you’ve heard about the many benefits of yoga, but here are some that I think are most important:
Anxiety and Stess Relief: Multiple studies have shown that yoga has incredible effects on making anxiety and stress disappear. By putting away your phone and laptop, slowing down your breath, and quieting your mind — even for just 60 minutes — you’re doing your body a huge favor.
Strength and Flexibility: Maybe you already have a good workout routine that doesn’t involve yoga. Yoga will only make your other workouts better by helping to increase your flexibility and your strength. Professional athletes are now including yoga in their workout routines. So whether you are a runner or someone who is new to exercise altogether, yoga will only add to your fitness.
Healthy Weight: Many don’t realize that by practicing yoga on a regular basis, you can lose weight or find your healthy weight. Not only does yoga make you more mindful, but power yoga, hot yoga, and vinyasa yoga can all burn a ton of calories.
Personally, I started yoga as an alternative fitness routine and as a type of physical therapy. I soon realized that those were not the only reasons that kept me returning to the mat. The more I practiced, the more I felt a new sense of being; of completeness. After several months of training, I started to see the purpose for all the bits and pieces presented in the past couple of years. Now, I can’t imagine my life without yoga.
Winter is the best time to begin or dive deeper into your yoga practice. What could be better than coming in from the cold to a warm, quiet, and comforting yoga studio?
For more information, and to learn about PAI’s 200-hour yoga teacher training program starting in February, visit www.paiyogafitness.com.
Columbus Underground is celebrating healthy living habits to help you kick off the new year right! Check out all of our Health & Wellness 2017 articles by CLICKING HERE.