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Yoga

Why Gym Goers MUST Practice Yoga (Part 2)

November 11, 2013

In ‘Why Gym Goers MUST Practice Yoga (Part 1)’ I gave you what, to my mind, were very compelling reasons to supplement your daily workout with a few yoga sessions a week.  Here are 5 more reasons for why you have no excuse NOT to practice yoga.

6.  Lets talk about abs.  The real kinds.  Anyone who has them will tell you they need a strong back and strong sides.  Ever seen anyone with washboard abs slouching?  Or do you associate their mien with that of a proud pigeon?  Well that tall, proud profile is a result of the strong back muscles which hold up the abs.  And the strong back muscles are a byproduct of a regular yoga practice.  Ofcourse you still have to work like crazy for the abs … but every bit counts in the quest for Those Perfect Abs.

7.  Do you workout before work?  Then the guided meditation in the savasana post a yoga session can refresh you mentally and physically, so you won’t feel fatigued for the workday, Au contraire, you might experience new found energy due to the increased oxygen flow through your system.  You will get that perfect bod and that perfect appraisal.

8.  Breath control.  You can harness this natural process to increase your body’s ability to breathe better and increase your performance and well being.  Whether you’re a casual gym goer or an athlete, being able to breath better will bring about an immeasurable improvement in your performance and overall well being.  Breathing exercises form an integral part of any yoga class.

9.  Balance.  I’m not talking of the Natrajasana variety.  I’m talking about mental balance.  Your first yoga class may make you feel like you’ve been beaten into a corner.  Everyone else will seem to be effortlessly gliding into poses and smiling while doing unbelievable contortions.  And in the middle of it all, there’s you, an adrenaline driven gym rat who competes with himself/herself every single moment they’re in the gym.  So when you’re unable to do an asana, it can be more than a triffle de-motivating.  However, think of the unbelievable mental strength that you will cultivate when you take yourself back to yoga class every day and then see your body and mind becoming stronger and more supple.  This point is about the mental strength, the physical aspect is a byproduct.

10.  It’s fun!!!  Have you ever seen anyone frowning or grimacing during yoga class?  It won’t kill you to add some fun to your daily workout.  Fun is good for you!!!

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Yoga

Why Gym Goers MUST Practice Yoga (Part 1)

November 4, 2013

Often people feel there is a conflict between an adrenaline powered, iron pumping lift-til-you-drop gym workout and a deep breathing, body contorting and meditate-like-you-mean-it yoga session.  Well, the news is, there is no conflict.  In fact yoga can complement your gym workout.

Here are 10 reasons why gym goers MUST practice yoga:

1.  Practicing some yoga postures before your workout reduces the risk of injury and loosens your body to start your gym workout.  NO, this is not like any other stretch that you do before your workout.  Yoga asanas have evolved after careful study of the human body and its alignment.  So when you practice a posture, you’re not only opening up tight muscles, but correcting the alignment of your body, which may have gone haywire after years and years of slouching on a chair in front of the laptop…or carrying heavy loads, or cooking in a kitchen not designed for your height, or sleeping on the wrong mattress, or watching tv from the wrong angle…you get the drift.

2.  Post a workout asanas will help you stretch your muscles.  Asanas help the protective and connective tissue around all your muscles and muscle cells (called the fascia) grow.  When the fascia grows the muscles encased in it have more room to grow.  If the muscles experience this kind of freedom, then they achieve a better shape and help you look great as well.

3.  If you’re one of those gym rats who can’t do without your daily gym workout and pump some serious iron then you’d do well with a post yoga workout to relax your nervous system and release all the tension that accumulates in the muslces during the gym training.

4.  Often gym goers have a lot of stress stored in their bodies and very few outlets for stress release.  Now I’m not talking about the kind of stress that makes you kick and punch extra hard (that’s just aggression, which can also be taken care of with yoga).  I’m talking about the kind of stress that makes a permanent home in your muscles.  The kind of stress that prevents you from truly relaxing and easing into a deep sleep.  The kind of stress that gives you tight hamstrings, tight shoulders and that painful lower back.  Ever seen a yogi try really really hard to kick up into the handstand, topple over and sit up smiling like a goofball (albeit radiantly)?  Compare that to someone trying to lift that extra 5 kgs, and grunt in frustration when they can’t?  I’m just saying….

5.  Have you experienced muscle cramps after or during weight training and heavy lifting?  A yoga session a few times a week could work to ease out muscle cramps and reduce the risk of reoccurence.  Could that help you lift more and lift better?  Think about it…

(To be continued in Why Gym Goers MUST Practice Yoga (Part 2)

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