How to Stretch Your Way to a Calmer, Fitter You
The benefits of yoga in achieving a healthier mind and body have been recognized for centuries. The earlier you start the better, but the good news is that you can adopt the yoga lifestyle at any age. Not only will yoga help you increase and maintain your flexibility
– it will also help you to de-stress and become a happier, calmer, fitter and more supple you.
By Marilyn Arthurs
Fitness regimes come and go like the fads many of them really are, but yoga stands the test of time. It has been practised by generations for hundreds of years in various regions of the world. Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s it was all the rage here in the west, but was then dismissed by many as a mere craze adopted by and associated with the hippie movement. In the ‘80s, aerobics was the only way to go, followed by pilates in the ‘90s. Yoga, it seemed, had been pushed aside in the exploding exercise business.
In recent years, however, yoga has made a real resurgence in fitness circles. Of course, for many of us, yoga never went away. It’s always been there, practised by those who prefer a gentler approach to a healthy body and mind, stretching their way to fitness rather than gyrating and pummelling their bodies into submission.
Today there are many forms of yoga being practised, as the advertisements within this feature display. From hathayoga to hot yoga, there’s a yoga routine to suit everybody. ‘Routine’ really is the key word here. Yoga is not a fad fitness craze. It is a way of life because it not only helps us achieve fitness and flexibility: it also helps us to develop proper breathing techniques and a calmer, more serene approach to day-to-day problems and life in general.
Just look around your local area. In almost every shopping plaza, yoga studios are popping up. The really good news is that many of these studios offer yoga classes and much, much more. They are becoming a form of community centre where people can meet, chat, practise some yoga or take a class, and just generally chill out – a very good idea after a hot yoga workout!
The popularity of these studios and the services they offer demonstrates just how much many of us want and need to make changes in our lives to feel, look and operate better. Yoga is all about healthy living and overall wellbeing, a way of living not simply a gruelling exercise regime.
The long-term benefits of yoga in boosting our overall health
and well-being - and that of our children - cannot be underestimated.
So why not give it a try? What have you got to lose?
No matter what your age, check out the studio near you, see what they have to offer and give it a try. Many older people who practise yoga today started years ago when they were young and are now reaping the benefits. It’s an inescapable fact: as we age, our joints and muscles stiffen. The sooner we adopt the yoga lifestyle, the better our bodies can cope with these joint and muscle problems.
But that doesn’t mean yoga is only for the young. No matter what your age and level of fitness, there’s a type of yoga that can help you. There are private and group classes, and many yoga studios will provide packages for pregnant moms-to-be and kids, as well as schools, and local businesses who want to provide their employees with a great incentive to boost their physical and mental health.
One of the best things about yoga is that, done properly, you can’t hurt yourself. There should be no aching, torn muscles and the exhaustion that comes with many exercise routines. Yoga is about achieving your optimum fitness levels gradually and at your own pace. You stretch as far as you can, then the next day you stretch a bit more, easing your body into suppleness. As you stretch and hold the various poses, you can really feel the tension and stress being replaced with a sort of ‘calm energy’, which may sound like a contradiction in terms, but it really works.
Today many people complain about their busy, stressful lives. The fact is every generation has had its own form of stress. Our main problem today is our sedentary lifestyle. Previous generations had more physical jobs. Household tasks were more physical as well, and people walked more rather than driving everywhere.
Yoga in Markham
Your path to a healthier, happier you. Visit the many Yoga locations in the Markham area.
Forward Motion Yoga
Ah Yogahh...
More Than Just Yoga
Moksha Hot Yoga Markham
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
