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Getting the Most Out of the Perfect Exercise
If there was ever an ideal workout, likely the closest to that title is, and always has been, yoga. You don’t believe it? Well, then, consider its many perks and how you can make it work for you as you move along toward your ultimate fitness goals. You might be convinced that it is well worth your time and energy.
First, however, you need to know what makes an exercise perfect. Most would agree that a program that can suit everyone from the beginner to the most experienced person would be a good start. Yoga can suit all levels. There are beginner poses that aren’t particularly difficult, but will still work toward toning and strengthening the body. They also promote good blood flow, proper breathing, and flexibility. Once the person progresses and those poses become too simple, the same poses can be adapted (made to be more challenging) and new ones can be introduced. Yoga has roots in India and has been practiced for centuries. Along the way it has been altered here and there by different instructors to become something fantastically malleable. There are different varieties and, though all work on the same basic principles, that fact makes it easier for people to continue to find challenge in progressive workouts.
Just having a workout that can be done by beginners, however, is not enough. The perfect exercise would have to be easy to learn and not overly taxing, so a person would want to continue doing it. This is what is so wonderful about yoga and likely what has made it so popular around the world. While the poses are able to actually help a person lose weight, build muscle, and gain flexibility, they are also enjoyable. The slow, controlled movements are much more manageable for most people than something more akin to aerobics. Thus, a person is not as deterred and motivation is maintained.
So, you know that it is easy to learn and that there is lots of room to progress, but what about health impact. How can yoga, which isn’t a cardio workout, improve health and well being? After all, that is what matters most when working out, right? Well, yoga has been proven to be one of the very best workouts for those trying to get back into shape. Whether battling obesity, recovering from an injury, or simply making those initial efforts to get going, yoga improves oxygen flow in the body, lowers a person’s heart rate, makes it easier for the body to burn fat, and improves flexibility. All of these things will make a person feel better physically and mentally.
It can pass the tests and prove itself worthy of the title, ‘perfect exercise’, but how should you make proper use of this workout? It is essential to use Yoga in a way that improves the things that are of greatest concern to you. Don’t sign up for the first yoga class that becomes available. Instead, take the time to seek out instructors that use a method that meets your needs. For instance, some will place more emphasis on weight loss and will feature poses that work best toward accomplishing that end. Others will work more toward strength, which would be better if you were trying to build muscle. It is also important to choose a class level that fits your experience. Stepping into an intermediate class as a beginner will only serve to discourage you. Similarly, don’t try to progress too quickly. While challenging your body is a good thing, pushing too hard will only make the body rebound unfavorably. This could put you off track and you could actually land yourself further back than you were to begin with. Use this exercise form to slowly progress until you have reached your goals. Once there, you will likely find that it is too great to give up anyway.
