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Yoga Basics |
Yoga for Beginners (Home) > Yoga Basics > Yoga Exercise Is Yoga Exercise for You?Finding the right exercise program can be a trial and error process. It involves taking a look at your fitness level, physical limitations, interests, and goals. That said, yoga exercise programs that can benefit the most timid beginners as well as the fittest professionals. Furthermore, the benefits of yoga are not merely physical; yoga can help enhance focus in your daily life as well. Most people who think of yoga exercise are actually thinking of one type of yoga: Hatha yoga. The overall goal of yoga is to bring unity to the body, mind, and spirit. Hatha yoga attempts to do this with breathing exercises and a series of postures called asanas. Asanas can range from slow, gentle postures, like reclining and focusing on relaxation, to more difficult postures like inversions (head stands). People who are new to exercise or who may have problems holding the postures due to injuries or disease might want to consider Iyengar yoga, which relies heavily on the use of props for balance. Doing the different postures can ease muscle tension, increase your strength and flexibility, and encourage relaxation and mindfulness in your daily life. Typically, though, unless you are very out of shape, Hatha yoga will not raise your heart rate. Therefore, yoga exercise is not considered aerobic and probably does not offer a cardiac benefit. Yoga ExerciseIf your doctor has told you that you need aerobic exercise, you have several choices. You may decide that yoga is not the right exercise for you and take up an aerobic exercise program such as brisk walking or a low impact aerobic class offered through a health club. If you are interested in yoga but need the aerobic component to your exercise program as well, there is nothing to stop you from doing both yoga and aerobics. Most yoga teachers advise waiting several hours after a meal before doing the asanas (postures). This makes morning the ideal time for your yoga exercise. Then, in the evening, you can do a cardiac workout. Finally, you could adopt a more aggressive form of yoga exercise. Ashtanga yoga, sometimes called Power yoga, focuses heavily on building strength and endurance. Instead of the slow, relaxed movements of Hatha yoga, students move swiftly from one posture to another and this is the type of yoga exercise preferred by athletes. For most people, then, yoga exercise offers several levels of intensity which can translate into better health.
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