Learn Why Yoga Should be an Essential Component of Any Fitness Plan
Yoga is like any other fitness program except that it creates flexibility as a core element that most other exercise regimens omit.
A runner stretches with a forward bend. Photo by Andrey.
Like any other fitness program, it has to be done regularly. For instance, if you want to get fit by running, it’s fairly obvious that once a week is not good enough. The same thing is true of yoga.
So how many times a week is it necessary to do yoga to stay physically fit? The answer – at least three times a week.
Combining yoga with other exercise programs or pursuits creates a fantastic foundation because of the increased flexibility and core strength that is developed within one’s practice. Flexibility from yoga also reduces dramatically reduces the risk of injury — if you bend you don’t break.
Marathon runners are a great example. They are notoriously inflexible, as marathons is designed around long distance, repetitive motions that only build up specifics muscle groups, creating short, inflexible hamstrings and calves. Yoga fitness regimens relieves that tension with its focus on flexibility. All runners would be well served to practice this ancient art in order to improve their running game.
Tennis is an example of being terrible for creating completely unbalanced muscle groups. The continuous serves, leads and movements a tennis player performs all develop muscles heavily on one side of the body. Tennis legend John McEnroe credits a specialized yoga regime to the restoration of his knees, returning him to competitive form. Superstar athletes such as Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Venus & Serena Williams, New England Patriots’ Ted Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs’ Bruce Bowen all practice various forms of yoga to improve their game.
Spc. David Kocian teaches a yoga class. Photo by US Army.
From an unexpected source, the US Army has recently seen the light, revising its boot camp regimen to incorporate a lot more stretching exercises which are very similar to yoga, dramatically alleviating the injuries new cadets typically suffer from.
We could go on an on, listing countless examples of celebrity athletes and trainers who swear by yoga’s ability to create extensive flexibility, develop core strength and purify the body of harmful toxins. But why not just try it for yourself? We’re sure that after a few weeks, you’ll be as convinced as we are that our of all possible options, yoga for fitness is the way to go.
Yoga Online - I See You, You See Me
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