With the world still bearing down from the effects of the pandemic fallout and different places going into lockdown once again with new safety measures, it’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing more of our homes for this first quarter of 2021. However, instead of focusing on the short-end, we’d like to see this as an opportunity to work on ourselves, most especially toward our fitness goals. And we think this is the perfect chance to reinvigorate our love for exercise and try something new.
Now, you’ve probably read the title and are a bit skeptical; yoga isn’t typically anyone’s first choice when they think of achieving their fitness goals and ideal body physiques. But, far too many people operate on the misconception that it’s nothing more than just stretching, which is plainly wrong. So, today we’ll be exploring the many benefits of yoga and why you should consider incorporating it into your fitness regimen this 2021.
Isn’t Resistance Training And Cardio Enough?
Of course, there’s no denying that the simple formula of resistance training and good cardio can take you miles and even come close to the body you had in mind. In fact, if you sprinkle in some Muay Thai training and HIIT workouts every now and then, these combos are more than enough for the average person. However, a lot of these training regimens are biased toward certain muscle groups and, at times, fail to improve functional strength. So, regardless if you’re an experienced athlete or beginner, there’s something you can learn from yoga and its principles.
#1 Boosts Overal Athleticism
One of the biggest advantages of practicing yoga is how it can boost your overall athleticism. Unlike barbell curls that specifically train you in curl movements, yoga utilizes different postures that will engage every inch of your body. As a result, you’re not isolating any of your gains and improvement onto one muscle alone. Everything is evenly spread out and equally distributed.
- Balance And Core Strength: Balance and core strength are two of the fundamental skills developed when practicing yoga. Both of which can help fill in the gaps in your existing fitness regimens and give you a complete and holistic outlook on your progress. So, whether it’s more core strength for your calisthenics exercises or balance that can translate into your backcountry and helicopter snowboarding sessions, these two benefits are nothing to scoff at.
- Improved Flexibility: Too much resistance training and heavy weightlifting can lead to muscle tension that inhibits movement and make you less flexible. As a result, you can’t exercise full-range of motion and don’t get the full benefit of regular physical activity. However, yoga helps keeps your muscles toned while understanding the importance of flexibility, an excellent method of offsetting the effects of tight muscles from workouts.
- Long-Term Positive Impact: Let’s be real, any form of contact sports, high-impact training like hill sprints, and lifting heavy weights can do a number on your joints, which can lead to injuries. However, by incorporating yoga, you can help relieve some of that pressure on the joints and alleviate any discomfort in your body.
#2 Practice Mindfulness
Another benefit to yoga is how it teaches you to practice mindfulness and focus on clearing your thoughts of negative emotions. Sure, any form of exercise can help redirect negative energy, but most of them are fast-paced and use a “fight fire with fire” approach by doing an exercise that’s more intensive than your current stress. On the other hand, yoga aims to release any of these bad toxins from your thoughts and achieve peace of mind.
- Form of Relaxation: Some people struggle to unwind, and even going to bed and getting a full eight hours of sleep doesn’t get them the same level of relaxation they’d like. With the help of yoga, it teaches you to let go and pay no mind to all the external factors that are disturbing you. And it can be an excellent form of relaxation for many different people.
- Reduces Stress: Like any other form of physical activity, yoga is a great way to reduce stress and lift up your mood. It’s something we all definitely need to get through 2021 and strengthen our resolve for the uncertainty we face in this new year.
Give Yoga A Chance
Look, while yoga may not be for everyone, there are certain aspects to this physical and mindfulness practice that we all can stand to benefit from. So, instead of sweeping it under the rug and mislabeling it as a fad, we strongly recommend giving it a chance. And, who knows, you might even find it more effective than your typical gym workout.
