First let me start this by admitting that I have never done anything significant with yoga..I would start a session (DVD) and decide right when it started that I would be bored to tears and then I would turn it off.


That out of the way, I noticed on My Fitness Coach they have yoga as one of the options for workouts. On my days "off" from working out, would yoga be an option of something to do those days or what? :|


Sorry if this seems confusing or..lame..but I really don't know much about yoga or it's benefits but I would like to learn and incorporate it into my lifestyle if I think it is for me.

I'm new here, so I don't really know what "counts" and what doesn't, but I do Iron Yoga as part of my workout regularly. It's a DVD & book combo put out by Rodale, and I think you can probably get it from them. It incorporates using light weights while doing yoga, and it is really a challenge. Regular yoga bores me, too, but I love my Iron Yoga. It's an hour long, and targets core and major muscles while including plenty of stretching and range-of-motion movements. It's also something that I can actually do as a "fat chick"! lol

Look it up, and give it a try.

Oooers, taniquelasse, you now have my interest piqued and I must learn more about this Iron Yoga. Thank you

I've been doing yoga for a little over a year now and take the classes offered at 24 hour fitness. I think this question you are asking is difficult to answer because there are so many different styles of yoga and even within the same style the type of teacher you have makes a big difference too. I have various teachers throughout the week and one workout might be nothing more than an elaborate stretching session (great for an "off" day) and the next could be what I deem hard core, including advanced poses and quick movements in which I am red in the face and sweating like crazy! (not great for an "off" day) I personally really enjoy yoga and found it to be something relaxing and energizing at the same time. It's increased my flexibility and helped me to feel more in tune with my body. It's also helped with my weight loss. I'd say if you are bored at first, try different yoga styles, but more importantly, try different teachers.

Hi Chubkychic! I'd really recommend you try yoga first in a studio. Depending on where you live (not sure where "constant state of confusion" is haha), you might have several options for classes. I've found that yoga dvd's do NOTHING for me, but actually taking a class in person is really motivating, you learn more, use proper form with the help of a teacher, and classes will change day to day.

If you'd rather stick with a dvd format, be choosy about what you use. If you are looking for an off day workout and want to stretch or relax, look for things like: yoga for relaxation, yoga for flexibility, gentle or restorative yoga.

If you are looking for a bit more of a workout, but not too tough, look for a beginner yoga video that is vinyasa, flow or hatha.

If you want to be more challenged try out power yoga, or yoga for strength video.

I love yoga!

First, definitely try some yoga classes at a studio, not a gym. The teacher should have either 200 hours or 500 hours of training, not just a weekend course. The studio folks are more likely to have this.

A teacher can be great, and if you've never done it be sure to attend a beginner class (also called "gentle") and get there a little early to let the teacher know you are new.

A teacher can help you work on your alignment and modifying the poses for your body, which you can then carry over when you do it at home.

If you don't click with a teacher or a studio, check around for others. Everyone has a different style, so don't give up if the first one isn't right.

I've been increasing my yoga, not even on purpose but I started out doing 20 minute podcasts and now I find myself craving hour long self-guided practices. I've done it off and on for over 10 years, and the changes I'm noticing in my body as I really get into it now are just amazing.

There's also a book and dvd called MegaYoga that you might really like.

I have noticed that since I've been doing it, I sleep so much better and my anxiety has really lessened as well. I do it at night with just some candles lit, and I just about fall asleep during the final relaxation.

I absolutely agree with those above. You need to start at a studio with a qualified instructor (a yoga teacher and not a fitness pro who has taken a weekend course) in order to make sure that your form is correct and that you are doing it properly and to guide you through the more spiritual aspects of this practice.

You also should consider WHY you want to do yoga! Yoga traditionally is a combination of the body (with the movements) and the mind (with meditation). Some people find the meditative aspects well, boring! Others absolutely love the peace of mind they find there.

IF you are looking for the physical benefits and not the "spiritual ones" so to speak, then Pilates would be a great alternative for you as you will get similar results without the meditative aspect.

JMHO

Kira

I've taken yoga weekly for about two & a half years now. Sometimes twice a week.

It's a nice change to roll around on the floor & strike poses that work particular groups of muscles, but [whispering] I'm finding its benefits are, uh, a bit exaggerated. For me, it hasn't done nearly half of the things I've heard people claim that it does about peace of mind, concentration, appetite, sleep, posture, back issues, etc. Nowhere near. I mean, it's good, and the relaxation is nice, and sometimes it's like a slow-motion modern dance class. But no other exercise I've ever done has seemed as overrated to me as yoga.

(But I fear that admitting this could get you beaten up by very strong, thuggish yoga devotees, or bring down bad karma, so beware of ever admitting it.)

I've never done yoga. My exercises usually consists of sprinting 3-4 times a week for 3-5 miles and I play soccer 2-3 times a week on top of that. I am pretty flexible now, although...I was wondering what kind of flexibility gains I might experience if I started practicing yoga. I mean, it seems like an interesting form of exercise I just have not been too exposed to it. How about it, anyone in for convincing me to try it out? What are the benefits I am missing out on by only running and playing sports that yoga could anchor?

Ms saef is right in that there are ALOT of claims about yoga out there. I hear them every day at my studio -- yoga will rebalance your entire endocrine system. Yoga will heal your diseases. Yoga will make you reach your ideal weight effortlessly. Mehhh....

I do yoga for the flexibility training, balance training, endurance and strength. I've lost weight cause I'm eating right and moving through yoga -- IMHO it isn't really the yoga that is making the changes.

Yoga DOES help me in the sense that I have to focus during the class and this is what my form of yoga teaches -- if you focus on the task, you can't let your mind wander, and this is the meditative aspect, NOT sitting in lotus position OHMMMMing away...

My only advice is: IF you want to take yoga, do a beginners' course first to get your form down, then go to the videos/Wii stuff. If the mind/meditative aspect is annoying, think about Pilates or Core training instead. And take the good stuff and discard the rest! Gotta have a sense of humor!

Kira

Lots of people make huge claims about the benefits of yoga, this is true. It's best not to expect all of these to happen over night, if it all. If I may Saef, I don't think practicing once or twice a week is enough to make huge, miraculous changes. Just like pro athletes don't see their body or performance improve from just one or two training days a week. But keep in mind every body is different, yoga might just be that missing link for you. You'll never know until you try.

weightlossxprt - yoga can help runners a lot especially. Runners typically have overworked leg muscles and can get very tight hamstrings. Yoga, done on a regular basis will definitely help your flexibility and range of motion. Keep in mind you don't have to do long sessions to begin to see benefits, but if you do it at least 3 times a week, you'll see the benefits a lot faster.

Yes, saying yoga didn't work with weekly classes is exactly like saying following South Beach on Saturdays didn't work Yoga is a daily practice.

No reason you can't do it weekly if that does something for you. Just like you could do South Beach once weekly if it helped you in some way. But your results will have *nothing* to do with the claims made by the program.

But I don't think that makes me a yoga thug!

Yo YO! Yoga THUG LIFE...(flips hand sign in the air)!!

Yoga should be done at LEAST 4 times a week to get the benefits.

Goin' out now to get me some INK...

Kira

My Dear SIL -God Love Her, claims that she has done yoga for the past 20 years and isn't any more flexible. It turns out that she took a once-a-week course for 8 weeks in 1989, then took another course in 2000, and now tries to do yoga at her gym once a month or so.

NO effects! With 20 years of practice! According to her! Go figure...

Kira

Yeah! I love it! Yo! Ink! Handsign back at ya.

I OWN my yoga thugness