Exercise to Fitness

When one starts exercising after being inactive for quite a while, usually the recommendation is to start by walking each day, going a little further and/or faster each day until your endurance builds up. This is a good plan.  Where do you go from there?  As I outlined in my post 8 Types of Exercise Workouts,  there are many types of exercise programs to choose from.
Let’s look at Yoga.  Whenever I think of yoga, my mind goes to the movies of the ninja’s in training doing the movements, or the documentaries of everyone in China meeting in the town square first thing in the morning  to do their yoga movements.  My early experience with Yoga is you go at  your own pace, gently stretching in different poses until your muscles become more limber.  Probably one of the ‘easiest’ exercise types to begin with (in my mind) is Yoga. This is a simplified look at yoga.

Now that I have been looking into Yoga, I find it is a very complex subject.  First, it originated in India.  The word ‘Yoga’ means union.  There are many types of Yoga.  The ‘limb’ that we would be interested in this blog is called ‘asana’ which is the physical postures or poses and the movement from one to the other.  Asana (and yoga) is about creating balance in the body, developing strength and flexibility.  The movements can be fast or slow, and can  focus more on stamina or on alignment.  Yoga goes on to include correct breathing and meditation.  I will focus in my posts more on the physical side of yoga rather than the spiritual.

How does Yoga fit into losing weight and getting fit?  Iyengar yoga, where you hold poses for several minutes, helps to build muscles and improve posture - we all need that.  If you want to do Iyengar type yoga, you will have to combine it with other aerobic type exercises to lose weight.  The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.  This is a good combination.

The Vinayasa style of asana yoga includes many styles itself.  For weight loss Ashtanga, Power Yoga, and Hot Yoga give you the physical workout needed for weight loss.  I have found it is recommended that you do three 90 minute sessions a week for weight loss. 

One more thing about yoga.  This can be a family activity.  There are special programs for children that Mom and Dad can do with them.  I bought kits for my grandchildren here which include dvds.  They love it!