Those who practice yoga know that’s it’s great for strength, flexibility, and calms the mind. However, there are certain groups who are hesitant to try because of preconceived notions that they wouldn’t be able to or don’t see the value. We’re here to tell you that yoga is for everybody.
Stereotypically, men tend to look for aggressive sports, like football, basketball, soccer, or baseball. Interestingly, football players are encouraged to practice ballet and yoga to help with balance and to build lean muscle. Aaron Rodgers, during his offseason, practiced hot yoga. Rodgers said he enjoys the stretching, the atmosphere, the group setting, and having an instructor to help him get the maximum flexibility. Practicing hot yoga improved Rodgers’ sleep, his energy level, and his health overall.
There is also a perceived age and ability imbalance with yoga. The largest group of yogis is made up of people 30-49 years old. In your 20s and 30s, you have energy, strength, and passion to pursue your goals. Practicing yoga during that stage in your life will give you the energy you need to chase those goals. In your later years, your joints begin to stiffen and you will have a longer recovery time. Continuing to practice yoga as you age is important because it will give you the energy to maintain your range of motion and agility.
“Over 36 million people practice yoga in the United States. Yet, there is still a gender imbalance among men and women—72% of those who practice yoga are female.”
Yoga is useful for any age group and complements other activities. It is encouraged to pair yoga with other types of exercise to improve your mobility. 75% of yoga practitioners also do other sports and types of exercise, including running, cycling, weight lifting, tennis, and other group sports.
Here are 10 reasons Yoga is encouraged for everyone:
1. Overall Strength and Flexibility
Each pose is focused on a specific group of muscles. Simple poses can help tone muscle groups in the upper and lower body. Building strength can improve posture and enhancing flexibility is great for our joints.
2. Relieves Stress
Yoga is a stress reliever for all aspects of life. It is a mind-body practice that allows for controlled breathing, meditation, and relaxation. Gaining an understanding of how your mind “works” is great for long-term stress management.
3. Low Impact
Yoga has slow and careful movements that improve strength,
flexibility, and balance. Low impact workouts often do not require special equipment and are ideal for people who have arthritis or injuries.
4. It is Portable
To practice yoga, all you need is your body. If you have a mat, they are easy to carry and travel with. If you do not have a mat, there are other replacements like a rug or towel. You can be anywhere and use anything to help with yoga poses.
5. Non-Competitive
There is a saying, “Yoga is a practice, not a performance,” which means when you are practicing yoga, there is no contest for whose pose is better. Yoga is one size fits all and it is all about listening to your own body.
6. Allows You to Connect with Your Inner Self
Connecting with your inner voice is important for your mental health. Being able to find your true self will lead you to many opportunities. Understanding your feelings and being aware of your thoughts allows you to fully understand yourself.
7. Everyone Needs Rest and Recovery
Yoga is a great active recovery. Yoga focuses on your breathing and bringing in good energy. Letting out negative thoughts and emotions will prepare you for the
days ahead.
8. No Such Thing As a ‘Yoga Body’
Yoga does not have any requirements. It encourages everyone to meet their body where it currently is and not where you think it should be. Everyone can get a good workout from yoga!
9. Finding a Class to Fit Your Needs is Easy
There are various yoga styles: Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Power, Bikram, Jivamukti, Iyengar, Anusara, Sivananda, Viniyoga, Kundalini, and Yin, just to name a few. Due to the various yoga styles, it is easy to find the right one for you.
10. Can Help Improve Sleep
Practicing yoga enables you to channel your inner self to better understand who you are and why you think the way you do. When we start to gain an understanding of our thoughts you become more aware of the mental and physical states that are preventing sleep.
It does not matter if you are male or female, young or old, physically fit or not, flexible or inflexible—yoga is for everyone and anyone. Yoga is an invitation to be connected with yourself and the world around you. Here at Elite Sports Clubs, we can provide that experience for you through our various yoga classes. Take advantage of yoga to improve your overall health–physically and mentally.
Elite’s yoga instructors all have a minimum certification of 200-hour training CYT (certified yoga teacher) and many have the 500-hour training completion or E-CYT (experienced certified yoga teacher). They can recommend a class and offer modifications for each individual, plus we offer regular free Yoga workshops for beginners to advanced.
This article appeared in the 2019 Summer Edition of Elite Life Magazine