Today is International Yoga Day

Yoga is an ancient practice that is at least 5,000 years old. Today marks the first International Yoga Day where millions of people will practice yoga across the globe for a day of health and peace. It was an event called by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Some have criticized the politicization of yoga, but the overall idea could be a good one if it takes on the right objectives.
 Considering that 75% of people in the U.S. are overweight or obese and people have become decensitized to violence a little yoga won't hurt anyone. As a nation we are becoming globalized and engaging in a practice that connects us to the rest of the world in our desire to be of good mind and body is positive. 

Yoga is a practice that is part spritual and part physical. Depending on the type of yoga one practices they can expect to increase focus, reduce stress, improve flexibility and strengthen their muscles. Each person moves through a sequence of actions that speed up the heart and stretch the body. With the right kind of breathing it is possible to slow down and reduce stress. 

By some estimates yoga is practiced by 10% of the country (1). Whether a political stunt, a fitness routine, or part of a meditation program the benefits of yoga are helpful to people's lives. As more people practice the ancient method it is hoped that they will be more reflective of their behavior while improving on their health. Today, Yoga events are planned around the world from New York to San Diego. 

Practicing Self-Defense to Complete a Full-Body Workout

Mixing hobbies and fitness is beneficial for achieving multiple goals with the least amout of energy. Self-defense classes can be fun and raise your skill level but in and of themselves don’t necessarily increase your fitness. Mixing kickboxing with cardio, stretch and strength training can help in getting in shape while moving through martial art belts quickly.

Practicing kicks, blocks, and combinations works well for raising a heart rate. Combining this with squats, jumping jacks, burpees and other fat blasting efforts will get anyone huffing and puffing quickly. All that effort will raise the heart rate and improve fitness levels while having fun.

 There is a growing body of evidence that interval training has a higher impact on weight loss and health than a consistent heart rate found in activities like jogging (1). Short bursts of energy with interval periods of rests has a high success rate. The cycle is repeated throughout the entire fitness session of 40, 50 or 60 minutes.

In experimentation I have found it is possible to cycle through kickboxing, strength training, and yoga to achieve a total body workout. For example, kickboxing offers ( kicks, punches, and combinations) to raise the heart rate, slow down that heart rate through Kata (sequenced shadow practice), raise again through strength training (push ups, squats, burpees, weights), stretch and finally strengthen through yoga.

It is a complete practice of raising the heart rate for cardio and weight loss while still increasing the strength of the body. It has the bonus of stretching muscles for maximum flexibility. All of the fitness needs are covered in each exercise session.

This doesn’t mean it works for everyone; nor that it is a perfect workout. However, there are only three types of exercise that include cardio, stretching, and strength training (2). Trying to find an appropriate sequence that maximizes the most benefits of each with the least amount of energy is something that keeps me busy and in shape. If you are going to learn self-defense you might as well get in shape at the same time.

Should Yoga be Part of Your Corporate Wellness Plan

Yoga is a sport that is in perceptual search for health and tranquility. Through stretching, breathing and focus one is able to calm their mind and strengthen their body. Because yoga requires almost no equipment and can be practiced by people of any fitness level it is a solid exercise that is included in a growing number of corporate wellness programs. Wellness enthusiasts can expect to find physical and mental advantages when they engage in this ancient practice.

Wellness programs are becoming a popular way to reduce corporate costs associated with obesity, ill health, and disease. According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, Johnson & Johnson saved $2.71 per $1 dollar spent on wellness. Wellness programs can include anything from smoking cessation to healthy eating. Yoga seems to tie all the different health improvements initiatives together in an unbrella practice.

Physical Advantages:

Yoga improves flexibility, range of motion, strength and balance that is important for the sports enthusiast and graceful aging. Because yoga is preventative by nature, it encourages your body to adjust slowly before major health complications. Business people should consider the merits of yoga in keeping their health and motivation high.

One of the nice aspects of yoga is that you can start at any fitness level. It is an adaptable activity based on the needs of each person. Strength training can be enhanced by power yoga, cardio through incorporating faster movements, relaxation through slower breathing movements, and flexibility by stretching motions.

Mental Advantages:

Yoga improves focus and stress management. A person will hold a pose, focus, and breath slowly. The hope is that one can move into the higher brain and become part of the "nothingness". When the world around stops a person begins to connect with themselves at a deeper level and understand their needs better. The practice is akin to meditation.

Stress is a major killer in the country, and our complex lives are not getting any easier. There are lots of competing interests and stressful events that go on each day. Reducing stress will have an impact on motivation, satisfaction, health and retention. Reducing chronic stress can free a person to perform to their fullest potential.

Leonard, B., Mirabito, A. & Baun, W. (2010). What's the hard return on employee wellness programs? Harvard Business Review. Retrieved https://hbr.org/2010/12/whats-the-hard-return-on-employee-wellness-programs

Reducing Work and Life Related Stress with Yoga

Stress is #1 killer in America. According to the American Institute of Stress 80% of workers indicate they feel stress at work while 65% say that it has impacted their performance in some way or another. The average person is not always aware of the effects of stress and how it impacts their life. Mismanaged stress eventually makes its way into our psychological and physical well-being becoming a catalyst lurking behind many other ailments. Yoga and breathing is one method of managing stress and lowering health costs while still improving your abilities.

To thwart the ill effects of stress it is important to find a proper balance between work and extra-curricular activities. Each should take their appropriate place in your life with nether being unbalanced. When one becomes all consuming it can impact you in a way that lowers the quality of your life as well as spill its damaging effects into other areas like your family.

This applies across many different aspects of our lives. If you are career oriented and want to move up in your position it makes sense for you to spend additional effort working on your goals. However, focusing so exclusively that you damage your other needs can destroy your chances of achieving your career objectives and the quality of your life.

Reducing stress can help you maintain focus on your goals by reducing the impact of other stressors in your life. Consider that stress is normal but chronic stress can be fatal. Staying focused relies on your ability to reduce other stressors that are not necessary and don't enhance your life in anyway. By focusing on breathing and living in the moment your muscles relax and many of your worries will temporary dissipate.

Consider the example of back pain earned through lifting equipment or sitting improperly for long periods of time. Yoga helps stifle the negative effects of pain, reduce missed work days, and improves psychological well-being (Hartfiel, et. al, 2012). The benefits for the comfort of the employee and the lost productivity time of the employer cannot be underestimated.

Stressed-out employees also cost companies billions in annual healthcare costs, absenteeism and poor performance (Williams, 2005).  Preventative medicine focuses more on encouraging healthy living that avoids future illness while standard medicine is more focused on treating illness after it occurs.Yoga is part of that preventative method that lowers the catalysts to illness.

Over the Christmas vacation I had the opportunity to attend a yoga class in the park. Not many people; a half dozen or so individuals enjoying the sun and stretching in nature. As with most yoga classes there is an instructor that guides everyone through the movements until their natural conclusion. Focus is directed on breathing to create a level of calmness and living in the present.

Yoga was something that was once practiced only by the free spirited people of the counter culture. As the decades passed and research on its benefits became available it was found that such activities do have a benefit on the lives of individuals and the costs of their employer health insurance programs. Yoga has become a mainstream activity practiced in nearly every gym and community center in the country. Finding a local practitioner to teach you can be an enhancement to your life.

The practitioner I met was from http://www.greenthumbbodyworks.com/#about

Williams, D. (2005). Corporations Go Yogi. T&D, 59 (4).

Hartfiel, N. et. al. (2012). Yoga for reducing perceived stress and back pain at work. Oxford University Press.

Improving Fitness and Health with Yoga

Yoga was once an obscure practice that attracted bleeding souls, hippies, and sports enthusiasts. Over time Yoga made its way into mainstream activity as the benefits to our body and mind became apparent. Yoga provides a strong augmentation to your current workout and affords greater muscle recovery and healing.  Incorporating an hour of yoga three times a week into your schedule enhances other aspects of sports and fitness that lead to higher levels of satisfaction and health. 

Yoga has a positive effect on both physical and mental health. A large study of 15 yoga studios hosting 1045 respondents found that fitness levels were higher among those who practiced yoga with the far majority of respondents indicating that they were in good to excellent health (Ross, et. al. 2013). Furthermore, participants also stated that yoga improved energy, happiness, social relationships, sleep quality, and proper weight. 

Not all benefits of yoga are subjective. Another study helps us understand that yoga improved physical function and capacity (83%), reduced stress/anxiety (83%), enhanced sleep quality (21%), and improved upon diet (14%) (Alexander, 2013). The secondary benefits of sleep and diet supported fitness and stress management. 

Whether you are a sports enthusiast, interested in fitness, or seeking to unwind from a hard day’s work you should consider the multiple benefits of incorporate yoga into your schedule. Start with simple yoga three times a week that is more akin to stretching and then move into more complex power yoga that uses muscles and positions to tone the body.

Consider the multiple benefits of practicing:

Develops Flexibility: Yoga encourages muscle flexibility that improves upon recover and reduces the likelihood of future injury. Stretching muscles in the recovery of weightlifting routines improves range of motion.

Improves Muscle Tone: By holding ones body weight in varying positions both primary and secondary muscles are engaged leading to full body development.

Even Muscle Development: Yoga engages secondary muscles that are traditionally ignored in fitness programs. These muscles are used to create power and balance beyond large muscle development.

Encourages Balance: By developing secondary muscles and placing oneself within yoga postures it is possible to improve overall balance.

Develops Coordination: Yoga requires complex movements that use multiple positions, balance and muscles while training the body to complete actions in coordination.

Promotes Stress Reduction: Yoga makes use of contraction/relaxation of muscles and combines this with breathing to reduce the tightening symptoms of stress. 

Alexander, et. al. (2013). “More than I expected”: perceived benefits of yoga practice among older adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 21 (1). 

Ross, et. al. (2013). National survey of yoga practitioners: mental and physical health benefits. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 21 (4).

Book Review: Yoga Anatomy

Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kiminoff and Amy Mathews will likely teach you more than you will ever need to know about yoga postures, movements and breathing techniques. It discusses various parts of the body and how their movements impact the internal organs, muscles and skeletal system. The book is for those who desire to take their yoga moves to the next level creating maximum flexibility. 

The book will only touch on some of the basics and will quickly move into medical terminology. It will discuss breathing, spine, skeletal muscle, muscular systems and the overall different types of poses and how they impact the body. It is probably way more than the recreational yoga enthusiast will ever need to know. 

For example, you may go into a lengthy description of how the muscles connect to the rib cage, how the lungs work and stretch as well as the different types of skeletal systems. After the general medical description there are also descriptions for each movement. Illustrations will show how the muscles and internal organs are impacted. 

As this book provides detail that recreational users will not need it is more for the yoga practitioner or those who desire to teach the activity. Most instructors do not have this knowledge and are unlikely able to answer these types of questions. However, if you are serious you can study how the entire body works in varying angles and postures. 

Why would someone want to engage in Yoga? Whether you play sports or are sitting in an office chair for most of the day it is beneficial to stretch from time to time. Maintaining your flexibility, retaining muscle tone, improving breathing, and reducing stress are some of the advantages. If you are into high activity sports this is one way to incorporate advanced stretching and flexibility.

Kaminoff, L. & Mathews, A. (2012). Yoga Anatomy. IL: Human Kinetics.