Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

To improve our level of health and fitness, many athletes and nutritionists emphasize on the importance of cardiovascular and strength training exercises and can easily overlook flexibility training (the yogis know the importance of flexibility). Flexibility training is a critical component of health and fitness and an overall balanced body. A series of studies support the short and long-term benefits of different forms of stretching such as dynamic stretching, static stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation commonly known as PNF. So, why should you stretch every day? Here are a few reasons you need to make stretching part of your daily routine. Remember, you don’t have to spend a lot of time doing it and that a yoga practice can give you the stretching you need, and also increase your strength in the process. Benefits of daily stretching include:

Flexibility is the capability of your body to achieve its full range of motion. It’s needed in most day-to-day activities, even the simplest ones such as bending and walking. If you’re flexible, your muscles remain mobile. We take flexibility for granted when we’re we’re younger, but as we age, our muscles will naturally lose strength, and we might notice ourselves become less supple and more stiff. This can affect our range of movement, especially around the joints. This can have the effect of stiffness in the muscles and joints. This loss of tissue elasticity causes our bodies to tighten and we lose that flexibility. The key reason that we lose flexibility, and we become more at risk of aches and pains is from not being active. This can lead to more permanent issues such as bad posture and lack of muscle function. Keeping flexible is important to avoid this and to keep us in good health and fitness.

Ask any yoga teacher what the most common excuse they hear from people who don’t practice yoga is and you’ll probably receive the same answer: “I can’t do yoga because I’m not flexible.” We’re not sure where the myth started that naturally flexible and bendy people were the only ones who could practice yoga. In fact, it’s really the opposite. Flexibility looks very different depending on if you are a twenty-year-old former dancer, a thirty-year-old professional athlete, a fifty-year-old desk jockey, or an eighty-years-young retiree. No matter your age, anatomy, or physical abilities, yoga can help you become more flexible. The beauty of yoga is there are several styles and levels of classes and at least one is suited for you. How wonderful is that?