Yoga for Beginners – Starting 30 days of Yoga

I have come a long way on my journey to living a healthier life. First by switching my diet to the Keto way of eating and then starting to exercise in the form of running. The more I learn and try to improve the happier I have become. With this in mind, I  decided to give Yoga a try. For years I have shunned yoga, how could something so quiet and slow be considered exercise? And yet, now that I want to improve my running all I hear about are the virtues of Yoga. Alright, Yoga! I am willing to give you a try. I have found some Yoga for Beginners on FabFitFun TV (they were actually a deciding factor on Why I decided to give FabFitFun a try!) that I am going to use for 30 days.

Why Are you trying Yoga for Beginners?

My initial desire to try Yoga stems from my running. I want to improve my joint stability and core strength so that I could go farther and faster without injuring myself. Yoga has been strongly suggested to me by many people to help with all of these goals. I wasn’t going to jump right into a whole new exercise program without doing some research though, so I looked it up for myself.  What I found was surprising – and gave me a whole lot of new reasons to give Yoga a try! I am going to stick to the Yoga for Beginners programs during this 30-day trial for my own safety. I have never done Yoga before – there is no need to try and jump straight into the hard stuff! This is pretty good advice for ANY exercise program you are considering. Start Slow, work your way up!

Physical Benefits of Yoga

• Builds muscles strength and tone.
• Builds better balance and flexibility.
• Regular practice has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and hypertension.
• Improved energy levels (Keto does this too but who doesn’t want MORE energy?).
• Helps to maintain a balanced metabolism.
• Shows improvement in cardio and circulatory health.
• Improved athletic performance. <— the key I was looking for!

Aside from and because of all this, Yoga has been proven to give you protection from injury (stronger joints and muscles are less prone to sprains and strains!). It has also been shown to help seniors suffering from chronic pain and those looking to lose weight.

Mental Benefits of Yoga

• Helps you manage stress by providing you with a way to relax through breathing and meditation.
• Breathing and meditation practices can improve your mental clarity.
• Provides you with new coping skills and helps give you a more positive outlook on life.

Who can practice Yoga for Beginners?

Because most Yoga poses have several variations designed for different fitness levels anyone can practice Yoga. Yoga is an exercise regimen that focuses on the mind, body, and spirit of the person attempting it – the goal is to explore your own limits and become mindful of your own body, not to achieve another’s perfection. Yoga is a proven form of exercise that has lasted for over 5000 years and has been practiced by both old and young alike.

Do I have to go to a Yoga Class?

Of course not! We are all busy people with a lot going on in our lives. Finding the time (and money) to devote to an exercise class can be difficult. Thankfully we live in a highly connected world and a quick search will find you all sorts of video’s about Yoga for Beginners. I chose to follow the videos found in FabFitFun because they are made by experienced Yoga instructors. If you do your research and keep your own abilities in mind, however, there are plenty of options out there!

What are some good poses that a Yoga Beginner should learn?

These seem to be the core ones my videos will be teaching me!

Childs Pose

Child’s pose is a good resting pose that everyone should learn. It provides you with a mental break when you are stressed out from the day or fatigued from earlier poses. Childs pose is good for working out the kinks and getting a good stretch in at the end of a workout.

Seated Foreward Bend

Seated forward bend might be a bit uncomfortable at first and you should not push yourself farther then you can manage without pain. If you have difficulty with this pose you can keep your knee’s bent as long as your feet remain tensed together. Seated forward bend strengthens your hamstrings, upper and lower back. It will also teach you how to breathe through uncomfortable positions and release tension.

Warrior 1 & Warrior 2

the warrior poses are great for building strength and stamina as well as building your confidence in yoga. The warrior poses help stretch your hips and thighs and is great for your lower body and core. Warrior 1 is a backbend which helps to strengthen your legs, hips, buttocks, and core. Warrior 2 strengthens your hips and inner thighs. It is also a great starter pose for other sideways positions such as the triangle pose.

Tree Pose

Tree pose is great for learning balance. It can help you gain clarity and focus as you learn to breathe while balancing on one foot. Improving your balance is a key factor in yoga and Tree pose is a good one to start out with as it is easy to catch yourself if you feel like you might fall by simply putting your foot down! When you are starting out only raise your foot as high as you can while maintaining your balance. As you practice you will be able to go higher!

What is your Yoga for Beginners Gameplan?

My research shows that doing yoga 2-3 times a week for about an hour to an hour and a half is ideal. However, I know that there is no way I will be able to commit to that much time all at once. Further research on my part says that doing a little bit of Yoga every day is also highly beneficial. I can do a little bit every day! My plan is to follow the 15-minute FabfitFun Yoga for Beginners series. Three videos (lower body, Core body, upper body) that I will rotate 5 times a week for 15 minutes a day. After 30 days I will see where I stand with Yoga and report back here with my results in another post.

Update!

My 30 days of yoga are finished! You can read about the results of my journey Here!

 

Have you tried yoga? Have any tips? Leave them below!