The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

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Fitness Friday: finding balance in yoga

Sara+Neff%2C+center%2C+participates+with+other+attendees+at+the+morning+yoga+session+held+at+the+camp+site+during+Week+2+of+the+Coachella+Valley+Music+and+Arts+Festival+on+Saturday%2C+April+18%2C+2015%2C+in+Indio%2C+Calif.+%28Marcus+Yam%2FLos+Angeles+Times%2FTNS%29
Sara Neff, center, participates with other attendees at the morning yoga session held at the camp site during Week 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday, April 18, 2015, in Indio, Calif. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Working out can sometimes be a total chore and a hassle that a lot of people don’t want to deal with. Yoga provides a relaxing way to work on strength and flexibility without the hectic experience of the gym.

While many workouts are geared towards people who are already familiar with gym routines and intermediate exercise regimes, yoga is something anyone can do.

Yoga is also inclusive of other health benefits, including improvements in breathing, heart rate, relaxation and flexibility.

Yoga has been shown to improve muscle tone, from holding poses for a period of time. Positions, such as downward dog and planks, help improve upper body strength. When done correctly, nearly all poses can improve core strength in the deep abdominal region.

If you keep up with yoga, your overall posture will improve because the core muscles that are needed to support your upright posture are strengthened.

Yoga also involves an awareness of breathing and heart rate. Some yoga poses focus on deep relaxation and call for specific breathing techniques.

There are multiple facets of yoga that amplify these benefits.

One of the more popular forms is hot yoga. It is done in a room heated up to around 98 degrees Fahrenheit. The sweat comes almost instantly upon stepping foot into the heated room.

The distinct health benefits from hot yoga come from the detoxification factor, from sweating out all impurities from the body while stretching. The heat also allows more flexible range of motion in the joints through lubrication, which makes getting into each pose a little easier.

Working
in a heated room also elevates the heart rate, making the body work
harder to maintain the poses. The additional heat helps the body relax
and allows for deeper breathing exercises, which is beneficial for those
who suffer from asthma.

Yoga, on its own, will help alleviate stress, relax muscles, improve flexibility, maximize core strength and balance, and improve deep breathing. The health benefits of yoga are increased when done in a hot room.

Although a lot of people don’t like the idea of sweating heavily, especially around others, it is important to realize that everyone in the room is sweating just as much, and it is a key component to simply let the sweat flow so your body can utilize the benefits reaped from the heat.

To find out more about the benefits of yoga and hot yoga, visit this website as well as this one.

Namaste!

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