Make movement and exercise part of your holistic lifestyle.
We all know making time to exercise is important to our health. In a world as busy as the one in which we live, finding time to care for our physical health can be challenging.
There are times when I find myself struggling to make time to exercise. When this happens, I remind myself how I feel when I don’t exercise. I feel sluggish, I don’t sleep as well, and I ache. It’s harder for me to focus and concentrate at home and at work. I just don’t feel like me.
When I do prioritize making movement and exercise part of my daily life, I see such a difference. I love the physical benefits, of course. I feel stronger, taller, and more energetic. It’s the other benefits that make a real difference in my life. I get better quality sleep and I’m able to focus on my daily tasks with greater ease. And my mood? I feel relaxed and happy, more able to deal with the stress and worry of everyday life.
I want to talk with you about specific benefits of exercise and how yoga can help you meet so many of your health and wellness goals.
Exercise and movement are crucial to a holistic lifestyle.
I’ve talked with you in the past about my own wellness journey and what led me to dedicate myself to a holistic lifestyle. Learn more about my story by reading this blog post.
My health journey led me to embrace the five pillars of a holistic lifestyle. Each pillar is important. Each benefits our physical, mental, and emotional health.
The five pillars themselves are simple. There are no complicated instructions to follow and no special equipment necessary.
What you eat.
How you hydrate.
When and how you rest.
How you care for yourself with meditation and breathing.
When and how you move and exercise.
Learn more about the five pillars of wellness and get tips on making them a priority in your busy life.
Yoga benefits all of your body’s systems.
Yoga increases flexibility and strength. Practicing yoga regularly helps you manage stress and anxiety. You “feel better” when you practice yoga because yoga provides benefits to all systems of your body. We’re going to touch on four of them.
1. The Respiratory System
Most people use only a fraction of their lung capacity. This underuse can lead to respiratory health issues over time. By practicing the deep breathing that is such an important part of yoga, you can:
Increase lung capacity.
Increase oxygen intake.
Supply your heart with more oxygen.
2. The Skeletal System
The skeletal system supports how your body moves and functions and protects your internal organs. Standing yoga postures like tree pose and triangle pose apply low-impact weight to the joints which is incredibly beneficial to the skeletal system.
Do you think about your bones when you practice yoga? Try an Alignment Yoga class with Rebecca in Razz Yoga’s online studio for a new way of looking at your practice. Your bones will thank you for it.
3. The Circulatory System
Your circulatory system is tasked with keeping your heart pumping and blood moving efficiently to all parts of your body. Yoga benefits the circulatory system in two main ways.
Breath work encourages deeper, slower breathing which increases the amount of oxygen in your blood.
Movement boosts circulation, moving the blood throughout your body more effectively and efficiently.
Practicing yoga helps ensure your muscles, tissues, and organs receive the nutrients and oxygen they need. Your yoga practice can help you reach your cardiovascular health goals.
4. The Nervous System
Your nervous system acts as the electrical wiring system of your body. Its job is to transmit signals to and from different parts of the body. Yoga benefits both the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of the nervous system.
Yoga supports the parasympathetic system by helping to lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, and aid in relaxation.
More vigorous yoga practices activate the sympathetic system, raising heart rate and blood pressure.
When you combine active and slow practices, you activate both systems. This can lead to deeper relaxation. You’ll also feel happier during and after your practice as “feel good” chemicals (endorphins and dopamine) are released in your brain.
Yoga provides an effective strength training workout.
When you think about strength training, do you picture muscle-bound men lifting oversized weights at the gym? That’s certainly one type of strength training.
Yoga is another way - some would say a better way - to build strength. Yoga brings the added benefit of balancing strength with flexibility. When you practice, your muscles are supporting your body weight. This resistance training builds bone density. The result? Strong bones, strong muscles, strong body.
Community provides the all-important social connections.
We’ve talked about so many physical benefits to making movement and exercise part of your everyday life. For me, the best part of exercise is the social connection.
Taking a yoga class with our Razz community - outdoor or livestream - brings me joy. I love going for a walk with my husband, a friend, or my dog. Connecting with a beloved community like ours or a treasured friend or family member takes the physical benefits of exercise and adds an emotional benefit, too.
We all missed the opportunities for everyday connections for a long time. It has been a true joy for me to see yogis reconnecting with loved ones by taking a yoga class together online or meeting up for an outdoor yoga class.
Join the Razz Yoga community for a class soon. Check our website for the online and outdoor class schedules as well as our on-demand library filled with classes to meet all of your yoga needs. Not a member? Sign up for a free trial week and try some of our classes. We have something perfect for everyone!