Yoga

[CopTHIS]

There must be something in yoga, given all the followers but I'm not convinced either. My g/f went to a few sessions last month and came back looking like she'd done no exercise at all (I guess you don't do it to keep fit). Anyway, the yoga instructor apparently said that using weights etc is bad because it "crushes the mussles" so my g/f, who could do with doing more exercise/toning frankly, is now of the view that vigorous exercise is bad for you.

[mosdef]

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There must be something in yoga, given all the followers but I'm not convinced either. My g/f went to a few sessions last month and came back looking like she'd done no exercise at all (I guess you don't do it to keep fit). Anyway, the yoga instructor apparently said that using weights etc is bad because it "crushes the mussles" so my g/f, who could do with doing more exercise/toning frankly, is now of the view that vigorous exercise is bad for you.

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That's just bad communication (either on the yoga instructor's end or your GFs, maybe both).

The thing about intense exercise is that if you just up and go lift heavy weights or run as fast as you can, then your big muscles will pick all the work because that's the easiest way for your body to get it done. If all your exercises are of the type where your big muscles are contracting, then they will actually shorten up, or get "crushed" which is not real good. It leads to muscle injury eventually. But when you combine intense exercise with a stretchy exercise that works small muscles (like yoga or pilates) then your muscles develop in a more balanced way (big and small muscles get worked, longer range of motion on all muscles).

[mosdef]

If you don't mind spending the $s, the best way to do this is to join a good gym, get a full fitness assessment, and get a good (i.e. actually qualified) personal trainer to help you build up a system to target your weak points. If you are interested in yoga I would definitely suggest joining a gym with a beginners yoga class and combining it with the advice above. If you just buy a beginners yoga book/video with no context, you'll get bored out of your mind and probably won't be doing it right anyway.

[Blarg]

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There is little to no benefit from stretching anything for more than 20 seconds. Stretch for shorter periods than most yoga requires and you will gain flexibility at the same rate and not risk injury. Then meditate if you want to gain the mental relaxation you might miss out on by cutting the stretching short.

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Stuey,

Actually I've been doing yoga since 1995 and there are some benefits you may not be aware of. Think of a bodybuilder that works out their muscles - the muscles grow big but what about inside the body, the internal organs? This is one of the side benefits of yoga. It is a workout for the bodies internal mechanisim.

On what type of yoga to practise, I recommend Ashtanga yoga. Also, stay away from doing standing head exercises for at least a couple of months, no matter what your instructor may tell you.

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Can you tell us why it's bad to do headstands right away, and what makes it okay to eventually do them later?

[NT!]

i've done all different kinds of exercise, played a bunch of different sports, did weight training, etc. i did a really mellow hatha yoga class for a year in college and never felt better after a 'workout.' on its own it's not a really intense fitness routine or anything, but it definitely increased my flexibility a ton and improved my core strength.

[Boosted J]

My last two blog entries have had Yoga in it. www.BoostedJ.com. Anyways, I just hired a personal yoga instructor last week. She says the yoga she teaches has some of every kind of yoga in the routine. You stretch a LOT. I'm sure this is increasing my flexibility and I'm on a 2 Class/week program right now. Also it is improving my breathing. I have bad anxiety problems and I also have some unknown(hopefully/probably just inflammation) stomach problems that I'm on medicine for. I'm hoping yoga will help both of these problems. I, as a lot of people, have heard from very close friends and family yoga is nothing but very good.

P.S. I hate downward dog position or whatever it is. FU

[citanul]

wacki,

i take yoga at the local YMCA. my teacher teaches it basically as a flexibility, strength, etc workout, and has 0 chakras etc in class. there is a substitute who is a bit more in to the "healing energy" than i am, but meh, she's not that bad. i very much recommend the Y as a place to start out, since it is cheapo, etc. dno about your neighborhood but also is filled with young hotties.

there's so many kinds of class or just styles of teaching that you almost have to go to a class to find out if it's going to work for you. don't go to a bikram class the first one you go to.

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...also and quite seriously it seems that a ton of hot bitches are into yoga.

We have a lot of yoga classes at my gym and I can't help but notice that the chicks that go into or come out of those classes are usually very fit, often hot chicks with really bangin bodies, which they're willing to display through their tight clothing.

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This is true. Also keep in mind that these girls are usually both extremely flexible and open minded.