Yoga can be a peaceful, relaxing experience for your body, mind and spirit. These Ancient Indian practices aim to still the mind through awareness and mindful motions. Practicing yoga has many benefits for the body and mind. Conscious breathing and associated meditation promote relaxation and can reduce stress and anxiety levels by decreasing cortisol secretion. Yoga requires time, practice and patience. These disciplines also require strength. Here are some great ways to increase your strength for yoga.
1. Nutrition
We all know that the foods we consume play a drastic role in our overall health. A healthy diet consists of lean proteins, vegetables and fruits. By eating a nutritious diet, you provide your body with the vitamins, nutrients and fuel it needs to build muscle. Nutrition is essential for maintaining a healthy weight and losing weight. You can become aware of what you eat daily to help make better choices. This can help improve your energy levels, focus and help facilitate fat burning and muscle building to increase your strength. Optimize your health with fact-based resources such as USANA Europe for guidance on nutrition and many other topics that relate to your health and well-being.
2. Core
Your core muscles help with stability, balance and a variety of movements, all of which are essential in yoga. Core strength will improve numerous aspects of your life, including your yoga strength. A strong core can help with back pain, weight loss, balance and so much more. Focusing on your core will help you hold poses longer and with better posture, too. If you are unsure of where to begin, start simple. You can perform hundreds of exercises to target your core, so instead of being overwhelmed, just start with the basics and focus on using the proper form. Crunches are one of the most popular core exercises, aside from sit-ups. Other wonderful exercises for beginners include planks, bridges and the superman movement. Dedicate ten minutes a day to core strengthening exercises. You will be amazed at the differences you notice, especially in your yoga practice when doing motions such as Tree or Half Moon.
3. Arms
The arms are another muscle group used frequently in yoga. Positions such as Downward Facing Dog, Upward Bow and Crow all rely heavily on upper body strength. Plank variations during your core workouts will double as an upper-body strengthener. You can incorporate bicep curls, hammer curls, shoulder presses and triceps kickbacks for a beginner’s arm workout. If you do not have the equipment, there are plenty of bodyweight exercises you can try. The push-up is the most popular bodyweight exercise, and it is highly effective. Start on your knees as a variation until you are able to complete a push-up with good form.
4. Legs
Most workout hobbies revolve around leg strength. Your lower body propels your body forward, provides a solid base and helps perform many tasks. In yoga, lower body strength is required for many poses, including Goddess, High Lunge and Warrior. The more you practice these motions, the stronger the muscles you use will become. However, there are many exercises you can do to strengthen your legs, such as lunges, squats, side lunges and skaters. All of these can be done without any equipment.
5. Practice
As with anything in life, practice makes perfect. The best way to strengthen your motions and to feel more comfortable in the poses is to keep practicing. Spend extra time practicing the poses you struggle with until you are able to perform them well. Remember to build off the basic poses and not overwhelm yourself with too many new poses at once.
Yoga can calm your mind and body, making it a wonderful, healthy practice to perform. Improving your overall strength can help you hold positions longer and establish a more solid base for stability and balance. Incorporate core, arm and leg exercises into your workouts to increase your overall strength for yoga. Remember, diet can play an important role in your performance. Lastly, keep practicing!
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