Benefits of Yoga for Beginners

Hi friends! Here is a piece written by guest blogger, Carolyn Fallon of "Full On Fit."  If you have any stubborn friends in your life that are still holding out on taking their very first yoga class, here is the article for them! Enjoy ~ xoxo, Mandy

Yoga is one of the fastest growing activities in the world.  Millions of people are practicing this art on a regular basis.  Thankfully, yoga possesses a number of benefits that can truly improve the quality of a person's life.  Knowing these benefits will help you to decide if this practice is right for you.  Believe it or not, yoga can benefit just about everyone, no matter how young or old that person happens to be!

One initial benefit to yoga is weight loss and improved flexibility.  In times like these, more and more people are trying their best to lose excess weight and become healthier.  Yoga is a great practice to encourage weight loss and can help you to maintain the weight that you have lost.  It has been proven that you burn calories the more you move during the day.  Dr. Perry Cooke of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Health Center reminds patients “…motion is great for lubricating joints and staying fit.”  With yoga, you will be moving from one pose to the next, which helps to burn calories and sculpt your body so that it is more toned.  For individuals with a weight problem, yoga can be a gentle way to lose excess pounds and become healthier.

Flexibility is yet another huge benefit to practicing yoga.  Yoga uses specific poses to get the body into positions that it may have never been in before.  Improved flexibility will help to alleviate mobility problems that you deal with each day.  You will be amazed at how beneficial yoga can be for you.

Besides providing joint relief, yoga is also great for reducing stress in a person's life.  With all of the stress that most of us deal with on a daily basis, it is nice to know that there is a gentle exercise that you can do to maintain your stress at a healthy level.  There is simply nothing better than being able to relax after a long day at work by doing some gentle poses.  Whether you take a class for yoga or decide to use a DVD at home, you will find it incredibly beneficial to begin doing this type of exercise.

With the variety of benefits available, you will notice that yoga can definitely improve your quality of life and well-being. Whether you are looking to lose weight, improve joint health, or reduce stress, yoga can be the perfect fit for you.  You should consider taking a class or watching a video online to ensure that you are doing the poses correctly.  If you do not have proper posture during a particular pose, you may do more harm than good.  By learning from a professional in person, you will be able to see just how easy it can be for you to improve your life with a gentle exercise that is fun and relaxing.  You will find yourself practicing yoga each and every day simply because of all of the benefits that can be had when you begin this type of workout.

Carolyn Fallon is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well being.  She is an avid cycler, golfer and has known to bust some serious moves on the dance floor.  Check out Carolyn’s blog at http://fullonfit.blogspot.com