Advice and support on Yoga and weight loss welcome.

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SiobhanNeill
SiobhanNeill Posts: 4 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Following a recent operation I’ve had a huge wake up call regarding my overall health and well being. I’ve made a promise to myself to take better care of my health and would like to lose weight and improve my strength and flexibility. I really want to start practising yoga (for the first time) and continue swimming to help me lose excess weight. Any support advice would be very welcome. Thank you.

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  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Given your recent operation, I highly suggest you find a reputable yoga studio in your area. Let them know what your health issues are and if they are worth their salt, they will provide you with special guidance and modification. Once you understand how to move your body appropriately, you can switch to home practice, if that is what you are more comfortable with.

    However, to lose weight and for overall health, you will also need to take a close look at your diet. Less calories for weightloss, balance for health, anything more specific depends on your unique preferences and medical conditions.
  • DaveJ_43
    DaveJ_43 Posts: 139 Member
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    Check out beginner yoga videos on YouTube's "Yoga with Adriene." She's great and will get you started without risking injury. If you want ongoing support, please feel free to friend me. Good luck!
  • Ninkasi
    Ninkasi Posts: 173 Member
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    Yoga is one of my preferred exercises, I've done Iyengar style for years and have gotten into ashtanga also. The reason Iyengar is great to start with (IMO) is that it focuses on individual poses and the poses can be modified for your level of fitness or flexibility so it's a great style for beginners. The other thing to remember about yoga is that it teaches you to listen to your body and work to expand your limits, but not push yourself too hard while doing it. The only person you're trying to do better than is yourself. Remember there's no such thing as a yoga competition!

    Also, do drop-in classes at different studios and see which place you like best. Each studio has its own vibe, even among studios that do the same style of yoga.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Yoga can be a great stress reducer. Yoga can make you more "body aware." Yoga can increase your range of motion. These are great health benefits, but yoga won't directly help you lose weight.
  • Candylou11
    Candylou11 Posts: 19 Member
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    DaveJ_43 wrote: »
    Check out beginner yoga videos on YouTube's "Yoga with Adriene." She's great and will get you started without risking injury. If you want ongoing support, please feel free to friend me. Good luck!

    I have just started doing some yoga sessions at home the last month and a bit as I too have been dealing with multiple health issues since my total thyroidectomy last Oct. I love the "Yoga with Adriene" videos and she has a bunch to choose from. I am currently working through the 30 day challenge. I am not particularly graceful, and some moves I have to modify but I am loving the videos. I tried a class at a yoga studio and being that the session was an hour and a half it was just too much for me right now but I loved the teacher. Maybe someday down the road I may go back but.... I have already noticed a difference in my range of motion and flexibility.
  • Wolfger
    Wolfger Posts: 350 Member
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    YWA is great. I started with the "TRUE" series (30 days) and it was easy enough in the beginning, and by the end of it I was doing some things I was pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to do. I'm now on my 48th consecutive day of yoga, and can't imagine missing a day.

    Adriene has a mantra of "find what feels good" and emphasizes listening to your body rather than forcing yourself to try to rigidly fit into a pose. And raise the corners of your mouth. :smile:
  • slets2018
    slets2018 Posts: 1 Member
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    Bikram Yoga!!!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    i recommend going to a studio first before learning on your own so that you can learn proper alignment. bad alignment leads to injury.
    a yoga studio may have karma or community yoga which is low cost or pay what you can.
    also look at the different types of yoga.
    for beginners, i recommend hatha which focuses on individual poses and alignment
    vinyasa is flow. putting the poses together.
    bikram does technically mean something but i've found many classes advertising bikram don't hold to the philosophy. it might be power-strength and or hot yoga where if you aren't aware of your body's boundaries, injuries happen by overstretching.
    ishtengar(sp) is a specific style of yoga that is a series of poses.
    yin holds the stretches for a long time. it can be challenging physically and mentally
    restorative is like yin but you don't hold quite as long as yin but more than hatha
    acroyoga is silly fun that is done with a partner.
    aerial yoga uses a hammock of fabric to support flexibility. there are a few different schools of thought with it with everything from only doing things with your feet on the ground to classes with full inversions and fabric wraps

    i think that covers most of the popular styles.

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