Yoga, anyone?

Yoga is great. It will be a perfect addition to your exercise plan as it will help with flexibility particularly if you are doing alot of running. You may find that you have difficulty at first with flexibility because of the other workouts (tend to contract more than stretch the muscles) but it will come with time - be sure not to force anything.

Yoga is also great for building strength as well as flexibility - holding the poses will challenge many muscles, and when you are more advanced, there are some really challenging arm balances.

The yoga mat in most cases is necessary because you will practice barefoot - the "stickiness" of the mat will help with holding poses that may cause you to slip otherwise.

I prefer a slower "flow" as apposed to some of the more dynamic classes that are out there - especially if you are a beginner. There are quite a few good dvd's by GAIAM and Yoga Journal.

Definately give it a try! Have fun!

Eh, I think all the mats are the same, personally. Mine cost about $14 bucks, IIRC, and I've never found it lacking.

Yes, I do Yoga once a week and Pilates twice a week, all with certified instructors. I love the classes and the instructors; they are a great compliment to my strength training routine.

I do yoga a few days a week. I just bought a Yoga set from Amazon it was $24 for the mat, bag, 2 yoga blocks and the strap. If you are going to get anything I would get the mat and a strap. I never used a strap until I started going to the yoga studio I am now and it really helps. I like going to actual classes better than DVD's I have bought a few my favorite one is the Biggest Loser Yoga I picked it up from amazon for right around $6. I have found that Bob explains what you need to be doing better than other yoga dvd's and as a beginner (which I still am) it makes a huge difference if your not trying to look at the tv constantly to see what your suppose to be doing.

I do yoga every Friday. I still want to get my daily burn but I know that my body needs rest. I workout 6 days a weeks. One rest day and one yoga day works perfectly for me. I do it at home on the Wii.

Love yoga! Since the beginning of January, I do yoga about three times a week. I'm no expert (but I can finally hold a plank for longer than 5 seconds!) All I have is a yoga mat & a bottle of water lol! I would try something free, before investing in DVDs or blocks, etc.. Our local cable company has a health/fitness channel, which offers various yoga "classes, (which are taught by YMCA instructors). I also found a Denise Austin (Hot Body Yoga) video in my library's "clearance" rack. Really basic. Rodney Yee's, "Daily Yoga," offers an instructional commentary, which was useful (but slow). Now that I've been doing yoga on a regular basis, I absolutely will invest in blocks and toe socks. I love it! Good luck!:happy:

Yoga fan here- I do four or five classes per week. I prefer more challenging power yoga/vinyasa classes, but I do a kripalu class that's a bit more relaxing.

Yesss, I HAVE to do yoga (hatha yoga- deep stretching, not strength training) or I'm so sore and grouchy. I use a block, strap and mat, and do a 20 minute video a few times a week. nothing fancy. I highly recommend the 5 Day Fit Yoga DVD, by Gaiam, and do day #2. It will change your life.

thank you so much for the replies! i eventually would like to go to yoga at a gym but i'm a little shy and would feel out of place.... i've finally conquered my fear of going to the gym and knowing that i don't look ridiculous so i'm sure i will get there!

it can be intimidating, but people in yoga (especially) are very focused on their own breathing and their own self to really notice anything. plus yogis tend to be super nice. i was scared to go - like SO scared and i had practiced off and on for years. then i sucked it up and went and get better each time!

I prefer a faster flow (vinyasa), but started with hatha, which is gentler, and would recommend either for a beginner. You'll definitely want a mat, not only for grip & shock absorbency, but to provide a "space" for your practice. As someone else mentioned, I'd get at least one block to start out, as well as a strap, which can help make some poses more accessible or more restorative. After 8 years, I still sometimes use my blocks/strap. A lot of places sell a beginners set which includes the mat, strap, and blocks for $20-30. The included mat won't be super high quality, but unless you're going to be rolling it out every day it should serve its purpose at the beginning. I ended up buying a higher quality mat once I knew I'd continue to practice.

Personally, I don't enjoy the pre-recorded yoga experience. I'd rather practice on my own or with an instructor present. I highly suggest seeking out a studio near you while you're beginning. These places often have special prices for first-timers that include a week of unlimited classes, so you can try out different instructors. The experience varies massively between studios/instructors, but it's SO helpful to have a physical person there who can make adjustments for you and explain things.

I love the Vinyasa class that I attend.

The thing I love most about yoga is that I can do it anywhere, and I don't even need a clock. You time everything with your breath, and because of the way your standard astanga workout is structured, it's very easy to remember a 45 minute progression. Add some stretching at the end and you've got a thorough, strenuous, full-body workout that takes nothing but a mat and a few square feet. Doesn't even make noise.

I used to run if I happened to be out of town and couldn't do my usual workout. Now I tend to do yoga instead.

As far as mats go - what are you practicing on? If it's carpet, just use carpet - the mat will make it squishier. If it's a wood floor or similar, use a thin sticky mat 1/4 inch. There are only a few reasons to get a thicker mat than that: your boney and you need extra padding (most people don't), your floors are stained concrete or tile, or you spent $90 on a manduka mat.

My mat reviews:

The cheapo mats you can buy at Target (Gaiam & Hugger Mugger mats). Don't get the thicker ones. At first they will feel better, but you really don't want a lot of give in your mat while doing yoga poses. The 1/4 inch ones are fine, have good stick, and can go in the washing machine to clean (use vinegar, not soap - also, washing mats makes them a little stickier).

There are also travel mats - for the most part, I find these useless.

The more expensive mats (Jade, Lulu, Hugger Mugger, Manduka) are personal preference. I know some people that swear by each kind. This is something to decide when you've gotten serious about yoga. I love my manduka mat, but it's too much money for someone just getting into yoga. The advantages are you can use it on carpet, wood, or concrete, and it has a good stick. Disadvantages: heavy - it's a workout to carry it to a studio and it can't go into the washing machine.

I use the cheap Hugger Mugger and Gaiam mats when I go to the studio, the manduka at home.

There's a yoga group here open to all:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1484-generic-yoga-group

I bought a Groupon at the beginning of the year for 20 classes of power yoga at a nearby studio and I'm in LOVE. I had never done yoga before in my life so I imagined it would just be a bunch of bean-pole thin girls wearing fancy clothes stretching...and I could not have been more wrong. I sweat more and feel more sore after a 75 minute power yoga class than I do after my boot camp classes at the gym. The time flies by too.

I used a Target mat when I first started, although now that I plan on continuing I bought a Lululemon mat (I hate myself a little for going into the store but it really is nice not having my hands slip everywhere).