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the necessity of working out and impacts of yoga

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  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    edited April 2021
    Train like I want what?

    Because what I want is a life I enjoy, in a body that facilitates that.

    It isn't a 7 minute mile. It isn't being able to dead lift X amount of weight. It isn't a 6 pack or a 15% BMI.

    It is a body that lets me have experiences I want to have and to do things I love - with people I love.

    It's LIFE, not a competition. There is no finish line, except death. There is no medal for doing All The Right Things According To The Internet Expert.

    There's just life and living and making the most you can from it.

    If you LOVE fitness - yoga, weight lifting, training, whatever - then BY ALL MEANS GO FORTH. I compete in some sports and they're fun and added value in my life - because I *love* playing the game (and played them obese because again I love them for what they are and the experience of them). I have no problem understanding that other people would find that in body building competitions or marathons or yoga or anything else.

    But for me? Weight loss and fitness facilitate the things I love in LIFE. And yeah, sometimes there's training for a competition but I am not going to take time out of living my life in order to train for... Life. That is passing while I 'train'. To live a life I like.

    That'd be silly.
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    edited April 2021
    Look, above post aside and at the end of the my personal attitude is this:

    Weight-loss and lifestyle should be as easy as it can/could be. I'm not going to, and don't want to, go hard at it. I want something that can fade into the background of my life, being as effortless as possible. Which enables me not to focus on weight loss or fitness as a Thing I Am Doing that comes with a finish line or will fall apart when I can't focus on it.

    And it's worked for me.

    I have, interestingly, picked up a few hobbies along the way - running is fun, weights are fun - but I'm not training FOR a thing, and if I stopped both of those tomorrow I could mindlessly adjust my calories back down and move on. Life happens - sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

    And either way I can *without thought or working hard* take a couple of vitamins, and eat at about the calorie level I need to eat, to keep trucking along with the things that need to be done, and focus on things that matter most to me.

    THAT to me is success and what I'm looking for.

    "GO HARD" has no value to me.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,883 Member
    I've taken yoga classes in many different states and countries. In general, if one is concerned about a possible conflict with one's religious beliefs, a class at a gym is likely to be completely devoid of spirituality, with a possible exception of an Om at the end.

    I was raised Catholic, am now Unitarian Universalist, and find yoga studio yoga a great complement to my spiritual practice.

    These descriptions of Christian Yoga actually sound more like what is available at a yoga retreat or yoga retreat center, albeit with different words for "Christ," etc.

    https://christianyogaassociation.org/what-is-christian-yoga/

    https://susanuneal.com/christian-yoga

    Note: the "Should I fear secular yoga?" paragraph mischaracterizes "hatha yoga" and if anyone is interested I will take the time to explain what's wrong with it.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    Wow--this thread is mind boggling. I started light yoga 6 yrs ago for my OA, and just love it. I do what I can, and am amazed at what I can. I integrated it into my main exercise program, and do most of my yoga at home with one weekly class. I have my own religion and I don't think yoga competes with it, but completes it. It is the only time I have to meditate a bit and with the breathing it just comes effortlessly. Christians meditate, as do other religions--no one can control your head. Why not take advantage of something that has so many health benefits? Religion also doesn't have to enter into exercise, and for me, yoga is foremost exercise and overall wellbeing.
  • leiflung
    leiflung Posts: 83 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Would standing on my head help?

    Possibly; but I don't know if I would choose it as my primary exercise both because of inefficiency and because it reminds me a bit of a "silly" challenge I saw the other day that prescribes 5 minute ice cold showers or something.

    Seems a bit like penance as opposed to a scientific experiment! 🤷🏻‍♂️

    lmao I think you're talking about the Wim How method.

    Wim Hof primarily teaches breathing methods which is one of the 8 limbs of yoga. Meaning, in the practice of yoga, making shapes with your body is great but there area also 7 there things you're supposed to be doing. One of them is practicing breathing techniques.

    Yoga is meant to prepare you to sit in meditation.

    Yoga, meditation, and Wim Hof are mostly going to do for you is bring your central nervous system into stasis. It's going to calm you down. Yoga is considered a form of moving mindfulness meditation.

    What these things do for people that other types of exercises don't seem nearly as effective at doing is reducing your stress level.

    The effects of stress on your immune system and overall health can not be overstated.

    And, when I say stress, I don't just mean you've got a deadline coming up. I mean how you feel about your life. I mean how much small setbacks effect you. I mean the way you live minute by minute. These practices change that for the better.

    I would not say they are great for weight loss, but that may just be my experience.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    leiflung wrote: »
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Would standing on my head help?

    Possibly; but I don't know if I would choose it as my primary exercise both because of inefficiency and because it reminds me a bit of a "silly" challenge I saw the other day that prescribes 5 minute ice cold showers or something.

    Seems a bit like penance as opposed to a scientific experiment! 🤷🏻‍♂️

    lmao I think you're talking about the Wim How method.

    Wim Hof primarily teaches breathing methods which is one of the 8 limbs of yoga. Meaning, in the practice of yoga, making shapes with your body is great but there area also 7 there things you're supposed to be doing. One of them is practicing breathing techniques.

    Yoga is meant to prepare you to sit in meditation.

    Yoga, meditation, and Wim Hof are mostly going to do for you is bring your central nervous system into stasis. It's going to calm you down. Yoga is considered a form of moving mindfulness meditation.

    What these things do for people that other types of exercises don't seem nearly as effective at doing is reducing your stress level.

    The effects of stress on your immune system and overall health can not be overstated.

    And, when I say stress, I don't just mean you've got a deadline coming up. I mean how you feel about your life. I mean how much small setbacks effect you. I mean the way you live minute by minute. These practices change that for the better.

    I would not say they are great for weight loss, but that may just be my experience.

    I agree with this. I find that it helps my arthritis pain, and surprisingly (for me) is very calming. I've been a singer since I was little (choirs) all through high school and then college and beyond. I had good breathing techniques and when I started swimming controlled breathing was very important. Breathing in yoga compliments all this. It's just a nice start to my day.

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