Yoga help

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smadag1
smadag1 Posts: 1,368
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone do Yoga? Does it really help you stretch out as much as I have heard? I would like to try some Yoga to help my flexablity and my back. I sit at a desk most of the day and my posture is not the best. Can anyone suggest a good dvd I can use being a beginer? How do you log it when you put it in your exercise log? Sorry for all the questions but I am not very well informed about yoga.:tongue:

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  • smadag1
    smadag1 Posts: 1,368
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    Does anyone do Yoga? Does it really help you stretch out as much as I have heard? I would like to try some Yoga to help my flexablity and my back. I sit at a desk most of the day and my posture is not the best. Can anyone suggest a good dvd I can use being a beginer? How do you log it when you put it in your exercise log? Sorry for all the questions but I am not very well informed about yoga.:tongue:
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    it logs under yoga....there is an option for it..it does help.:flowerforyou:
  • angelinaz
    angelinaz Posts: 262
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    Yoga is the best and will keep you young! It heals the body from within. I don't have a dvd that I follow. I go to regular classes. I hope someone has some they like to share with both of us!!!! :smile:
  • elli
    elli Posts: 593
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    I actually do bikram yoga - but you have to do it at a studio 'cause you do it in extreme heat. I love it and it burns lots of calories, but you'd have to see if you have a studio nearby. elli
  • Rachael
    Rachael Posts: 168 Member
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    OMG, I love yoga. Occasionally I do Vinyasa Power Yoga and it feels so good. You should definitely try it, but this type is done in a heated studio (95-98 degrees) so it's a little hard to mimic the environment at home. And if you're going to try it, check with your doc, especially if you have high blood pressure, etc... as the heat combined with the constant movement of this class can impact your bp even more.

    If you have the chance, I totally recommend going to one or two classes in a studio, just to learn the basic poses. The positions really do matter, and I never would have learned them from a video.

    I do have some good videos, though and I will send you info (or post) when I get home tonight.

    Enjoy!
  • smadag1
    smadag1 Posts: 1,368
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    Thank you Rachael I would love it if you could send me some dvd titles. I am too shy to go to classes. I know get over it but that is just me:blushing:
  • kattiek
    kattiek Posts: 83
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    I have a power yoga video that I love. It's only 20 mins long, but my body feels good and it's a great mood lifter. It's by Rodney Yee, I'm assuming any other videos he has out there are just as good. Oh and make sure you get a mat! If you don't have one, check out TJ Maxx, mine was pretty inexpensive there.
  • FitnessGeek
    FitnessGeek Posts: 487
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    I started doing yoga 6-weeks ago and I am absolutely hooked!

    I was having some shoulder pain and lower back pain from the way I was standing all day at work. I had NEVER done yoga before, and I was so inflexible I could not touch my toes.

    I began at home with no special clothes, mats, or equipment by doing a free yoga video I found online. It is only ten minutes long, and was perfect for a beginner like me.
    http://www.exercisetv.tv/watchvideo.aspx?id=600080593&series=776658635&filter=776655086_776662287

    I started by doing that video every morning within 20 minutes of waking up. I felt so great after the workouts, that I just had to do more. I explored the other yoga videos on that website, ordered a few through Netflix, and even tried a couple on Youtube.

    I am now doing 30 min of yoga every day. 10 min in the morning and 20 at night before I go to bed.

    My back/shoulder pain has been completely alleviated, I can't remember the last time I bugged my boyfriend for a shoulder massage. I am even sleeping more soundly now, and I attribute it all to the yoga.

    Oh yeah, I can touch my toes now too!

    I wish you luck in beginning your yoga practice, and I hope that you come to enjoy it as much as I have. :flowerforyou: I have signed up for my first official class this spring, and starting slowly at home helped me build up the courage to do so.
  • Rachael
    Rachael Posts: 168 Member
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    You're very welcome. I know exactly what you mean...I probably never would have gone if I didn't have a friend who was already doing it. But, yoga studios are really different from any other type of work out facility you've ever been in (at least the ones I've been to). People are really focused inward on breathing and poses...not so much time to worry about anyone else. If I paid attention to anyone else, I'd fall over :laugh:

    My studio offers a program for beginners. I think it's 8 classes, you have to register and no one other than the registered participants are allowed to go to these specific classes. Really gives you the chance to learn about yoga and how to do the basic poses. And it's a "safe" environment because you're there with the same group of people every week who are at the same level as you... just food for thought :flowerforyou:
  • yogagurl
    yogagurl Posts: 2
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    Yoga is amazing stuff.
    There are too many benefits to even list here!!!

    A great DVD is Shakti with Shiva Rea.
    It has a yoga matrix to design your own workout.
    And 4 preset workouts.

    It is a wonderful tool to have...and just what it sounds like you need.

    Good Luck!
  • dclarsh
    dclarsh Posts: 364
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    If you are brand new to yoga, you should really go to a class first and learn proper form. Otherwise, and I know this sounds counter intuitive, you can hurt yourself pretty badly. If you are really too shy to go to class and can't find a buddy to do it with you, at least start slow with hatha yoga and choose a DVD that is specifically for beginners. Rodney Lee has a good one that you can get at Target for about $12 I think. You should not try power yoga or bikram yoga right off the bat... again, you can hurt yourself.

    I myself have been doing yoga for about a year, and I agree with all the other posters, it's amazing. It really helps with recovery from other types of workouts, and increases range of motion so those workouts are easier on your body.
  • kidsrus2000
    kidsrus2000 Posts: 7
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    I do Yoga too and it's very relaxing and helps me with stretching. I have FitTV and I do it every morning. The kind they have is Namaste Yoga but sometimes the other shows will have stretching with their own yoga. I am even more limber now since I started it this week.

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