Yoga is currently taking its final exam. Even though this science dates back many thousands of years, it has only recently come to the West. This is where Yoga is being empirically tested.The Western mind demands results and evidence, if none are produced, the system does not survive. This is a valuable approach and Yoga is currently being put though the rigors of this process. So far Yoga is passing with flying colors. Don’t get me wrong, its not that the East did not expect that, its just that this approach filters out the fraudulent and frivolous methodologies, which might otherwise survive simply because of superstition and fear, and the East is just as happy that this is being done as the West. This scrutinizing process results in separating the stones from the diamonds and the diamond that is Yoga is starting to shine though bright and clear.
Over the last three to four decades a great deal of research has been done by the medical community and they now, more and more, recognize the health benefits of Yoga. Below, I will highlight the top 10 health benefits that Yoga bestows and I hope it will inspire all of you to take up this wonderful practice is some capacity and reap the rich rewards as well.
The health benefits have been divided into 3 categories. The Physical Health Benefits of Yoga, Emotional Health Benefits of Yoga and the Mental Health Benefits of Yoga. A short explanation is given along with each benefit to help you understand better the mechanisms that Yoga employs to bestow it.
Physical Health Benefits of Yoga:
1. Energy: Yoga exercises, breath control training (pranayama) and use of yoga body locks (bandhas) all work to activate and balance your energy pathways, giving you the vitality and power you need to maximize your potential.
2. Strength: By strength here we don’t just mean physical muscular strength, although that will benefit greatly as well due to the steady holding of yoga poses and the exercises that yoga incorporates, but also the strength of your internal physiological systems. Strength of your immune system, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, reproductive system, etc.
3. Healing: The power of Yoga to heal ailments and cure diseases is becoming more and more an integral part of mainstream medical practice and treatment methods. This ability of Yoga to heal also promotes longevity.
4. Flexibility: Yoga postures (asanas) are perhaps the best type of exercises you can do to improve flexibility. Flexibility is essential for avoiding injuries as well as for the health of the joints, tendons and muscles.
Emotional Health Benefits of Yoga:
5. Peace: Yoga meditations and practice methodology promotes a greater awareness and appreciation of the present moment, which calms the mind and allows the peace deep within to surface.
6. Joy: With the maturing of a Yoga practice, the beauty and depth of life become more apparent and the spontaneous joy of existence emerges.
7. Compassion: Yoga values and philosophy, along with the practice of yoga meditations, dissolves one’s ego-centric reality, thus developing other mindedness, thoughtfulness, generosity and compassion.
Mental Health Benefits of Yoga:
8. Brain Development: Yoga breathing exercises and yoga meditations develop parts of the brain that are normally dormant. Once these parts are activated the power of intuition, as well as other latent powers are unleashed. In addition as the brain develops so does your intelligence and clarity of thoughts.
9. Concentration: The requirement of many Yoga meditations to keep the mind focused on a single object or mantra (sound vibrations), helps to dramatically increase your power of concentration and focused attention.
10. Awareness: Yoga can simply be called the Science of Awareness. This is its primary purpose. To refine and increase awareness so that you can penetrate the veil of the ordinary dualistic mind and encounter your Divine Nature within.
A slim and trim and well toned body is a delight not only to flaunt, but also to behold. Today, women all over the world aim at the zero size and hourglass waistlines. However, the fast paced lifestyles we lead and the demands made on our time, at work and at home, make it impossible to stay in shape and perfect physical and mental health without dedication and guidance.
The best tips for workout routines applicable to women include the following:
Develop a plan
Chalk out your daily chores and free time on hand and only then design a fitness regime to work out. This will ensure that your workout routine will be managed within the free time on hand and the quality of the regime will not be hampered due to any disturbances.
Consult your doctor
It is very important to consult the family doctor and confirm your fitness level to take on the regime intended. It will do you good to periodically check your blood pressure and pulse rate. You should ideally adopt a fitness routine only after consulting your doctor and trainer and considering all the options, pros and cons involved.
Stay motivated
If company helps to motivate you, exercise at the local gym. Remember that the body loses mobility and flexibility with every break in the regime. Identify a space, time and routine that will keep sedentary habits at bay and enable you to exercise regularly.
Remember to adopt warm up and cool down exercises
It helps to develop the routine, complete with warm up exercises prior to the main work out and cool down exercises post regime. Gentle flexing before and after helps a lot and keeps strain and injury away. The warm up exercises enable the body to gradually adapt to the postures required during the regime, while the cool down exercises help to relax the body after the regime, neck, shoulders and every body part involved in the work out.
There are many online and offline resources that help you to put great exercise regimes together and offer guidelines 24 hours a day. Also there are certain simple exercises that you can adopt and practice even as you handle your daily chores, like:
1. Standing with your feet apart and knees slightly bent and bending your torso to the right and left for a great stretch
2. Lying on your back and bending your knees and raising your legs to cross your ankles to tone stomach muscles with the controlled movement and breath
3. Going down on and straightening one leg out at a time
4. Striding forward one leg at a time, keeping your back straight and bending both knees till each one, in turn, nearly touches the floor
5. Holding a chair and in turn, turning your legs out slightly and then raising one at a time as high as you can
6. Lying on your back and raising your knees and lower legs so that they are parallel to the ground
7. Sitting on a stool and resting your forearms over your thighs as you lean forward and pick up a dumb bell weight with one hand at a time
The workout routines are many and it is important to first identify the kind or level of toning you desire before taking on an exercise regime. It is just as important to compliment the fitness regime with a well balance diet. You should also consider simple toning exercises for all round fitness and tone muscles that lose strength and appeal with age. These exercises also help you address problems such as sagging skin and droopy posture.
Do you fell lethargic? Do you often remain sick? I f so, you need to pay attention to your health. This is because it is health that allows you to work or play properly. An unhealthy person fails to carry out different tasks in his life. He often remains ill which does not allow him to fulfill his personal and professional goals. Even if he tries to do so he gets tired very quickly. For this reason it is vital to know and follow certain fitness tips that can help you to lead an energetic life. Here are 5 most important men’s fitness tips that can endow you with a strong and fit body.
Diet. Your diet plays a very important pole in your fitness eating too little or too much is never desirable. A balanced diet is what you need to lead a healthy life. Make sure you take fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat. Having dairy products such as milk cheese and butter in a little quantity is also important to have a strong body.
Exercise. Doing exercise on daily basis is another very vital fitness tip for men. Exercising allows you to have a strong body inside-out. It enables you to have strong muscles and bones. Also, exercising helps to regulate your body temperature and expels undesirable chemicals from your body. Any exercise that you can do personally or in the gym can be a good choice. You can start with some light routines and increase the intensity and time slowly and gradually. Swimming, running, jogging, and walking can be great exercise for men.
Health Checkup. It is important to see your doctor from time to time. It allows you to know if you are suffering from any serious disease. If so, your doctor can diagnose it well in time and recommend you a treatment.
Health Supplements. Another useful men’s fitness tip is to take some health supplements. You can ask your doctor or some vitamins and mineral supplements or use some popular ones. They help to make up for the deficiency of different important minerals or vitamins in your body. Having them on regular basis will certainly make you feel healthier and stronger.
Water. You must also take lots of water every day if you want to be strong and healthy. Water has endless benefits for your health. It gives you clean and beautiful skin, keeps your body hydrated, and helps to regulate your body temperature.