Join a yoga class to stay fit

In today's world, we can shop everything online. You name it and it can be delivered at your doorstep. When times are this easy, it is hard to avoid becoming a couch potato and simply laze around. It indeed sounds really comfortable and makes life easy too, however, there could be several unhealthy repercussions associated with a sedentary lifestyle such as this one. For instance, one of the major problems associated with sitting for a long time could be bad posture, migraine, obesity, vision problem, lethargy, etc. Unless there is physical exercise or movement, we are definitely leading a very unhealthy lifestyle. Thankfully, today you don't have to rely on the gymnasium alone and there are various ways to be fit such as yoga, pilates exercises, TRX, zumba etc available.

It is vital to understand and identify how fit one is and how much they can take before starting off aggressively and suffering later. The list compiled below has an easier routine to begin with; one of the most popular trends picking up now and often used by celebrities is yoga. Yoga was and is famous in India since 5th century BCE. It helps to cleanse the body internally as well externally. The different forms of yoga include hatha yoga, power yoga etc, which a lot of people swear by. There is also the option of pilates, a smooth and highly recommended form of exercise to stay fit and healthy. So before you decide to take up a yoga class or enrol for Pilates exercises, read on to find out the benefits of a few popular routines

Yoga

• As compared to other routines, the effects of yoga are slow, but long term if done regularly
• Yogic postures act upon the various joints of the body including those joints that are often forgotten
• Yoga helps in flushing out toxins thus leaving you healthier and more energised
• Yoga restores a sense of calmness and is also known to heighten the level of awareness

Hatha Yoga

• Hatha yoga is not just an exercise, but understanding the mechanics of the body and using the body to drive energy in specific directions
• It will help to lose all the undesirable cravings
• It helps in exercising the spine and helps relieve back pain
• It increases the level of flexibility and improves bone strength too

Pilates Exercises

• The quality and the precision of movement is valued over the number of sets
• Proper breathing is essential
• Pilates is gentle and less aggressive as compared to other demanding routines to lose weight
• It helps develop a strong "core" i.e. all of your abdominal muscles

There are various yoga classes and pilates exercises easily available both online and offline. Find out which routine suits you the best before investing in one. After all, a fitness routine should be fun and not a punishment.

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How Many Minutes Per Day Do You Have to Work Out to Get Fit?

Exercising on a regular basis helps you maintain a normal body weight while increasing energy and endurance levels. It also reduces your chances of developing obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition, regular exercise helps to clear your mind and relieve stress.

CDC Recommendations

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists three options that adults can choose from to achieve the level of physical activity needed to improve and maintain physical health. Choice one is 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity combined with muscle-strengthening exercises at least two days a week. Choice two is 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity combined with muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week. Choice three is a mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity combined with muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week.

Daily Calculations

• Exercising 150 minutes a week amounts to 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. And if you can’t spare 30 minutes at a time, taking a brisk 10-minute walk three times a day for five days of the week will still equal 150 minutes of moderate-intensive physical activity. Dr. Edward R. Laskowski of Mayo Clinic recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity every single day.
• Physical Intensity

• Moderately intensive activities include walking briskly, water aerobics, ballroom dancing, gardening, playing doubles tennis or bicycling slower than 10 miles per hour. Vigorously intensive activities include race walking, jogging, running, swimming laps, singles tennis, aerobic dancing, jumping rope and bicycling at least 10 miles per hour. As a general rule, when performing moderately intensive exercises, you can still talk -- but not sing. When you’re performing vigorously intensive exercises, you have to pause to catch your breath between words.

Muscle-Strengthening Exercises

• Although the CDC lists no specific time requirements for muscle-strengthening sessions, these exercises should be performed until it is hard to continue. You can lift weights or perform other strength-building exercises, including resistance exercises such as pushups and situps, yoga, working with resistance bands and heavy gardening activities such as digging and shoveling.

Sneaking In More Exercise

• To incorporate exercise into your daily routine, FamilyDoctor.org suggests taking the stairs instead of getting on the elevator, walking all or part of the way to work, and going for a walk during lunch or coffee breaks. Also, consider changing your routine to avoid boredom. For example, walk one day and bike the next day, or vacuum one day and mow the lawn the next day.
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