The human body is a constantly adapting system. Much of its condition depends on activity. Without activity, the body falls into obesity and slowly the system begins to malfunction. It is a very dangerous thing, and the currently used BMI system is not doing proper justice to our weight assumptions. Los Angeles Times reported that the 200-year-old BMI index could very well be misdiagnosing up to 50% of women, and up to 20% men. This means that 50% women and 20% men could be obese without even knowing it. Now keeping in mind that obesity can be due to many traits, including genetic, one can still keep track of their life by sound exercise.
The minimum body requirement of exercise per week is 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Strength exercises are very good for keeping the body active, but many people are not okay with visiting the gym every day. In this case, the best thing to do is yoga. It’s not necessary to go to a gym for yoga, you can very well do it at home. If you like to keep control of your body in a sound way, look into these 9 tips for doing yoga at home.

1. Gather supplies

The first step to performing yoga at home is to get some supplies. You don’t have to spend lots of money on buying gear. The best thing about doing yoga at home is that you can wear comfortable pants and a sweatshirt and you’re good to go.

Get a yoga mat, as many poses require good contact with floor and a mat has firm support for the body during poses. Invest in a good yoga book, a DVD or find a good app that explains step-by-step how to work on breathing and body positions.

You can take online help from websites like Popsugar or Do Yoga With Me because it involves least time if you choose wisely. You can get the book on yoga by Tara Stiles or B.K.S Lyengar too, if you need some quick expert advice. The best thing about home yoga is that you are watching the instructor do different poses in peace, without a pack of 20 others to distract you.

2. Improve your focus

One of the key factors that distinguish yoga from other exercises is that it involves working on breathing patterns. Once you try it you will know how peaceful and relaxed it will make you feel. This contributes to improving your overall focus and controls temperament. Your mental health will be better and you will feel that you pay more attention to work or study in your routine. The deep breathing triggers that response in your body.

3. Lose weight without extra pressure

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that it’s an uphill task. The mental and physical energy spent on looking good, eating right, working out, and all gets you so much under pressure.
Not to mention the body standards set by media. When you do yoga at home, you automatically get a grip on your body health. Soon, you will notice that as your breathing and movement gets in tone, so does your posture.

You will be obliged to choose a healthier diet, refraining from eating sugary or starchy food. This will help you lose weight and become leaner, better in form than doing strength exercises that grow your muscles. You can have a great yoga session at home and then prepare yourself a healthy meal. That’s the perfect healthy routine.

4. Maintain your routine by yourself

Once you start doing yoga at home, you will keep the poses that are easy and effective, cutting out poses that may not be suitable for your body. It becomes your own healthcare routine – one that doesn’t involve hiring a personal instructor and visiting them daily, but one that you derived for yourself via trial and error.

Tara Stiles in her book says that “Ancient yoga philosophy says that you are allotted a certain number of breaths in your life. You can lengthen or shorten your life by how you take those breaths.” It is truly remarkable to unlock the world of self-care and live it to the fullest.

5. The existence of yoga

Every now and then you need to remind yourself that yoga could be the best way to workout at home. Ancient yoga had many styles such as Anusara Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga and Hatha Yoga. Each of these styles has its own health benefits, you learn more about them as you do them.

It is important to read and know about how the world has been doing it and how you can instill it in your life. Yoga has also been very meditative, and many celebrities abide by it to keep their cool in their careers.

6. Don’t do yoga wrong

It is very essential for you to know that if yoga poses are done in a wrong manner, they can also do more harm than good. Yoga is devised keeping in mind the body’s threshold, and you need to keep a check on that.

Any extra pressure you exert on your body parts can make you pay a heavy price. Breathing and poses should be done in the correct manner. You should spend a good deal of time on learning a pose first before doing it. Read up on the harmful effects of doing yoga wrong in this article. Keep your cautionary reflexes on, because everything has a negative side to it.

7. Improve core strength

In fitness terminology, core strength is very important. Yoga helps you achieve just that. By building your core, you actually make your body stronger than before. Core builds stamina. It improves posture because you don’t sit hunched back anymore, you move gracefully and get a boost of self-confidence. It gives you balance, making you less clumsy and even much less irritable. Core strength also helps in improving digestion, if maintained along with a healthy and balanced diet.

8. Relieve stress

Many people turn towards yoga to manage the stress in their lives. It has been noted that a breathing exercise like yoga relaxes the nerves, releasing endorphins in the body which are feel-good hormones.

It means you can just grab your yoga mat and stretch a little when life’s troubles are bringing you much stress. It also helps in managing emotions in your head when you meet people or do different things.

9. Be consistent

Keep in mind that any exercise does not show its effects on your body for a couple of weeks. Do not feel disappointed, just stay consistent. In doing yoga at home, you can begin practice by doing 15 minutes every day, and then go on to increase it to 30 minutes and then an hour.
It requires great consistency to adapt to a yoga routine. Once you get in the rhythm, you will be fine, but the first few weeks are going to be a bit challenging, so just stay positive and keep working on your postures.

With all that being said, always remember that nobody can define your limits other than you. If a certain pose is hurting you, don’t do it. Experiment with poses. Choose your poses wisely, and see their effects. You become your own instructor and can do whichever pose you feel like doing every day. If you want a jump start to your home yoga, you can try yoga retreat programs, come back pumped and charged for more!

 

About the Author
KJEApWNZAlma Causey is a content producer and writes about fitness and Yoga related topics as a passion. She have attended multiple Yoga retreats and openly share her experience, tips, suggestions regarding Yoga, fitness and mind body relaxation.