FEELING GREAT: Yoga might seem strange but it could make you feel great
My attention was caught when I heard “Namaste Yoggies!” over the loud PA system booming around a park.
A 2,500-plus gathering of men, women and children were taking part in a very relaxing and great-for-your-health open-air yoga class.
It was a hot day too; being 90 degrees plus in Grants Park, Central Chicago where I happened to be that particular weekend.
I was there talking at a fitness industry seminar when I stumbled upon this epic yoga class.
Without knowing you personally, I’m not sure what you think about yoga, but I’m sure you will have at least heard of it.
It’s true that yoga is more popular and much better attended in the big cities around the UK.
I can even understand how people might suggest it’s just a fad, a trendy thing to do, but really, it isn’t.
It’s just a really healthy activity to do once or twice per week. If you’ve never thought about giving it a try, I’d strongly urge you to consider it.
It's a simple exercise routine that you can quickly learn to do on your own.
Even just doing 20 minutes per day of the stretching and posture exercises involved will see a significant and positive difference in how healthy you look and feel.
And if you’re aged 50 or above, I’d go as far as to say there’s nothing more important that you should be doing on a daily basis than a progressive programme of stretching exercises such as the ones you’ll learn at yoga.
Agreed, it might look and feel a bit strange, but for most people who do it, once they’ve done it for six weeks, that’s it – they’re hooked on how it makes them feel.
I can say from my own experience that if I do it first thing in the morning, my whole day seems to be that much easier as a result.
Some people like to do it at night and that’s healthy too because it makes you feel very relaxed and almost guarantees a good night’s sleep.
Why don’t you give it a go and see how you get on?
There aren’t many people who won’t benefit from doing it, so chances are you will.
All you have to do is show up and follow the instructor for a few weeks, and then you can begin to make it a daily habit.