A gym can be an intimidating place – especially for those who have ever struggled with their body image or have been obese. Working out around fitness “superstars” who are lifting a ton of weight and using the 360-degree mirror system as their personal modeling platforms can be intimidating to anyone – let alone someone who has body image concerns.
The gym is supposed to be a place for people to go and get in better shape – but let’s face it, it’s probably not the most confidence inducing place you would want to go following your surgery.
Your doctor has probably told you that regular exercise is something that needs to be a part of your lifestyle going forward if you want to life a healthy life post surgery. If the gym is not an option right away, then you need to consider other avenues to get healthy exercise in. Have you ever considered yoga?
Yoga studios are very welcoming.
Yoga studios have classes that are particularly designed for the novice yogi. Beginner yoga classes will help you learn the movements and poses by slowly working you through them so you can become more flexible and master the exercise over time. Yoga instructors are also very cognizant of new students and will work with you one-on-one with modified stretches and encouragement to get you acclimated. Other students are also quite inviting and helpful – and you could potentially find a couple of friends in the class who can help you along the way and be supportive of your new, healthy lifestyle following surgery.
Yoga has extreme mental health benefits.
It’s no secret that yoga studios are set up with piece in mind. According to Psychology Today, yoga “increases body awareness, relieves stress, reduces muscle tension, strain, and inflammation, sharpens attention and concentration, and calms and centers the nervous system.” Yoga has a direct effect on those dealing with anxiety and depression by impacting brain chemicals that work as regulators. Practices in deep breathing, meditation and prayer illicit a relaxation response that relaxes your body on a cellular level. Yoga also sharpens the mind and helps you have a better sense of self.
Yoga gets you in great shape.
Yoga is an all-body workout that burns calories and tones/strengthens a variety of muscle groups in the body. Holding poses for longer periods of time increase flexibility and strengthens the muscles that help support that pose. While yoga has varying levels of intensity, any level serves a great workout and it is awesome to feel yourself progress and improve. As you advance further along your yoga journey, classes like Vinyasa or Power yoga focus directly on cardio and caloric loss. Bikram yoga or “hot” yoga is yoga performed in a room heated to high temperatures which is particularly beneficial in reducing toxicity and losing calories. According to WebMD, yoga can also be quite beneficial for those with health conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Bariatric patients who suffer from these common ailments can really benefit from starting a yoga practice.
Always follow your workouts with a quality protein and multivitamin supplement to assist the body in rebuilding. Vita4life supplements will amplify the results and help prevent stiffness and soreness allowing you to further improve your physical abilities and rapidly increase your weight loss.
Now go out there and give yoga a shot!