Guest Post: Yoga for Women!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Hi Friends,

We are busy busy packing over here, but things are running along pretty smoothly! Luckily the lovely Carolyn, from Full On Fit, wrote a wonderful guest post for us today!



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 Yoga has a wide range of benefits for women.  It's a form of stretching and exercise that improves flexibility, helps ensure joint health and contributes to weight loss.  It's just as good for teenagers as it is women in their 80s.  The variety of yoga poses and exercises ensures that a workout routine can be tailored for anyone.  

Yoga is more than just a series of poses done mechanically.  It's a steadily growing Indian form of meditative movement.  It combines motion and stillness, meditation and breathing techniques to find equilibrium and improve health.  

The use of yoga has been shown to help with various problems that can crop up in daily life. Yoga's fluid stretches and held poses help improve muscle strength and flexibility without the cost of hard exercise.  Of course, yoga is not without risks.  It must be practiced appropriately to avoid injury, just like any other exercise routine.

Yoga has been shown to help reduce back pain and increase the ability of chronic sufferers to move and function.  According to Dr. Seth Greenky of St. Joseph’s Hospital, regular physical exercise is critical to ensuring healthy bones.  Reduction of pain can also lead to lower blood pressure, reduced stress, less anxiety and depression.  All of these are potential side effects to the proper use of yoga.  

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The key is the proper use of yoga.  Any yoga routine must be tailored to the person using it.  A 20-year-old woman may have a wider range of strength and flexibility, and may find a routine with energy boosting poses and stretches greatly beneficial.  Meanwhile a woman who is pregnant will find many poses are inappropriate or potentially harmful, but others help reduce back pain and joint stress.  Older women suffering from chronic joint and back pain can find relief in a tailored yoga routine designed to loosen muscles and reduce stress.  

Many studies have been made on the effects of yoga for various ailments.  It isn't a cure-all and it won't solve every problem.  For instance, yoga has shown no effect on asthma or arthritis.  

Of course, yoga isn't all about pain relief and strength training.  It offers plenty of routines, poses and breathing methods designed specifically for relaxation and stress relief.  These routines can be very relaxing and lead to an overall lower degree of stress and higher standard of living.  

Anyone interested in learning yoga should take the proper precautions.  These precautions include wearing appropriate clothing that allows a free range of motion, avoiding certain advanced poses and stretches as a beginner and taking everything slowly.  Yoga is neither a race nor competition, and taking on too much too quickly is a good way to injure yourself.  Yoga is also not a replacement for medical care.  Chronic back pain may be relieved with a little yoga, but that is in conjunction with traditional medical treatment.

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Yoga classes are offered for all skill levels and virtually any purpose in nearly every city.  Learning with a qualified teacher is a safe and easy way to begin.  It also helps avoid injury caused by trying too much too fast.


Carolyn Fallon is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well being.  She is an avid cycler, golfer and has known to bust some serious moves on the dance floor.  Check out Carolyn’s blog at http://fullonfit.blogspot.com!

Have a great Monday!!

In health,


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1 Comment »

One Response to “Guest Post: Yoga for Women!”

  1. Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines physical poses, controlled breathing, and meditation or relaxation. Yoga may help reduce stress, lower blood eabestreviews

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