Coming into college, I was introduced to so many different types of habits and hobbies. I was never really a person that worked out or make exercise a priority. However, after dealing with a lot of factors that college brings, including stress and making healthy choices, I narrowed down the differences between yoga and going to the gym and how that helps with my daily routine throughout the semester.
Yoga
As a middle schooler, my aunt was very fond of yoga, so naturally, I learned a few tips and tricks from her. Yoga is an exercise for mental AND physical health. It benefits the mind, body and soul. Doing certain exercises/positions of yoga can also help improve focus and keep a calm and steady state-of-mind. Personally, I use yoga as a stress reliever. Although some positions might be tricky, in my opinion, the easiest and favorite one I use is the sun salutation. The sun salutation is a series of 12 different positions that is mostly done at sunrise or sunset. Since waking up early in the morning is a challenge for me, I like to keep aside at least 15 minutes of my time and dedicate doing three reps of the sun salutation. Another important aspect to yoga is meditation. This is probably the most popular type that I’ve heard among most people. Meditation is a state of mind where you are able to keep focus on just your breathing. It is important to be in quiet place and try not to let other thoughts in your mind go rogue. The only way meditation works is if you can ONLY focus on your breathing. I find myself meditating either after a very stressful day or even while I’m stressed. It helps me bring back my focus and go back to completing my task in an efficient way.
Gym
To be honest, I really didn’t start going to the gym until I started college. I noticed that up until going to college, I never really met people who went to the gym that didn’t want to lose weight or gain muscle. And because of that, my thoughts about going to the gym were so narrow. Then, I started to realize that going to the gym isn’t just about that; it’s about feeling healthy and strong for yourself. Personally, I’m not a hardcore gym person. I don’t do weights or indulge myself in intense workouts, but if I am up for a challenge, I like to take pilates classes at Cary Street Gym. It is quite a workout and you will probably be sore the next morning, but it is the perfect blend of adding a bit of yoga to the gym. As a consistent workout, at least three times a week, I usually run a mile on the treadmill and do some abs workout. With gym in my daily routine, I realize that I don’t get as tired as I used to be. I feel more energized and ready to work.
After three months of balancing yoga and gym into my daily life, I came to the realization that I need both activities in order to go about the rest of my day. Yoga gives me the flexibility and the calmness I need to help my mental health and going to the gym physically gives me a healthy and strong body. Although I don’t consider myself a “hardcore” yogist or a gymmer, I like having a little bit of both to balance out my mental and physical health.