Ugh, exercise. It’s so good for you, but sometimes so easy to ignore, especially if it’s too cold to go outside or you’re not a member of your local pricey London gym. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get all the yummy benefits of physical and mental fitness at home! Enter yoga.
Yoga, from the Sanskrit root yuj, began as a deeply spiritual practice combining meditative conscious states and asanas (postures) in ancient India before it made its way into the modern mainstream where countless people began to enjoy yoga’s numerous health benefits.
As a practice, yoga can boost flexibility, increase strength, reduce stress, and dramatically transform your personal relationship with your body. So if you’re looking for a low-key way to sneak a workout into your life with the extra special benefit of mindfulness and well-being, here’s why you should start an at-home yoga practice.
It’s So Easy To Do
All you really need is a yoga mat and the internet. Amazon stocks plenty of basics and you can surely find a good mat at stores like Sports Direct and John Lewis as well. Just make sure you get the right type for your floor; non-skid is essential for laminate dorm floors.
Once you’ve got your mat, it’s time to head online! I highly recommend using Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. This channel literally has it all. From Yoga for Beginners to 30 Day Challenges to Yoga for Self-Love, there’s not a single topic that super friendly yogi Adriene Mishler doesn’t cover. She’s my personal go-to after my yoga loving friend Ashley raved about her videos. Many of Adriene’s videos include pose variations meaning that my plus-size lovely self can go for an easier pose when a task seems a bit beyond my scope. This has done wonders for my self-consciousness, allowing me to fully embrace and engage with yogic practice at any size.
If Yoga with Adriene’s not really your style, you can also check out Yoga with Tim, SaraBethYoga, Sardie Nardini, or YogaTX. Feel free to do your own exploring as well! There are hundreds of free yoga videos available online.
All that’s left is to press play and begin! It’s that simple.
You’ll Release All The Endorphins
Yoga has been proven to improve mood, boost flexibility, and reduce stress. Even after a short 20 minute practice, you’ll gain so many of these benefits. Since yoga has roots in meditative practice, it’s more cerebral than your average exercise routine. If studying for exams and writing papers has your brain friend, a quick yogic sequence can light up your happy receptors and send wellness through not only your body but that precious noggin of yours as well. Yogic breath called pranayama (or mindful breathing) also has amazing health benefits related to reducing anxiety, stabilizing blood pressure, and even decreasing cortisol levels.
Doing yoga at home means you have access to a wealth of health benefits literally on your bedroom floor (or desk chair if you’re feeling a chair practice).
You Can Squeeze It In Anywhere
Stuck on campus all day? Bring at-home yoga to you. You can sneak in a super quick 5 minute chair yoga practice into your day with almost no effort. Not only will you soothe your aching back (what’s with these bumpy chairs anyway??) but you’ll also pump up your blood circulation and promote more oxygen flow.
The benefit of starting an at-home yoga practice means you’ll learn yogic principles in a non-studio environment. This means less pressure to feel like you need to be at a gym to get the healthy effects of yoga. At-home can definitely mean at-the-library which is your second home during finals anyway.
It’ll Improve Your Mental Health
One of my favourite things about yoga is that it really helps you to connect your mind to body. While some other exercise regimes are all about pushing your body to its limits, yoga asks you to connect to your inner state of mind and use that energy as an extension to your body. The benefit of doing this at home is that you get to stay in an environment that promotes comfort to begin with. All you have to do is unroll your mat and you have a space that’s just for you to let go and breathe.
As mentioned before, the practice of yoga does amazing things for mood and this reduction of stress and anxiety can be a perfect mental health boost when you need it. In addition to the more biological health benefits, the meditative quality of yoga means you’ll be engaging with your body mindfully which can be great for mental health.
You Get to Stay at Home!
Ah, so cozy. You can practice in your pajamas in a messy bun in between writing that paper of yours that may or may not be due tomorrow because there is no one there to judge. At-home yoga is also perfect for those cold London days where you’d really rather not leave the house. What better excuse to give it a try?