Sweating it out in the gym can be comforting and relaxing with the right accessories. A Yoga gym mat is one such workout accessory designed to provide great support and safety. It also assists in balancing and stabilizing the body when exercising. When you are doing heavy-duty exercises such as dumbbell, bench press, barbell, etc.; the gym mat avoids the risks of getting injured. Due to its additional foam padding, a gym mat provides great comfort for your knees, hips, and wrists. Let’s discuss the finest gym mats that help you to maximize your gym sessions.
Yoga on the go!
Fitness is the latest mantra for a perfect lifestyle. Starting your day right not only makes you feel good, but also gets you prepared for the entire day. Kick-starting your Yogic life can start soon as you can shop for yoga mats online at Decathlon. Yoga mats are a must-have yoga accessory, designed specially, to meet the needs of every yoga session.
Questions that help you decide
Weight and texture of the mats matter a lot. Superior shock absorption and anti-skid properties make the mats ideal for a safe and relaxing yoga session.
A wide range of yoga mat to choose from
Yoga mats are available in varied vibrant and cool colors. They are also available in multiple sizes, making it a custom-made mat for almost everybody. Choose the Yoga mat that suits your needs, and add style to your everyday yoga session.
A Complete Guide to Choose the Right Yoga Mat
History of Yoga
Yoga began in India 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit language and means, to join or integrate, or simply union. Yoga started, as far as we know, as part of India's philosophical system, but not everyone practiced yoga, and it has never been a religion.
About 5 million people in the United States do some yoga. Dance and stretching exercise classes usually have parts and pieces that come directly from yoga. If you ever go to a physical therapist, he or she may give you therapeutic exercises that are yoga postures.
What is Yoga ?
Yoga, which means discipline, was developed in the year 300 by an Indian Hindu named Patanjali. Its purpose is to stretch the muscles, strengthen the body and increase concentration. It can also help you relax, if you have trouble doing that.
No wonder this ancient discipline has become popular among modern entertainers and athletes. Depending on who practices it, yoga can be simply a set of exercises or a total way of life.
Some who practice yoga, called yogis, try to use the discipline to reach a high level of consciousness. They respect certain abstentions (things not to do), such as not lying, stealing, being greedy or harming other people. They also practice certain observances (things to do), such as being clean, content, self-controlled, studious and devoted.
Physical control is also important in yoga. Yogis train themselves to take full, deep breaths. They consider breathing a life force, counting a lifespan not in years but in the number of breaths taken.
Unlike exercises that work only on strength, yoga also helps the body become flexible. As a result, some yoga exercises (called asanas) look a little strange, and you may think you need to be a human pretzel to do them. Not so. You just have to relax.
In yoga, you ease into stretches, never forcing yourself. The saying no pain--no gain simply does not apply. You do only the best you can at the moment, and at some later moment you will do more.
All yoga poses demand balance. And since you can't balance if you're thinking about last night's TV show, yoga also demands concentration. Learn to concentrate in yoga, and you will be better able to concentrate in baseball, tennis or even school.
Yoga exercises copy nature. Many yoga poses can be traced to the shapes of creatures, such as the cobra, cat, dog, tortoise, crab and eagle.
In the cobra pose, for example, you ask yourself, What would it feel like to be a cobra. You lie on your stomach with your forehead to the floor. As you inhale, you slowly roll your head back, supporting yourself with your hands. You hold that pose, then come down slowly, trying to move as a snake would move.
All yoga exercises promote strength and calmness. Each move's effects on a muscle, a gland or a nerve center are carefully thought out.
You can choose certain exercises to rid yourself of particular pains, such as back pain from back-packing or leg pain from jogging. Yoga can help condition you for skiing or help you control feelings of depression or fear.
Any good book on yoga will describe various asanas and tell how each works. You may even have done yoga exercises already. Ever done a handstand, or the wheel. Many exercise programs borrow from yoga.
Yoga is practiced with different movements and poses. Many of these poses are not so vigorous, unless you are practicing power yoga. However, yoga sometimes involves poses or postures that need supports. Yes, although it is not generally a physically intensive kind of practice, the practitioners of yoga may somehow need pieces of equipments that can help them perform the poses properly and perfectly. This is where the idea and importance of yoga equipment comes in.
The yoga equipments are not that complicated though. On the most basic, you will just need a proper clothing, comfortable shoes, and mats. You may also need blankets, blocks, or straps for better support. What’s nicer to know is that all of these yoga equipments can easily be obtained either from your local stores, or to online shopping centers where a myriad of yoga equipments are available for you to choose from.
However, with a number of equipments available out there, finding the right tool can be puzzling especially for the beginners. Well, if you are a newbie here and you want to know exactly what you will need to start your yoga practice, then consider the following details. I have mentioned below some of the most notable pointers to note when choosing the right yoga equipment.
Clothing: In yoga, clothes that are comfortable and breathable are a hit. Also wear shorts or pants that are designed for exercises. Finally, note that in the practice of yoga, you may encounter poses that may appear awkward to you like the poses which require your head to go down your hips. In this case, make sure to wear a clothing that is form fitting. The idea here is wear something that makes you comfortable all day long. buy Clothing
Shoes: Although the yoga exercises are often executed barefoot, there are still some instances when shoes are required. So take note of the class policies or guidelines, and just follow what is directed. If you are told to leave your shoes near the entrance, then do so without questions.
Mats: A yoga mat is available for yogis to employ. This yoga equipment is so typical in studios and gyms where yoga classes are taught, and they are often used by the practitioners to keep themselves comfortable when performing the stances. The mats basically help to keep your feet and hands comfortable on the ground.
Blankets: One of the essential equipments for yoga, the blankets is often provided by yoga studios and gyms for the students to use while practicing the movements and poses. These are simply used for the poses that involve sitting and lying, like the basic cross-legged position.
Blocks: The blocks are considered in the yoga industry as a kind of yoga props. Well, this is typically used by yoga students just to make themselves comfortable enough to do the stances. The blocks are also used for alignment purposes. Make sure to use blocks though that you think are stable and strong enough to handle your weights.
Straps or Belts: In yoga, the straps a piece of yoga equipment that is essential for poses that do not require you to reach the rest of your body. The bound poses are one concrete example of a condition where straps or belts are useful.
Yoga Positions for Beginners: Things to Know About
Thinking of attending a yoga class? So you’re a newbie and want to know something about the yoga positions for beginners. Well, if that’s what you are after, then there’s no big problem. A lot of useful resources are available these days for you to consider, after all. All you need to do to find them is to ready yourself for all the challenges that the search may demand, including enough time, effort and interest.
Although the yoga positions for beginners are highly available nowadays, they are still not so easy to follow especially if you don’t know exactly about their basics. Well, this is where the idea of knowing everything about the positions comes in.
The first important thing to know about the yoga positions for beginners is the prerequisites for the practice. Note that although yoga is deemed appropriate for almost all ages, there are still certain limitations to the practice. For instance, it is maintained under yoga that those who are below the age of 12 are only allowed to do the yoga positions for beginners for a short period of time. Also, to fully achieve a great health, the yoga positions for beginners should be practiced every day for about 30 to 45 minutes. The best time to practice the positions is during dawn or early in the morning, but it can also be performed later in the afternoon provided that certain restrictions to dieting are followed.
Speaking of diet restrictions, it is maintained under the philosophy of yoga that the yoga positions for beginners must only be practice when the stomach is empty. You are allowed to consume solid foods though, but at limited sizes. Liquid must also be taken an hour before the actual performance.
The Health Benefits of Yoga
For long years, yoga is considered as one of the hottest fitness and holistic trends that have swept the continent by storm. It is practiced by thousands of people from all walks of life and of all ages. Now, yoga is studied by experts for the possible health benefits that it can give.
Several claims have emerged highlighting the health benefits of yoga. Yes, according to several resources, yoga is not only capable of making you feel strong and flexible, but it can also help cure whatever ailments you may be suffering from, even the most serious health conditions. It is interesting to know then that many of the early research results have revealed that a regular practice of yoga exercises which involve deep breathing, a myriad of postures, and meditation can significantly offer a sense of relief from people suffering from asthma, mental health problems, and cardiovascular disease, to mention but a few.
Let’s take a closer look at these
Health benefits of yoga
#1: Relief for Asthma
Of the health benefits of yoga known to man, its power to heal asthma is the most well-known. Well, this is simply for the reason that with the ever growing number of people suffering from the condition, many of the yoga researches was conducted focusing on how to help these people recover from the situation. Fortunately, many of the studies yield positive results, but they did not reveal at all that yoga can ultimately cure asthma. Instead, they results revealed that yoga can help alleviate the symptoms of asthma.
#2: Mental Health Problem
Several claims have it that yoga has the potential to treat mental health disorders. By these claims, a number of medical experts were intrigued as to how potent yoga really is. They then started to conduct studies involving adults and children suffering from the so-called “obsessive-compulsive disorder”. From the months of study, the yoga group found out the yoga truly works. About 40% improvements were found out and it was noted that those who will continue receiving a yoga treatment is more likely to recover from the disorder.
#3: Cardiovascular Disease
Another notable health benefit of yoga has something to do with the cardiovascular disease. Well, this belief actually stemmed from the findings that the yoga exercises can help relieve stress, and improve the person’s cardiovascular endurance. It can also lower the blood pressure and even heart rate.
Note that those above mentioned health benefits of yoga are what triggered more and more people to involve in the practice.