For quite a few years now, yoga has been a staple of the exercise regime, with an obsessive, seemingly cult following. It is an ancient form of mental, physical, and spiritual exercises designed to bring the body, mind, and spirit into unity. The main components of yoga are the asanas (physical postures), the pranayamas (breathing exercises), and dhyana (meditation). Unlike some other forms of exercise, yoga does not require a lot of expensive equipment. A sticky mat and a balance ball are often all that is needed. It is possible to do it at home too, although most people practice it in classes at the gym. A yoga studio in your own home need not be elaborate – it doesn?t even need to be a separate room. Anywhere relatively free from distraction and clutter will do. If you work out using yoga DVDs, you will obviously need a TV and DVD player in the room too.

Should you give it a go?

Finding the right exercise programme can be difficult. You need to look at your fitness level, physical limitations, interests, and goals. That said, yoga exercise programmes can benefit beginners as well as the fittest professionals. Most people thinking about yoga actually think about one type: Hatha yoga. The overall goal of yoga is to bring unity to the body, mind, and spirit. Hatha yoga attempts to do this with breathing exercises and a series of postures called asanas. These can range from slow, gentle postures, like reclining and focusing on relaxation, to more difficult postures like inversions (head stands). People who are new to exercise, or who may have problems holding the postures due to injuries or disease, might want to consider Iyengar yoga instead, which relies heavily on the use of props for balance.

Doing the different postures can ease muscle tension, increase your strength and flexibility, and encourage relaxation and mindfulness in your daily life. Typically, though, unless you are very out of shape, Hatha yoga will not raise your heart rate, so it is not considered aerobic and probably does not offer a cardiac benefit. If you need cardio exercise specifically Hatha yoga by itself will not help – combining it with another regime such as aerobics however will bring great benefits. There is also a more aggressive form of yoga. Ashtanga yoga, sometimes called Power yoga. This focuses heavily on building strength and endurance. Instead of the slow, relaxed movements of Hatha yoga, students move swiftly from one posture to another and this is the type of yoga preferred by athletes. In essence though, yoga is adaptable and can help people of almost any ability and fitness level.

For more information, head down to your local gym to find out more about the options available near you.