WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ... EXERCISE : As healthy trends continue, yoga gaining in popularity
Posted on Monday, July 14, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/63707/
Running and high-energy movement, components of aerobic exercise, are apparently giving way to the gentler, more balanced moves of yoga and other gentler exercises.
Why ?
Dr. Janice La Brie, the founder of the Horizon Health Center in Bentonville, says the goal of most practitioners of aerobics or yoga is the same — to improve physical condition.
“ Most of us don’t get enough physical activity, ” La Brie said. “ We work all day, often in an atmosphere filled with stress. After work, many of us try to get in some exercise. Without listening to our bodies at all, we begin strenuous, high-impact exercises that can be overly stressful on our joints. Over the past several years, people are recognizing that type of exercise is too hard on their knees and joints.
“ And it doesn’t allow them to have balance in their lives. People have begun choosing gentler exercises that can definitely still raise the heart rate, but gives them an opportunity to balance the pace of their inner lives. They feel much more connected and balanced. ”
La Brie said another important reason gentler exercises have started to replace more frenetic activities involves the lactic acid created by high paced aerobic activity.
“ A lot of metabolic waste is created by strenuous movements, ” she said. “ In yoga, less energy is expanded, therefore, less energy is created. Yoga is designed to encourage lymphatic flow. The other major reason people are beginning to practice less strenuous exercise is to lower the incidence of degenerative joint disease. When jumping up and down is avoided and there’s a reduction of wear and tear on the joints, there is less joint disease. ”
La Brie noted that although the popularity of yoga has increased recently locally, the practice of yoga isn’t a trend. It’s been around for thousands of years and originated in India. In Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, the word yoga means union. The union between mind, body and spirit is often associated with yoga.
Far more than “ just stretching, ” yoga is about developing both strength and flexibility. Both attributes are achieved through the performance of poses or postures, each pose has specific physical benefits. If the poses are done quickly and in succession, heat is created in the body through movement. If the poses are done more slowly, stamina is increased in the body.
An emphasis on breathing and meditation may be part of yoga classes. Some people may discover an interest in spiritual exploration that began in a yoga class. Other people may just benefit from the low-impact workout they enjoy in a yoga class.