It is often so easy to push ourselves much further than we intended and forget all the pressure we put on our bodies. Long hours at work, standing on your feet, staying up late finishing a document or project, and spending hours depleting the leftover energy we had left in the gym can lead to issues. One motivational quote we often hear is, “Your mind will quit a thousand times before your body will. Feel the fear and do it anyway.” Although this quote is extremely motivational and can get us through those long Mondays when you need that inspiration, sometimes pushing past those limits is not such a good thing.
Our bodies are quite impressive and well equipped to tell us what we need if we just listen to them. Maybe thats drinking more water, eat that food you were craving, stopping to catch a breath for a second, or taking a day off and using that day to recover and stretch. Our lifestyles have become more and more shifted to the American way of life, that is extremely fast-paced, and although we are used to that, listening to what our bodies tell us can save us from illness, severe injury, and can lead to a much longer and healthier life.
This past weekend I decided I not only needed to listen closer to what my body needed, but to change it up a bit. With this in mind, I decided to take a road trip to Sedona for a hike and some mountain yoga with a friend where I could step away from everything here in the valley. Although, lifting weights is a normal day at the gym for me, taking time to breathe, see the beauty that surrounded me, and stretch was definitely needed.
Yoga has some amazing health benefits and if you’ve never considered trying it here are some health facts from the American Osteopathic Association on why yoga is so beneficial:
There are Physical Benefits:
-
Increased flexibility
-
Increased muscle strength and tone
-
Improved respiration, energy and vitality
-
Maintaining a balanced metabolism
-
Weight reduction
-
Cardio and circulatory health
-
Improved athletic performance
-
Protection from injury
As well as Mental Benefits such as:
- Helping a person manage stress and reducing anxiety
- Effective in developing coping skills
- Connecting your body and your mind
- Reaching a more positive outlook on life
With that said, listen to your body, give yourself adequate rest, and give yoga a shot because even the best athletes in the world have off days. Never strive for perfection, strive to be better than you were yesterday.
