Is Yoga right for me?
Think yoga is all about moving slow and getting flexible? There are so many more benefits to it than that. It’s why you’ll find five different styles of Yoga at Virgin Active – because we know just how good it is for everyone, every day.
If you’ve never tried it or you're looking to have another go, read on to find out whether yoga is right for you.
What is yoga?
Yoga comes from ancient India and it’s a traditional and spiritual practice that involves uniting body, breath and your mind. Controlled breathing and stillness is a big part of a yoga class as it invites you to look inward and become aware of your body. But don’t think you won’t get a sweat on. With lots of different styles of yoga, it’s a diverse exercise which means, however you turn up on the mat, you’ll feel the benefits.
What are the benefits of yoga?
Yoga is not just about flexibility or contorting your body into fancy poses - even though you might find those are some of the more athletic benefits of yoga after you’ve been practising a while. It also helps with:
- Stress and anxiety
- Sleep
- Stability and joint mobility
- Strength
- Balance
- Encouraging self-care
Is yoga good for beginners?
Yoga is great for beginners, especially if you take a Virgin Active Yoga class. We have Yoga Foundations classes which help you to get to grips with yoga poses and positions as well as all the terminology. From there, you can move into our Yoga Calm, Yoga Align or Yoga Flow classes.
Yoga is also great if you’re coming to the practice later on in life. Alongside our Move Club classes, our classes can help give you the functional strength, mobility and stability that you need in your day to day.
How long will it take me to see the benefits of yoga?
Unlike some other exercises, you’ll see a lot of the benefits of your yoga practice straight after class. However you arrive on the mat, you can expect to leave feeling more relaxed or extra energised, stretched out or strong. Keep coming back each week and you’ll see improvements in your balance, stamina, flexibility and inner awareness.
What happens in a Virgin Active Yoga class?
At Virgin Active, we offer 5 different styles of Yoga. Most of our clubs offer our signature Yoga Foundations, Yoga Align, Yoga Flow and Yoga Calm classes. Our Mayfair and Kensington clubs also offer Hot Yoga.
All of our classes are themed each month and your yoga instructor will guide you through a practice that helps you understand what the theme means for you. That could be setting intentions, the pace of the class, mantras, breathing exercises and the yoga poses you get into.
Every class starts with a gentle warm up, a main practice or set of sequences and then a closing sequence followed by a relaxing Savasana, or ‘Corpse Pose’ which helps you soak in all of the benefits.
Is yoga right for me?
The brilliant thing about yoga is that it’s for everyone. Everybody can enjoy the healing, restorative, energising and balancing benefits of yoga. The only thing to think about is what your body and mind are calling for. If you want a challenge, try a more dynamic and high-energy class like Hot Yoga or Yoga Flow. For strength building and mindfulness, choose Yoga Align. And for something a little more relaxing, Yoga Calm will sort you out.
Do I need to be flexible to do yoga?
Absolutely not. While a benefit of yoga is that it can help your limbs feel more supple and help you become more flexible, it’s not a prerequisite to joining class. Every body is different and you will find some shapes easier than others. Some you may practice for years and never be able to make the official version of the pose. And that’s okay. Yoga is so much more than the shape you make. The important thing is that you’re getting the benefits of the pose and, if it’s hard to access, your yoga instructor is there to offer you modifications.
Is yoga right for me if I prefer high-intensity exercise?
If you prefer high-intensity exercise, it’s easy to see why you might not immediately think of joining a yoga class. But why not give it a go? Yoga is a brilliant way to tease out any tight muscles and stiffness. It can help you unlock better mobility in your high-intensity exercise as well as giving you lots of mental benefits too.
FAQs
Does yoga count as strength training?
Yoga is not specifically strength training but it will definitely build your strength. Depending on the type of yoga you choose, it will build muscle and keep you strong but it won’t give you muscle mass in the same way that weightlifting will.
Do I need to be flexible?
Absolutely not, you don’t need to be flexible to start yoga. You might notice that the more you keep coming, the more flexible you become but you definitely don’t need to be flexible before you start.
What happens in a Virgin Active Yoga class?
In a Virgin Active Yoga class, we’ll start with a gentle warm up to mobilise the body, followed by a set sequence of yoga poses and finishing in Savasana (‘Corpse Pose’) to allow all the benefits of your practice to soak in.
Ready for your next workout? Check out all the group exercise classes available at Virgin Active.
Not yet a member? Find your nearest club and start your membership today.
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