By Thomas Beranek, Snap Fitness
Everyone understands the holidays can be an easy time to eat more and gain the extra winter insulation that follows. While diet and exercise are important year-round, it’s important to acknowledge the middle of the holiday season is not the ideal time to start a new health regimen; stress is just as much an enemy of a waistline as a sedentary lifestyle.
Exercise is a proven stress reliever. The central nervous system responds favorably to physical exercise, and regularly exercising to elevate the heart rate for at least 30 minutes three times a week has been shown to significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Yoga is a physical activity ideal for coping with the added stress of the holiday season. In fact, yoga emphasizes stress reduction through self-reflection and breath control even with the most physically demanding tasks. You are calmer, more centered, and more able to handle the day’s stressors after a session of yoga.
Don’t worry if you aren’t flexible or particularly coordinated. Yoga is not what is portrayed in the popular media. Yoga is for everyone. From the most petite to the burliest, yoga allows you to work up a healthy sweat for your physical fitness and an even healthier opportunity to quiet the stress in your life.
But it’s equally important to build a stress-relieving regimen before the holidays are knocking at the door and it’s suddenly impossible to imagine the time to step away and de-stress. Taking the opportunity now to participate in a class and start a regular habit is the best way to manage the stress throughout the entire season. Yoga offers a host of stress reducing-techniques in the classroom and beyond.
At Snap Fitness of Eau Claire, we offer a variety of yoga classes for every age, ability level, and physical goals: Gentle Yoga, Relax Yoga, and Power Yoga. We avidly believe the benefits of yoga will help you reach your fitness goals while managing your stress. Please stop by our new location at 1903 Keith Street, just down the road from Memorial High School, and attend a complimentary yoga class. We can’t wait to help you through this stressful holiday season.
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