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How Many Times A Week Should I Practice Yoga?
You know you need to work out. You know you need to take time for yourself. But you have a job, a family, and countless other obligations. Who has time for a yoga routine?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with most medical experts, recommend at least 30 minutes of daily exercise to reduce the risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, and Type 2 diabetes. For those with a tendency to gain weight, the recommendation is to exercise 60 to 90 minutes a day.
Yoga, an age-old Eastern practice, is an ideal way to get the exercise your body needs and the stress relief your mind needs. While experts recommend almost daily workouts, the frequency of your yoga routine might vary depending on your goals and lifestyle.
Need to jettison jiggly thighs? You may need to work engage in yoga up to five or six days a week to jumpstart your weight loss. Once you’re at a fitness level you’re happy with, you may be able to drop back to three or four times a week.
Cross-training? If you’re practicing yoga as part of a larger fitness routine which includes other activities, such as weightlifting or tennis, you may benefit from twice-a-week sessions. This allows you to build the flexibility, balance, coordination, and focus that can give you an extra edge in other sports.
Time-crunched? Enroll in a yoga class that meets once or twice a week. This gives you the chance to work with an instructor and learn the proper techniques that give your body the maximum benefit with a minimum of injury. Because you may not be able to commit to a formal class more frequently, purchase a yoga DVD or video that allows you to practice at home an additional one or two times a week.
One of the benefits of yoga exercise is that you don’t need much time or a roomful of fancy equipment to see results, making it easy to fit in a few minutes here and there. Use these three time-saving tips to squeeze all you can out of your yoga routine:
1. Even the busiest person can find time for stress-relieving yogic breathing exercises. There’s no equipment required, making it easy to practice them virtually anytime or anyplace. Take deep yogic breaths while you’re tossing and turning at night, stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, or between phone calls and emails. If you’re running an errand without the kids in tow, take a few extra minutes to use your ocean breath in the parking lot before you run into the grocery store.
2. Salute the sun. Set your alarm clock five or ten minutes earlier than normal. Use the time for early-morning stretching. If you know the day is going to be especially hectic, spend the time in meditation and breathing exercises—it might literally be the only chance you get all day to breathe. You can also spend the rest of the day focusing on your family and job rather than stressing out about how you’ll fit in your yoga practice.
3. Make yoga part of your routine. You wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without taking a few minutes to brush your teeth—shouldn’t your emotional and physical well-being be just as high on your to-do list? Schedule an hour of yoga two or three times each week. The other days of the week, schedule a 10 or 20-minute mini-session at home. Remember to make it clear to the rest of the family that this is your time, and unless the house is on fire or someone is bleeding, they’re to leave you alone.
No matter how frequently you step onto the mat, consistency will be the key that gives you results. Make yoga a non-negotiable part of your routine. Even if you can only attend one class a week, write it into your schedule in big, bold, black letters.
There will be days that you don’t feel like practicing yoga. Perhaps you’re tired after a jam-packed day or you’re just feeling a bit lazy. That’s okay. We all have days like that. Recognize your feelings, and then take class anyway. By the end of the session, you might be surprised to find that the weary feeling you had before class began has been replaced by a newfound energy and a more peaceful spirit.
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