P90X3 Yoga Review

P90X3 Yoga Review

Today is Day 10 of P90X3 journey, bringing back Yoga to the routine.  I will give my review of the second time doing the Yoga routine, as well as some history behind yoga and what it does to improve your health.

Day 10 Yoga



Today is Day 10 and Yoga, while only 30 minutes, is still not a favorite of mine.  I do get a sweat going, so I know that is good and the stretching makes my muscles feel so much better, but I just don't care for it.  Keep in mind I usually have a flexible 15 or 12 year old girl next to me saying, almost Dad...I can do it see!  They have some years on me, however I do know the less you have to move from the middle out of the way the easier the stretch and moves become.  I definitely felt a difference in doing moves this week than last.  I was also stronger and able to reach out and hold some longer than last week too, so maybe with time my dislike will diminish.

History of Yoga

According to Wikipedia, Yoga is the physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India with a view to attain a state of permanent peace.  The term yoga can be derived from either of two roots, yujir yoga (to yoke) or yuj samādhau (to concentrate).  Yoga developed in the same ascetic circles as the early Sramana movements (Buddhists, Jainas and Ajivikas), probably in around the sixth and fifth centuries BCE.  In the 1980s, yoga became popular as a system of physical exercise across the Western world. This form of yoga is often called Hatha yoga.

Yoga Improves Flow

Yoga gets your blood flowing. More specifically, the relaxation exercises you learn in yoga can help your circulation, especially in your hands and feet. Yoga also gets more oxygen to your cells, which function better as a result. Twisting poses are thought to wring out venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in once the twist is released. Inverted poses, such as Headstand, Handstand, and Shoulderstand, encourage venous blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart, where it can be pumped to the lungs to be freshly oxygenated. This can help if you have swelling in your legs from heart or kidney problems. Yoga also boosts levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the tissues. And it thins the blood by making platelets less sticky and by cutting the level of clot-promoting proteins in the blood. This can lead to a decrease in heart attacks and strokes since blood clots are often the cause of these killers.

Yoga Improves Mood

Feeling sad? Sit in Lotus. Better yet, rise up into a backbend or soar royally into King Dancer Pose. While it's not as simple as that, one study found that a consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters) and cortisol. At the University of Wisconsin, Richard Davidson, Ph.D., found that the left prefrontal cortex showed heightened activity in meditators, a finding that has been correlated with greater levels of happiness and better immune function. More dramatic left-sided activation was found in dedicated, long-term practitioners.

Steve Szeszko
Your Beachbody Coach