Why Did I Choose Yoga?
So I wanted to share with you my experience with my 3 Week Yoga Challenge! The reason I chose this 3 week program was because I wanted something fairly simple that I could ease myself back into working out. I had been able to do some ballet stretches on and off in the Fall of last year and I enjoyed taking the kids on walks. But there was nothing really consistent much less challenging since I had had Angela. I also liked this program because it was a good introduction to yoga. It slowly talked you through the poses and even though I felt lost for the first session or two, I was easily able to follow along within a couple of days. And best of all, the sessions were all within 30 minutes or less! With an infant that still doesn’t nap long consistently, I needed a short daily routine that I could squeeze into my busy day.
What Were Some of the Benefits that I Experienced?
There are so many good things that I can say about yoga! The most important benefit that I received was that yoga was strengthening my back, shoulders and neck which in turn would help alleviate the arthritis in my neck. When I had my monthly appointment with my chiropractor, he affirmed that this was probably the best thing that I could be doing to stretch out and strengthen those back and neck muscles that I so desperately need to develop. Everything else has just been icing on the cake for me! I have been getting more flexible, more strength in my upper body (which has surprised and delighted me!), and more confident. My poses became stronger. You can see the progression of one of the poses below – downward facing dog.
In the picture on the left, you can see my legs, back and neck were much tighter. My heels were lifting much higher off of the ground. And I also relied on a stack of books throughout the routines during the first week because I couldn’t reach the floor. In the picture on the right, my stretch is much more relaxed and my heals are closer to the ground. This used to be a very difficult pose and now it’s considered a “resting” pose!
“It’s not about how far you can stretch, it’s about what is right for you and your body.”
Another huge improvement has been my planks. I would tell everyone unashamedly up until recently that I have had no upper body strength. But now I am holding a strong plank pose AND slowly getting stronger with the modified push-ups. I’m so excited to continue and see how much stronger I can become in ways I never imagined I could!
I just can’t get over the strength and confidence that I developed in such a short time!
What Were the Results for My Yoga Challenge?
Honestly, I did not expect such a short, low-key program to make too many changes for me. I really was just looking for something easy to help me start working out consistently. Boy was I surprised! I lost a total of 3.5 lbs and almost 4 inches (1.5 inches on my waist alone)! You can see the comparisons below:
All in all, I believe my 3 Week Yoga Challenge was a huge success and I really enjoyed my experience. I have been so surprised by the strength that yoga develops and that I have been able to successfully do the poses! And time and again the instructors are always encouraging: “It’s not about how far you can stretch, it’s about what is right for you and your body.” Each body is so different. I love how you can always go at the pace you need to until you can develop the strength you need to perform the harder pose.
If you would like to order this workout program or see what other programs are available you can comment below, send me a message or click here.
And of course, I was not the only one who enjoyed the yoga mat:
My babies always loved joining me on the mat as well! ❤
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Originally posted on May 17, 2018
changemyhealth 