So, if you haven’t tried yoga yet, it’s probably because you feel like you don’t want to “waste” a workout hour on just stretching. That’s normally what people like us (Pretty Hard Workers!) think about yoga… before trying it.

But, when you arrive at class and see others doing poses like the one above (crow pose), you can’t deny that yoga has some intense benefits. What other kind of workout would help you hold your body in a balancing pose like that?

Today’s guest blogger drives home the point – if you haven’t tried yoga yet because you think it’s too easy… it’s time to change the way you think about this age-old practice:

Yoga IS an Intense Workout

Yoga can be it’s own intense workout – it runs the full gamut of intensity depending on the branch of the tree you’re practicing from!

Combined with other intense workouts, Yoga can bring the beneficial elements of balance & flexibility.

Balance poses create coordination along with building strength & focus, this increases safety and decreases the risk of injury.

Flexible muscles are a must for intense athletes who want to prevent injury and decrease pain in their muscles and joints.

Yoga poses can be integrated daily as stretches, or 2-3 times a week for balance & strength.

– Nancy Byrd Radding, Fitness Director/Intern Coordinator, The Oaks at Ojai

We agree, Nancy! Yoga is a great addition to intense workout routines. From supporting what you do in other workouts, yoga can help you build strength and balance that you won’t get elsewhere.