Yoga - An easy and cost-effective way to lose weight and feel great!

[ChristySmiles]

I know this isn't the first time I've praised Yoga on this forum, but I just wanted to say that I have had great success with Yoga since I started doing it 6 months ago. It has helped with weight loss - not in a miraculous sense or anything - but what I really love is I am so much more flexible and I feel better overall. It has quickly become the favorite part of my day. Yoga is how I relax and de-stress.

Another great aspect about yoga is that there are all different types and levels, so you don't need to be awesome and be able to touch your nose to your knees at the start. Also it's SUPER CHEAP to do it. You don't need expensive machinery, equipment or a uniform or anything. All you need is a yoga mat and flexible clothing that doesn't restrict your movements.

If you're new to yoga, you can always join a class, or you can check out beginner videos online for free. There are tons on YouTube. Take it easy at first and don't push beyond your body's limits. You'll get better the more you do it!

[suzieQ]

I couldn't agree with your more that Yoga is definitely cheap and it can certainly improve your flexibility. Unfortunately, I think my body was designed to be anti-yoga. I just can't bend that way lol. I did try it, but I found that personally I lost more weight from walking than I did with Yoga.

[Firefly77]

Hmmm, I've never tried Yoga. I never thought of it as being good for weight loss. I thought it just made you more bendy lol . Any thoughts on pilates (sp?)? Have you tried that?

[TammyBear]

It is only cheap if you know how to do it. If you don't know what you're doing, you could easily hurt yourself. If you're trying to learn by way of a video, i'd really recomend that you get a mirror so that you can actually look at what you're doing and compare it to the person instructing in the video because it's very hard to tell if you're doing the right thing just by the feel of it.

Yoga is something that takes time and experience and it is a precise form of movement and positioning. It's very easy to do it wrong and if you do it wrong, you not only won't get as good results but you might get hurt in the process. That's not cheap at all.

[MadMike]

You could always just go to a class and learn how to do the moves and then follow a video after that. That's an investment at the beginning that is still pretty small and then it's free after that, TammyBear

[2strikes]

You could always just go to a class and learn how to do the moves and then follow a video after that. That's an investment at the beginning that is still pretty small and then it's free after that, TammyBear

That's a pretty good point. I thought I was doing it right because i had a Wii Fit and it turns out I was arching in strange directions that I didn't realize at all.

[TracyK]

It's true, yoga can be a cheap and effective exercise for weight loss, but TammyBear does have a very valid point that you need to be careful when doing Yoga, especially when you are a newbie. You can stretch or bend your body the wrong way and could cause yourself injury. I would recommend going to a class first, as MadMike suggested. As with any exercise (cheap or not) you will want to make sure that you are doing it properly, so you get the most of out of it.

[JokerzWild]

I've heard good things about Yoga. That said, I think the cheapest exercise you can do to lose weight is walking. It's good for your health and you were born to do it. You don't need an instructor for that

[TeensyTiff]

It is true that Yoga is a pretty cheap way to exercise and it is good for your body. That said, I will admit that when I first tried it I used only a video and I serious hurt my neck. It wasn't so much the exercise that did it, but I was trying to watch the instructor too much. I would recommend that anyone who is interested in yoga does head to a class first. When it is live and in person, the instructor is easier to follow and can tell you what you're doing wrong. Plus, if you don't follow the right video, you might push too hard too fast.

[Tony1968]

I've heard good things about Yoga. That said, I think the cheapest exercise you can do to lose weight is walking. It's good for your health and you were born to do it. You don't need an instructor for that

I'm with you, JokerzWild. I'll stick to walking over yoga. Nothing's cheaper than good old fashioned walking lol.

[ChristySmiles]

Tony1968 & JokerZWild, of course nothing is cheaper than walking, but I'm not making a point about walking, I'm talking about Yoga

Tammybear - I do agree with you that you need to know what you're doing before you do Yoga, I just mean that once you know the basics, the actual equipment and instruction you need for it, really isn't costly compared to other exercise programs. That said, ya, it's probably best for beginner to head to a live class so they can learn from an instructor that's right there to help them with their movements, etc.