Yoga Classes at Home: Trainer Tips by Katerina Moroz

Exercising at home is the new realities of today. Home workouts help keep your body in shape under the limited conditions of quarantine and self-isolation, and simply provide an opportunity to escape from work and cope with external and internal difficulties.

Now many clubs, sports communities, famous coaches and athletes conduct online training. In addition, there are a huge number of useful mobile applications that allow you to choose workouts of different difficulty levels, and also help track your progress.

Now there is a great opportunity to try something new for yourself, something that they wanted to do, but always hold off. For example, do yoga.

Why yoga? Yoga is a universal form of physical activity that strengthens the entire body, positively affects the state of the cardiovascular system, and also helps to cope with stress and depression. In addition, no special equipment is required for doing yoga.

For example, a study at the University of California, Davis, found that hatha yoga classes for two months (2 times a week for 90 minutes) lead to a significant improvement in indicators such as strength, muscle endurance and flexibility.

Kateryna Moroz, a trainer at the Kiev studio Hardio, which has been practicing yoga for more than seven years, told how to practice at home, and also gave some useful tips to all beginners.

“Including yoga in your training process is very convenient. During yoga training, a special place or equipment is not required, you can do without even a rug, using a plaid, a large towel, or even without them. You can do it at home, on the street, in a hotel, in a train, anywhere. A variety of asanas will allow you to train without rising from the bed, sitting on the floor, and even standing, never lowering your hands to the ground. And the lack of work with additional equipment, such as dumbbells, does not downplay the influence of yoga on physical development” says the trainer.

According to Katerina Moroz, yoga harmoniously develops all the important physical indicators of a person and the corresponding mental qualities: strength, endurance, mobility, flexibility, balance.

“All of these indicators can be developed at the same time or by focusing on individual ones, according to goals, time of day, and even mood.

Long fixations in asanas can be used to develop strength endurance, a dynamic change of exercises – when you want to use the cardiovascular system more, or arrange a relaxing session for flexibility before bedtime.

No matter how strange it may seem, a yoga mat can accommodate an entire gym, given the variety of training schemes that can be varied from day to day” says Katerina.

One of the benefits of yoga is its versatility. The training program at home can be selected in accordance with any level of physical shape, taking into account the characteristics of strength and flexibility indicators, which will help accelerate progress and help move to a new level of body development at a comfortable pace.

“There are practically no restrictions in yoga, with the exception of some complex asanas. A variety of exercises allows anyone to introduce at least a few elements of yoga on their day and not violate individual contraindications, if any” the trainer is sure.

However, Katerina emphasizes that it is necessary to closely monitor the technique of performing asanas, and complicate the training gradually.

“Despite all the advantages, yoga, like any other type of gymnastics, requires careful attention to the technique of performing exercises, on which the effect of training on health depends.

Incorrect use of asanas can be harmful and even injuring. Therefore, at the very beginning of the training path, it is important to carry out the programs according to the level of training, and gradually, step by step, introduce more complex elements.

If possible, it is best to contact a trainer who will draw up a training plan, help to adjust the basic technique of performing asanas, and will be able to advise if necessary throughout the practice” advises Katerina Moroz.