Do you incorporate Yoga or Stretching into your fitness routine? If you don’t, you should. I’ll focus on Yoga, which can be considered advanced stretching.When you engage in regular physical activity, you are working  your muscles. Weight training is most known for building muscle tissue and increasing strength. But regardless of your routine (weights, running, cycling, etc), you are utilizing muscle.

If you’ve ever done P90X® from Beachbody, then you know about Yoga X, a 90-minute yoga routine. The first time I did it, I wasn’t too fond of it (I had never given yoga a chance and convinced myself I didn’t like it without ever doing it). After the 90 day program and doing it once a week (twice on recovery weeks), the benefits of yoga were easily noticeable. I became more flexible, and with the rigors of P90X I felt that yoga aided greatly in my recovery.

Yoga lengthens and stretches the muscle. Yoga is beneficial in many ways (depending on which moves you incorporate into your routine) – flexibility, strength, posture, breathing. It can also relieve stress and benefit the heart. I personally work hard at keeping myself in the best shape I can. I don’t train for competition so I’m not in a gym countless hours a day working muscles groups intensely – I’m just “training” for overall health. But trust me, around 1-hour a day of P90X works the muscles hard. Yoga not only aids in recovery, but it keeps you more refreshed ready to hit it hard the next time. The less flexible you are, the more prone to injury you are. Cool down/stretching after any routine you do is very important and should never be overlooked or ignored as it’s as important as the exercise itself. But yoga should be part of your weekly routine. I currently do Yoga X on my rest day (once a week) and will probably find other routines just to change it up. I’ve researched it’s benefits, and can honestly say I feel the benefits myself.

Just remember, as with any physical activity, there is always the risk of injury. Don’t push yourself past your limit or you might tear something. With yoga or and stretching move, you just want to start feeling the muscle at work. And if you have any medical condition or any doubt, you should consult your doctor before trying yoga.