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Category: ABC Blog

Pilates: Why you should add it to your fitness regime

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

Whether you’re already committed to a fitness routine or thinking about starting a new one, Pilates is an often overlooked practice that is great to incorporate into any schedule. 

Here are a few of the many benefits of Pilates. Call us to learn more or schedule yourself into one of our classes — we have many options available, and one to suit your specific comfort level! 

(949) 305-3310. info@ABCFitStudio.com

Pilates has not gained as much traction as other fitness routines like yoga. But it can be beneficial.

Pilates is the go-to fitness choice for many celebrities, fitness gurus, Instagrammers and models. Are you still debating whether to give it a try? Here are some benefits that will motivate you.

  • Increased body strength

While in a gym workout, you isolate muscles or group of muscles to build bulk, in a pilates workout builds long, lean muscles by adding strength to weaker muscles and giving a break to dominant muscles. Your body gets over muscular stamina with less bulk and less effort. Also, you will see an improvement in the functional fitness of your daily life because of enhanced body strength.

  • Makes you more flexible

In addition to increasing your body strength, pilates is also about stretching and a safe increase of the muscles. This does not mean putting your legs behind your head or full splits. Rather it is about increasing your natural and practical flexibility. Research has shown that 20 sessions of this fitness regime can result in a 20% increase in flexibility.

  • Tighten core muscles

Pilates is all about the core muscles that includes the entire midsection like your back, abdomen, pelvic floor and more. The core muscles are essential for a strong back and good posture that helps in creating a well functioning and relaxed body. Pilates exercise engages your midsection primarily for challenging your body stability and proper alignment. Research has shown that your core strength can be improved in 12 weeks of undertaking this regime.

  • Improves posture

A bad posture is linked to headaches and back pains, while a good posture looks appealing, improves your breathing and increases oxygenation. As noted above, pilates creates a strong back and abs. A strong core aligns your spine and balances your body, resulting in improved posture. This will help you get through your daily life with greater grace and ease.

  • Burns calories

When you are exercising, one of the main things you look for is burning loads and loads of calories. Even though pilates is about strength, flexibility, and creating lean bodies, it is equivalent to a cardio workout. During the workout, all your connective tissues and muscles are working with the exact amount of force and support, leading to the burning of calories.

You can feel the effects of pilates even after a single class. And once you start seeing the long-term effects, you will be hooked for life.

Reference: {https://www.buzztribe.news/pilates-why-you-should-add-it-to-your-fitness-regime/}

Looking to try something new and to belong to something spectacular? We have just what you need! Our space, instructors, and clientele are second to none! Come witness the benefits of pilates and yoga and watch your body (and your confidence!) transform! Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/theabcfitstudio or give us a call at 949.305.3310 to get started!

Seven Ways to Cope with Uncertainty

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

What should you do when the whole world is facing such uncertainty?

Pilates. And lots of it. 

We are kidding / not kidding. The truth is, moving your body, breathing deeply, focusing on your own well-being — these are all REALLY important to your health – and sanity. Women especially tend to put these on the bottom of their to-do list — and that’s not good.

We have a very clean space with very aware trainers and staff that can see you in socially distanced classes, or even privately. Let us help you take care of you. VIEW OUR CLASSES

Read on to discover some great mindsets and tips to further your well-being — and we hope to see you soon.

Living with so much uncertainty is hard. Human beings crave information about the future in the same way we crave food, sex, and other primary rewards. Our brains perceive ambiguity as a threat, and they try to protect us by diminishing our ability to focus on anything other than creating certainty. 

Research shows that job uncertainty, for example, tends to take a more significant toll on our health than actually losing our job. Similarly, research participants who were told that they had a 50% chance of receiving a painful electric shock felt far more anxious and agitated than participants who believed they were definitely going to receive the shock.

It is no surprise, then, that there are entire industries devoted to filling in the blanks of our futures. See, for example, the popularity of astrology apps, or the prestige of management consultancies dedicated to strategic planning. Fundamentalist religions counter anxiety by providing us with unambiguous rules and absolute truths. Conspiracy theories provide us with simple explanations for complex phenomena.

But sometimes—maybe always—it’s more effective not to attempt to create certainty. Though evolution might have rigged our brains to resist uncertainty, we can never really know what the future will bring. And in improbable situations like the pandemic, which has massively disrupted our routines and utterly destroyed our best-laid plans, we need to learn to live with ambiguity. “Uncertainty is the only certainty there is,” wrote mathematician John Allen Paulos. “Knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.”

So how can we best cope when everything feels so out of control? Here are seven surprising strategies.

1. Don’t resist

There’s no doubt: We are living through challenging times. But resisting this current reality won’t help us recover, learn, grow, or feel better. Ironically, resistance prolongs our pain and difficulty by amplifying the challenging emotions we are feeling. There is real truth to the aphorism that what we resist persists. 

There’s an alternative. Instead of resisting, we can practice acceptance. Research by Kristin Neff and her colleagues has shown that acceptance—particularly self-acceptance—is a counterintuitive secret to happiness. Acceptance is about meeting life where it is and moving forward from there.

Because acceptance allows us to see the reality of the situation in the present moment, it frees us up to move forward, rather than remaining paralyzed (or made ineffective) by uncertainty, fear, or argument. To practice acceptance, we surrender our resistance to a problematic situation, and also to our emotions about the situation. 

For example, you might find your marriage to be particularly challenging right now. Instead of criticizing or blaming your spouse—two tactics of resistance—you could calmly accept your marriage for the time being.

That doesn’t mean that you won’t feel frustrated anymore, or disappointed, or saddened by the state of things. A big part of acceptance is accepting how we feel about difficult circumstances (and difficult people) in our lives. But allowing our challenging marriage to be as it is right now—and acknowledging our feelings about it—puts us in a better position to move forward.

To be clear, acceptance is not the same as resignation. Accepting a situation doesn’t mean that it will never get better. We don’t accept that things will stay the same forever; we only accept whatever is actually happening at the moment. We can work to make our marriage happier, while at the same time allowing the reality that right now, the relationship or the situation is complicated. Maybe it will get better, maybe it won’t. Practicing acceptance in the face of difficulty is hard, and it’s also the most effective way to move forward.

2. Invest in yourself

The best resource that you have right now for making a contribution to the world is YOU. When that resource is depleted, your most valuable asset is damaged. In other words: When we underinvest in our bodies, minds, or spirits, we destroy our most essential tools for leading our best lives.

We humans don’t do well when we defer maintenance on ourselves. We need to sustain the relationships that bring us connection and meaning. We must get enough sleep and rest when we are tired. We need to spend time having fun and playing, just for the joy of it.

Don’t be confused: Self-care is not selfish. Selfishness is an anxious focus on the self. Selfish people tend to refer back to themselves a lot by using words like I, me, and mine. They pursue extrinsic goals, such as preserving their youthful beauty or cultivating an image of themselves on social media. They often hunger for more money, power, and approval from others, and they are often willing to pursue these things at the expense of other people or at the expense of their own integrity. That sort of self-focus is linked to stress, anxiety, depression, and health problems such as heart disease.

So, I’m definitely not recommending selfishness. I’m suggesting self-care and personal growth.

3. Find healthy comfort items

One of the most important ways we can invest in ourselves is to comfort ourselves in healthy ways.

If we are to stay flexible, we need to feel safe and secure. When we feel uncertain or insecure, our brain tries to rescue us by activating our dopamine systems. This dopamine rush encourages us to seek rewards, making temptations more tempting. Think of this as your brain pushing you toward a comfort item…like an extra glass of wine instead of a reasonable bedtime. Or the entire pan of brownies. Or an extra little something in your Amazon cart.

But instead of turning to social media, junk food, or booze to soothe our rattled nerves, we do better when we preemptively comfort ourselves in healthy ways.

Make a list of healthy ways to comfort yourself. Can you mask up and go for a hike with a neighbor? Schedule a call with a friend? Reflect on what you are grateful for? Let yourself take a little nap? Perhaps you could seek out a hug or watch a funny YouTube video.

Those things may seem small—or even luxurious—but they enable us to be the people that we want to be.

4. Don’t believe everything you think

Perhaps the most essential stress-reduction tactic that anyone has ever taught me is not to believe everything I think. In uncertain times, it’s particularly important not to believe thoughts that argue for the worst-case scenario.

It can be helpful for us to consider worst-case scenarios so that we can weigh risks and actively prevent disaster. But when we believe these stressful thoughts, we tend to react emotionally as though the worst case is already happening in real life, rather than just in our heads. We grieve for things that we haven’t actually lost, and react to events that are not actually happening. This makes us feel threatened, afraid, and unsafe when we are simply alone with our thoughts.

Our negativity bias can also set us up for failure. Expectations can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we expect the worst, we often feel too afraid or close-minded to seize opportunities or respond to challenges with creativity and grit.

Instead of buying into every stressful thought, we can actively imagine the best possible scenario. We can find silver linings to replace ruminations. This counters our natural tendency to overestimate risks and negative consequences.

5. Pay attention

The opposite of uncertainty is not a certainty; it’s presence. Instead of imagining a scary and unknown future, we can bring our attention to our breath. From there, we can check in with ourselves. Every time we wash our hands, for example, we could ask ourselves: How are you doing right now?

Notice what emotions you are feeling, and wherein your body you feel those emotions. Bring curiosity and acceptance to your experience (see #1).

Even when it feels like everything is out of our control, we can still control what we pay attention to. We can turn off our alerts to keep the news or social media from hijacking our awareness. We can drop our ruminations and negative fantasies by attending to what’s actually happening in our inner world, right now, here in the present.

Attending to what is happening within us at any given moment keeps a crappy external reality from determining our inner truth. It allows us to cultivate calm, open-mindedness, and non-reactivity.

6. Stop looking for someone to rescue you

When we act as though we are powerless, we get trapped in narratives that leave us feeling angry, helpless, and trapped. And we start hoping other people will save us from our misery.

Although it can feel good when others dote on us, most rescuers don’t really help. Our friends might want to save us—because helping others makes people feel good—and their intentions may be noble. But rescuers tend to be better enablers than saviors. If we stay stuck, they get to keep their role as our hero, or they get to distract themselves from their own problems.

Rescuers tend to give us permission to avoid taking responsibility for our own lives. On the other hand, emotionally supportive friends (or therapists) see us as capable of solving our own problems. They ask questions that help us focus on what we do want instead of what we don’t.

“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is”

―John Allen Paulos, mathematician

In short: To best cope with uncertainty, we need to stop complaining. When we drop our fixation on the problem, we can focus on the outcomes we desire. How can we make the best of this mess? What can we gain in this situation? 

When we take responsibility for our lives, we trade the false power of victimhood for the real power that comes from creating the life we want.

7. Find meaning in the chaos

Social psychologists define meaning, as it applies to our lives, as “an intellectual and emotional assessment of the degree to which we feel our lives have purpose, value, and impact.” We, humans, are best motivated by our significance to other people. We’ll work harder and longer and better—and feel happier about the work we are doing—when we know that someone else is benefiting from our efforts.

For example, teens who provide tangible, emotional, or informational support to people in crises tend to feel more strongly connected to their community. Research shows that we feel good when we stop thinking about ourselves so much and support others.

When we see something that needs improvement, our next step is to recognize what we personally can do to be a part of the solution. What skills and talents (or even just interests) can we bring to the issue? What really matters to us, and how can we be of service?

Meaning and purpose are wellsprings of hope. When the world feels scary or uncertain, knowing what meaning we have for others and feeling a sense of purpose can ground us better than anything else.

So, don’t just wait for this ordeal to be over. Don’t be resigned to your misery while we wait for a vaccine. What have you always wanted to do? What outcome are you hoping for? How can you make a real-life in this? Live that life.

Reference: {https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/seven_ways_to_cope_with_uncertainty}

Looking to try something new and to belong to something spectacular? We have just what you need! Our space, instructors, and clientele are second to none! Come witness the benefits of pilates and yoga and watch your body (and your confidence!) transform!

Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/theabcfitstudio or give us a call at 949.305.3310 to get started!

Six reasons why athletes should do yoga

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

Yoga can bring an added edge to the performance of many — from NFL stars, to Ultramarathon runners, or the PR of a weekend warrior!    

It’s easy for athletes to fall into a training routine to strengthen areas that are most important for their sports, but they must remember that neglecting one area of the body can create weakness and imbalance, triggering discomfort and leading to more serious injuries. 

Yoga teaches poses that focus on all areas of the body, including small muscles like those in the wrist that actually take most of the weight and do most of the work. 

Overall, adding yoga to your training program is very beneficial, no matter what type of athlete you are.

Read on to find out 6 reasons why athletes SHOULD do yoga. Then, book your next class with us today! https://abcfitstudio.com/schedule/ 949.305.3310

Although we’re all familiar with yoga, many of us still think of it as just ‘stretching’, however, yoga is more than that. With elite athletes including NFL stars and Ultramarathon runners adding yoga to their training programs, but just how beneficial to your training can it be?

Ryanne Cunningham has revealed in her new book, Yoga for Athletes that yoga can bring an added edge to the performance of everyone from amateurs striving to improve their lives to professionals competing against elite athletes. Cunningham has instructed former Green Bay Packers players B.J. Raji, Andy Mulumba, Tramon Williams, Mike Neal and Jarrett Bush, as well as current Green Bay Packer Randall Cobb and athletes from many other sports, from her Flow Yoga Studio in Wisconsin.

She has pinpointed six benefits of yoga for athletic performance:

Aid in muscle recovery

The deep breathing in yoga helps bring much-needed oxygen to muscles, helping them create energy to burn. The goal of recovery is to clear the muscles of the waste products resulting from muscle contraction, including lactic acid, to allow the fibres to fire again. While proper hydration helps by flushing those waste products out of the body, proper stretching of muscles more rapidly restores function. Yoga practitioners have always known the best way to stretch. “The more quickly your muscles bounce back, the sooner you can get back to training so that you will gain a competitive edge,” Cunningham explains.

Prevent injuries

The five main causes of sports injuries are a lack of a careful warm-up, quick and twisting motions that stress joints, imbalance that trains one part of the body over others, tightness of highly trained muscles that lose flexibility and the overuse of muscles. Yoga practice can help prevent injuries from the first four causes since poses emphasise strengthening, stretching and balance among all parts of the body. We recently did published an article called How to Avoid Injuries in Yoga. In sports like tennis, golf and baseball pitching, imbalanced training is a serious problem. But yoga can bring the parts of the body back into balance, reducing the probability of injuries. It can also restore and preserve the flexibility that is often sacrificed by strength-building exercises by allowing the connective tissue to be restored through its emphasis on lengthening the muscles.

Reduce stress, increase focus and relieve tension

When working out is a major part of training, exercise can actually create stress instead of alleviating it. Yoga can help athletes work through those stresses. During hard times the stress hormone cortisol is carried through the body. Practising a series of movements, poses and deep breathing as part of a yoga sequence can decrease those levels of cortisol, helping an athlete feel more relaxed. “Another way yoga can help an athlete reduce stress is to require focusing on the pose, which means staying in the present instead of thinking about the past or the future,” Cunningham points out. Yoga can also help athletes practice living in the moment through concentrated breathing, creating a calming, quiet moment of meditation.

Strengthen underused muscles

It’s easy for athletes to fall into a training routine to strengthen areas that are most important for their sports. But they must remember that neglecting one area of the body can create weakness and imbalance, triggering discomfort and leading to more serious injuries. Yoga teaches poses that focus on all areas of the body, including small muscles like those in the wrist that actually take most of the weight and do most of the work.

Build your core

Yoga has always emphasised the central muscles that are the foundation of the entire trunk, helping protect the lower back and reducing injuries. Cunningham says a full yoga practice builds all the core muscles because the balance needed for holding the poses and stretches involves the deepest muscles of the body. All three layers of the core must be strong and work together to provide a balanced, effective yoga practice.

Improve sleep

Finally, yoga can train the body to relax. “While sleepless nights can be troubling to everyone, they are particularly damaging to athletes who are preparing to perform,” Cunningham stresses. “Relaxing is as much a skill as exerting your muscles.” Yoga helps athletes learn to relax by teaching them to concentrate on poses, which leads to the mind and body learning to understand the difference between effort and relaxation. Later, when focusing on relaxation, the muscles will be able to respond to the command to relax, translating to the bed for restful sleep. Yoga improves sleep with breathing since athletes consciously use breath to help them get into poses and then calm down at the end of practice, which also works before sleep as well.

Reference: {https://humankinetics.me/2017/02/20/six-reasons-why-athletes-should-do-yoga/}

Looking to try something new and to belong to something spectacular? We have just what you need! Our space, instructors, and clientele are second to none! Come witness the benefits of pilates and yoga and watch your body (and your confidence!) transform!

Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/theabcfitstudio or give us a call at 949.305.3310 to get started!

13 Benefits of Yoga That Are Supported by Science

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

Derived from the Sanskrit word “Yuji,” meaning yoke or union, yoga is an ancient practice that brings together mind and body.

It incorporates breathing exercises, meditation, and poses designed to encourage relaxation and reduce stress.

Practicing yoga is said to come with many benefits for both mental and physical health, though not all of these benefits have been backed by science.

This article takes a look at 13 evidence-based benefits of yoga.

1. Can Decrease Stress

Yoga is known for its ability to ease stress and promote relaxation.

In fact, multiple studies have shown that it can decrease the secretion of cortisol, the primary stress hormone.

One study demonstrated the powerful effect of yoga on stress by following 24 women who perceived themselves as emotionally distressed.

After a three-month yoga program, the women had significantly lower levels of cortisol. They also had lower levels of stress, anxiety, fatigue, and depression.

Another study of 131 people had similar results, showing that 10 weeks of yoga helped reduce stress and anxiety. It also helped improve the quality of life and mental health.

When used alone or along with other methods of alleviating stress, such as meditation, yoga can be a powerful way to keep stress in check.

2. Relieves Anxiety

Many people begin practicing yoga as a way to cope with feelings of anxiety.

Interestingly enough, there is quite a bit of research showing that yoga can help reduce anxiety.

In one study, 34 women diagnosed with an anxiety disorder participated in yoga classes twice weekly for two months.

At the end of the study, those who practiced yoga had significantly lower levels of anxiety than the control group.

Another study followed 64 women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is characterized by severe anxiety and fear following exposure to a traumatic event.

After 10 weeks, the women who practiced yoga once weekly had fewer symptoms of PTSD. In fact, 52% of participants no longer met the criteria for PTSD at all.

It’s not entirely clear exactly how yoga is able to reduce symptoms of anxiety. However, it emphasizes the importance of being present in the moment and finding a sense of peace, which could help treat anxiety.

 

3. May Reduce Inflammation

In addition to improving your mental health, some studies suggest that practicing yoga may reduce inflammation as well.

Inflammation is a normal immune response, but chronic inflammation can contribute to the development of pro-inflammatory diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

A 2015 study divided 218 participants into two groups: those who practiced yoga regularly and those who didn’t. Both groups then performed moderate and strenuous exercises to induce stress.

At the end of the study, the individuals who practiced yoga had lower levels of inflammatory markers than those who didn’t.

Similarly, a small 2014 study showed that 12 weeks of yoga reduced inflammatory markers in breast cancer survivors with persistent fatigue.

Although more research is needed to confirm the beneficial effects of yoga on inflammation, these findings indicate that it may help protect against certain diseases caused by chronic inflammation.

4. Could Improve Heart Health

From pumping blood throughout the body to supplying tissues with important nutrients, the health of your heart is an essential component of overall health.

Studies show that yoga may help improve heart health and reduce several risk factors for heart disease.

One study found that participants over 40 years of age who practiced yoga for five years had lower blood pressure and pulse rate than those who didn’t.

High blood pressure is one of the major causes of heart problems, such as heart attacks and stroke. Lowering your blood pressure can help reduce the risk of these problems.

Some research also suggests that incorporating yoga into a healthy lifestyle could help slow the progression of heart disease.

A study followed 113 patients with heart disease, looking at the effects of a lifestyle change that included one year of yoga training combined with dietary modifications and stress management.

Participants saw a 23% decrease in total cholesterol and a 26% reduction in “bad” LDL cholesterol. Additionally, the progression of heart disease stopped in 47% of patients.

It’s unclear how much of a role yoga may have had versus other factors like diet. Yet it can minimize stress, one of the major contributors to heart disease.

5. Improves Quality of Life

Yoga is becoming increasingly common as an adjunct therapy to improve the quality of life for many individuals.

In one study, 135 seniors were assigned to either six months of yoga, walking, or a control group. Practicing yoga significantly improved quality of life, as well as mood and fatigue, compared to the other groups.

Other studies have looked at how yoga can improve the quality of life and reduce symptoms in patients with cancer.

One study followed women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Yoga decreased symptoms of chemotherapy, such as nausea and vomiting, while also improving the overall quality of life.

A similar study looked at how eight weeks of yoga affected women with breast cancer. At the end of the study, the women had less pain and fatigue with improvements in levels of invigoration, acceptance, and relaxation.

Other studies have found that yoga may help improve sleep quality, enhance spiritual well-being, improve social function, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with cancer.

6. May Fight Depression

Some studies show that yoga may have an anti-depressant effect and could help decrease symptoms of depression.

This may be because yoga is able to decrease levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that influences levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter often associated with depression.

In one study, participants in an alcohol dependence program practiced Sudarshan Kriya, a specific type of yoga that focuses on rhythmic breathing.

After two weeks, participants had fewer symptoms of depression and lower levels of cortisol. They also had lower levels of ACTH, a hormone responsible for stimulating the release of cortisol.

Other studies have had similar results, showing an association between practicing yoga and decreased symptoms.

Based on these results, yoga may help fight depression, alone or in combination with traditional methods of treatment.

7. Could Reduce Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a persistent problem that affects millions of people and has a range of possible causes, from injuries to arthritis.

There is a growing body of research demonstrating that practicing yoga could help reduce many types of chronic pain.

In one study, 42 individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome either received a wrist splint or did yoga for eight weeks.

At the end of the study, yoga was found to be more effective in reducing pain and improving grip strength than wrist splinting.

Another study in 2005 showed that yoga could help decrease pain and improve physical function in participants with osteoarthritis of the knees.

Although more research is needed, incorporating yoga into your daily routine may be beneficial for those who suffer from chronic pain.

8. Could Promote Sleep Quality

Poor sleep quality has been associated with obesity, high blood pressure, and depression, among other disorders.

Studies show that incorporating yoga into your routine could help promote better sleep.

In a 2005 study, 69 elderly patients were assigned to either practice yoga, take an herbal preparation, or be part of the control group.

The yoga group fell asleep faster, slept longer, and felt more well-rested in the morning than the other groups.

Another study looked at the effects of yoga on sleep in patients with lymphoma. They found that it decreased sleep disturbances, improved sleep quality, and duration, and reduced the need for sleep medications.

Though the way it works is not clear, yoga has been shown to increase the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness.

Yoga also has a significant effect on anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and stress — all common contributors to sleep problems.

9. Improves Flexibility and Balance

Many people add yoga to their fitness routines to improve flexibility and balance.

There is considerable research that backs this benefit, demonstrating that it can optimize performance through the use of specific poses that target flexibility and balance.

A recent study looked at the impact of 10 weeks of yoga on 26 male college athletes. Doing yoga significantly increased several measures of flexibility and balance, compared to the control group.

Another study assigned 66 elderly participants to either practice yoga or calisthenics, a type of bodyweight exercise.

After one year, the total flexibility of the yoga group increased by nearly four times that of the calisthenics group.

A 2013 study also found that practicing yoga could help improve balance and mobility in older adults.

Practicing just 15–30 minutes of yoga each day could make a big difference for those looking to enhance performance by increasing flexibility and balance.

10. Could Help Improve Breathing

Pranayama, or yogic breathing, is a practice in yoga that focuses on controlling the breath through breathing exercises and techniques.

Most types of yoga incorporate these breathing exercises, and several studies have found that practicing yoga could help improve breathing.

In one study, 287 college students took a 15-week class where they were taught various yoga poses and breathing exercises. At the end of the study, they had a significant increase in vital capacity.

Vital capacity is a measure of the maximum amount of air that can be expelled from the lungs. It is especially important for those with lung disease, heart problems, and asthma.

Another study in 2009 found that practicing yogic breathing improved symptoms and lung function in patients with mild-to-moderate asthma.

Improving breathing can help build endurance, optimize performance and keep your lungs and heart-healthy.

11. May Relieve Migraines

Migraines are severe recurring headaches that affect an estimated 1 out of 7 Americans each year.

Traditionally, migraines are treated with medications to relieve and manage symptoms.

However, increasing evidence shows that yoga could be a useful adjunct therapy to help reduce migraine frequency.

A 2007 study divided 72 patients with migraines into either a yoga therapy or self-care group for three months. Practicing yoga led to reductions in headache intensity, frequency, and pain compared to the self-care group.

Another study treated 60 patients with migraines using conventional care with or without yoga. Doing yoga resulted in a greater decrease in headache frequency and intensity than conventional care alone.

Researchers suggest that doing yoga may help stimulate the vagus nerve, which has been shown to be effective in relieving migraines.

12. Promotes Healthy Eating Habits

Mindful eating, also known as intuitive eating, is a concept that encourages being present in the moment while eating.

It’s about paying attention to the taste, smell, and texture of your food and noticing any thoughts, feelings, or sensations you experience while eating.

This practice has been shown to promote healthy eating habits that help control blood sugar, increase weight loss, and treat disordered eating behaviors.

Because yoga places a similar emphasis on mindfulness, some studies show that it could be used to encourage healthy eating behaviors.

One study incorporated yoga into an outpatient eating disorder treatment program with 54 patients, finding that yoga helped reduce both eating disorder symptoms and preoccupation with food.

Another small study looked at how yoga affected symptoms of binge eating disorder, a disorder characterized by compulsive overeating, and a feeling of loss of control.

Yoga was found to cause a decrease in episodes of binge eating, an increase in physical activity, and a small decrease in weight.

For those with and without disordered eating behaviors, practicing mindfulness through yoga can aid in the development of healthy eating habits.

13. Can Increase Strength

In addition to improving flexibility, yoga is a great addition to an exercise routine for its strength-building benefits.

In fact, there are specific poses in yoga that are designed to increase strength and build muscle.

In one study, 79 adults performed 24 cycles of sun salutations — a series of foundational poses often used as a warm-up — six days a week for 24 weeks.

They experienced a significant increase in upper body strength, endurance and weight loss. Women had a decrease in body fat percentage, as well.

A 2015 study had similar findings, showing that 12 weeks of practice led to improvements in endurance, strength, and flexibility in 173 participants.

Based on these findings, practicing yoga can be an effective way to boost strength and endurance, especially when used in combination with a regular exercise routine.

The Bottom Line

Multiple studies have confirmed the many mental and physical benefits of yoga.

Incorporating it into your routine can help enhance your health, increase strength and flexibility, and reduce symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety.

Finding the time to practice yoga just a few times per week may be enough to make a noticeable difference when it comes to your health.

Reference: {https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga}

Looking to try something new and to belong to something spectacular? We have just what you need! Our space, instructors, and clientele are second to none! Come witness the benefits of pilates and yoga and watch your body (and your confidence!) transform!

Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/theabcfitstudio or give us a call at 949.305.3310 to get started!

How to Reduce Coronavirus Anxiety While Working from Home

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

ABC Fit Studio is here for you, as we get that anxiety may be creeping up during these unprecedented times. The better news is, there are ways to deal with your coronavirus anxiety while you’re working from home. Whether it be moving, stretching, connecting, or something you may not have even tied before- here are five tips! 

These are difficult times. These are anxious times. And these times might be the new normal for a very long time. That’s the not-so-good news. The better news is there are ways to deal with your coronavirus anxiety while you’re working from home. Here are five.

Take media breaks

It’s important to stay informed about the latest COVID-19 news. And it’s important to know about the proper social distancing, stockpiling, and disinfecting measures to take. But you don’t need to refresh your news feed every five minutes. Doing that will only boost your anxiety, and you’ll be unable to work.

Instead, give this some thought: Only check the news for outbreak updates a few times a day. Maybe every three hours. That should be plenty. And try giving yourself a set amount of time to read the news, say, for 10 minutes. Then get back to work. There’s nothing like working intently on something to reduce your anxiety. So get in there and hunker down—on your work.

Jazz it up

Music can do wonders for your anxiety level. In fact, one recent study found that certain songs reduced listeners’ anxiety by 65 percent. Apparently, certain melodies and beats can significantly calm your nervous system, quickly decreasing your stress and anxiety levels. Since music taste varies, as does the type of work we all do, try out various types of music to see what works best for you—which type calms you, relaxes you, makes you more productive.

For me, I’ve found that instrumental music works best. And I’ve found this jazz station out of Newark, New Jersey, to be incredibly calming during these trying times (as a bonus, the station’s DJs give periodic updates on only the most important COVID-19 news and aren’t too alarmist). Of course, find a station that works best for you, or create your own playlist, or search the internet for great, calming, coronavirus-anxiety-reducing playlists.

Follow your breath

If you still haven’t jumped on the mindfulness app bandwagon, now’s the perfect time to get on it. Apps like Headspace and Calm are perfect companions to have during these anxious times. Headspace, for example, has several excellent guided meditations for all experience levels, and for all types of issues.

If you’re new to Headspace, a great place to start is its “Basics” guided meditation course. From there, you might want to jump to the guided meditation course on dealing with anxiety. The great part about Headspace and other apps like it is you can use them for just 10 minutes at a time (there are longer meditations, too). Just a short break of following your breath, sensing yourself, and trying to lessen the anxious chatter in your mind can do wonders for your stress and anxiety levels.

Move

Just because you’re stuck inside or can’t venture too far away from your laptop doesn’t mean you have to stay still. Perhaps now more than ever it’s important to move, stretch, exercise, walk—even if it’s only around your 400-square-foot apartment. It’s important because movement reduces stress and anxiety, not to mention back, shoulder, and neck pain.

So, just like you’d do if you were working in the office, make sure to stand up (if you’re sitting down) and take a short walk and stretch every once in a while. If it’s advisable (make sure to check what’s going on in your local community), try getting outside every now and then to move around, as fresh(ish) air will help further reduce your stress levels.

You might also, during your self-imposed lunch break (yes, you need to do that!), take a virtual yoga class. These online (sometimes Instagram Live) classes are popping up everywhere, as group classes nationwide have been canceled (check your local studio for virtual class schedules). Or you might take a run around your neighborhood—while keeping the appropriate social-distancing distance from your neighbors, of course. Or you might just do a few sets of push-ups and sit-ups and jump rope for a bit, all of which will help lessen your anxiety.

Connect

It’s times like these that we can be thankful for social media sites, apps like WhatsApp and Slack, and old fashioned texting. During this worldwide shutdown and period of self-isolation, it’s going to be very important that we don’t feel too isolated. The truth is we’re not alone. We—the entire planet—are in this together.

So, if you need to, or even if you don’t feel like you need to but feel like someone else might be in need, take a work break and reach out to someone. A colleague, neighbor, friend, family member. Send a message asking how they’re doing, how they’re dealing, what they’re going through. Connecting, even for a minute or two, can help lessen our anxiety—and the anxiety of others.

 

Reference: {https://www.vault.com/blogs/workplace-issues/how-to-reduce-coronavirus-anxiety-while-working-from-home}

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