5 Reasons to Add Yoga to Your Workout Routine: Guest Post Lily Hartley

I wanted to feature some other wonderful people in the world of healthy living.  I have a guest for you today that I want to introduce.  Nutritional health consultant, Lily Hartley, coaches clients on building a healthy relationship with food and is a yoga instructor to boot.  Food is not the only piece of the puzzle.  Fitness doesn’t just include lifting weights or sweating it out on a treadmill.  Adding yoga to your workout routine can do wonders for, not only your body, but your whole life.  In fact yoga has been one of my top 5 healthy things I did last year.  Today Lily is going to share her top 5 reasons to add yoga to your workout routine.

Lily trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she studied over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques and innovative coaching methods with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts.  She knows her stuff and as someone that has embraced yoga this year herself I agree with every one of her reasons.  Lily…you have the floor (or yoga mat)!

 When I mention to people that I teach yoga I almost always get the same response, ‘Oh, I would love to do yoga but I’m so inflexible…’ It doesn’t matter if you can or can’t touch your toes, it doesn’t matter if you aren’t flexible, yoga is about finding time to be with yourself, taking a moment to relax, unwinding and resetting your mind …

 Here are my top 5 reasons to take the first step and start yoga…

1.    It relieves stress and anxiety

One of the well-known benefits of yoga is that it reduces stress levels and let’s face it, everyone nowadays could do with a bit of that! A combination of poses linked with your breath will leave you feeling calm, flexible and bring balance to the body and mind.

2.    It’s great for lengthening muscles

For all the super hard gym goers, yoga is great for lengthening muscles; it increases your muscle tone and helps build lean muscle. It is also a good way to mix up your work out routine.

3.    It helps you pay attention

If like many of us, you rush through most of your life, a yoga class will help you start to become aware of yourself. Paying attention to your own body couldn’t be more important to your health.  Concentrating on the physical challenge as well as concentrating on remaining calm helps bring a sense of quiet to both body and mind.

4.    It helps you sleep better

It has been proven that yoga can lead to better sleep. If you struggle with sleep like so many of us do, yoga is a trusty tool for changing up your sleep pattern.  Try it for a few weeks and see for yourself…

5.    It helps you look great

As well as de-stressing, toning muscles, becoming more aware and sleeping better, you will also start to look better! Sculpted arms, toned legs, strong core can all be yours with regular yoga practice. Yoga creates a sense of happiness in both mind and body.

Trying something new is often daunting but you will never know unless you try…. What have you got to lose…? Absolutely nothing, in fact, you have everything to gain… sounds like a no brainer to me!

Website: http://www.lilyhealthy.com

Instagram: @Lilyhealthy

Twitter: @Lilyhealthy