Get this: the yoga industry is worth more than £875 million in the United Kingdom. What does this mean? With over 10,000 yoga teachers at your disposal, it’d be crazy not to try out a live yoga class in London.
Many people wonder, “How often should you do yoga?” The answer can vary, but this guide will help you find the right number of weekly sessions for your body!
How Often Should You Do Yoga?
You might be wondering: how many times a week should I do yoga, or is yoga once a week enough? The truth is, the answer really depends on your own personal preferences and goals. But no matter if you practice once a day or once a week, you’re definitely going to start seeing results off and on the mat soon enough.
Question: Can I do yoga every day?
For starters, the amount of time that you choose to dedicate to your yoga practice depends on a couple of important factors, including your financial budget and your health needs.
While some advanced yogis practice every single day, you don’t have to be a pro to get started. That being said, we highly recommend that yoga beginners practice once every two weeks, or once a week if possible.
We know what you’re thinking: how often should I do yoga? Based on everything we mentioned above, it’s up to you to figure out what your individual goals are for your practice.
For those that don’t have a lot of time in their day, there’s no harm in dedicating at least one hour per week to your yoga mat. But if you have much larger health goals in mind, then you may want to practice several times a week, if not daily!
In case you’re new to yoga, you can always add more time to your mat as you gain experience. Our general rule of thumb is that the more time that you spend on the mat, the better you’ll be!
But what’s the real deal about the perks of becoming a yogi?
What Are the Benefits of Doing Yoga?
What are the benefits of doing yoga? Some of the most popular reasons that people get into yoga in the first place include:
- Relieving anxiety and stress issues
- Building balance and flexibility
- Improving your heart health
- Building muscle and increasing strength
- You can even lose weight by doing yoga
First of all, those that practice yoga find that it adds more tranquility and peace into their daily lives. As a natural way to relieve anxiety and stress issues, yoga also helps practitioners catch up on sleep too. One study showed that people with mild levels of stress who did yoga once per week found overall improvement in anxiety levels within a couple of months.
On top of that, doing yoga regularly can help you to build your balance and flexibility as well, It’s no wonder why a ton of professional athletes do yoga to avoid injuries and take their game to the next level.
Don’t believe us? According to another yoga study on male athletes, the men who practiced yoga daily were way more balanced and flexible than their non-yogi counterparts. The result: practicing yoga on a regular basis is the key to stepping up your physical fitness.
Imagine this: practicing yoga can even help to improve your heart health too. Not only that, but doing yoga consistently can also reduce inflammation and body pain as well.
Have high blood pressure? Don’t worry, getting into a healthy yoga routine can help to reduce that. Not to mention increasing low pulse rates. Sounds like a win-win to us!
Practicing Different Yoga Styles
Do you yoga? Then you probably already know how many different yoga styles are out there. It gets better: each unique style has its own set of rules, techniques, and outcomes too.
Determining your personal goals before you begin your yoga practice is the best way to figure out which yoga style is best for you. If you need a push in the right direction, here are a couple of our favorite yoga flows:
- Vinyasa yoga
- Restorative yoga
- Bikram yoga
Vinyasa yoga is one of the most advanced styles of yoga. Since it involves a lot of fast-paced, vigorous yoga moves, vinyasa yoga is fantastic for those who are looking to lose weight during their practice.
Also referred to as ashtanga vinyasa yoga, this special technique is more of a modern take on traditional Indian yoga. As an energetic and hot style, vinyasa flow is all about syncing your movements with your breath. As a result, your yoga instructor will often help you find your flow between poses.
What about those who are looking for a more slow, meditative yoga style? If that’s the case, then you can’t go wrong with restorative yoga. Focused on relieving stress and improving flexibility, restorative yoga often includes a certain posture sequence.
That’s not all. Restorative yoga is the best way to work on slowing down your breath and opening up your body by stretching for extended periods of time. Don’t be surprised if you feel deeply relaxed after practicing this zen-like technique!
And then there’s Bikram yoga, or hot yoga. Commonly performed in a heated room, Bikram yoga is a wonderful way to open up your muscles, making it easier to get into more difficult positions.
Studio vs. Online Yoga Classes
Dying to do yoga every day? Here’s the thing. When it comes to studio versus online yoga practice, nothing beats getting in a real classroom in front of an experienced yoga teacher.
In fact, beginning your practice in a live studio is a great way to add yoga into your daily routine. And if you’re not sure how often you’ll attend class, you can also choose a class package that fits your budget and your schedule. Plus, there’s nothing better than having your instruction adjust your positions in real-time.
Another amazing perk about studio yoga classes is that it can feel less intimidating to practice among a bunch of other students. In addition, live yoga classes are an excellent way to meet like-minded friends.
But here’s the catch. If you don’t have the time or money to practice in a studio, you can always try online yoga classes. Although it’s not as personalized as face to face instruction, it’s still a good way to begin your practice.
We can’t emphasize this enough: once you feel comfortable with your home-based practice, you might want to take your skills to a live yoga studio. Not only will you get to show off what you learned, but you’ll be able to improve your yoga positions too. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
But improving your yoga postures, or asanas, is only one small part of the yoga experience; meditation, breathwork, and diet are also incredibly vital to your practice.
The point is, there’s no “one size fits all” guidebook for living a yoga lifestyle. But with your instructor’s help, you’ll find balance in no time!
How Often You Do Yoga is Totally Up to You!
Are you still asking yourself: “How often should you do yoga for best results?”
The truth is, it really depends on your personal goals and budget. However, those that practice yoga at least once a week have seen tremendous benefits — including, as we’ve seen:
* Relieve anxiety and stress issues.
* Build balance and flexibility.
* Help to improve your heart health.
Confused by all the different yoga styles? Fortunately, we’ve done all the hard work for you. From ashtanga vinyasa and restorative to Bikram yoga, we’ve got you covered. Need a push in the right direction? Sign up for one of our classes!