Most of us want to keep fit. We all want to be healthy, eat the right foods and exercise regularly. We know that if we exercise often and avoid bad foods, drink plenty of water and get decent sleep, we will have a more positive attitude to life in addition to a healthier, stronger body. However, we also need to be realistic! In amongst our healthy regime, we also need to work, keep a home, look after our family and earn a living.
“athletic woman yoga mindfullness beach” (CC BY 2.0) by perzonseowebbyra
Healthy Wellbeing
Having a positive mental attitude can ultimately change everything in your life. If you’re feeling positive, you will be motivated, which will in turn give you more confidence in everything – whether it’s your work, your relationship or your home life. If you’re not feeling positive, then actively do something which will change your attitude. You could try meditation, a spa break, or even treating yourself to a psychic reading with a reputable company like TheCircle. Sometimes, getting a bit of future insight can make all the difference, giving you something to focus on and feel more positive about. They say healthy body, healthy mind – but it is also about your outlook on life.
Do You Enjoy Exercise?
It can often be difficult to find the time to exercise, but we can all do this if we make sure we put the time aside and fit it into our routine. Some of us prefer the gym, some of us prefer running or cycling and some of us prefer gentle stretching exercises such as yoga or pilates. In 2015, gym membership in the UK increased by 44%, showing that people are now starting to be a bit more proactive about looking after their health. This figure has also increased because of the rise in budget gyms, meaning you no longer need to pay a fortune to keep fit. On the other hand, yoga is free (unless you choose to go to classes) and something that can be practised wherever you are, at any time. Ultimately, they both keep you fit and improve your core muscle strength. Let’s look at what sets them apart so we can help you make an informed choice:
“Young woman weight training” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by LyndaSanchez
Benefits of Gym Membership
There are several reasons why people pay to join the gym, which usually costs them a monthly membership fee.
- Programmes: A professional gym instructor will give you a guided programme for you to follow, depending what areas of your fitness you want to improve.
- Sociable: Many people attend the gym with friends to inspire each other and stay motivated. The gym is certainly a sociable place and means you’re not exercising alone
- Complete Package: The gym offers you the opportunity to focus on EVERY area you want to improve, whether it’s your core muscles, your cardiovascular fitness or building up muscle strength.
- Centre Members: Many people join the gym because it’s part of a leisure centre, so they get to use the swimming pool and exercise classes at a reduced price or for free.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga can be learned from a yoga class or self-taught at home and practised anywhere. There are many useful books and YouTube videos if you want to try it out (or even practise it) for free.
- Promotes Wellbeing: Yoga helps you to focus on healthy living and be body aware.
- Improves Flexibility: Yoga stretches out muscles, tension and tightness which not only releases stiffness but also helps strengthen muscles. It’s like a massage session for your body and mind.
- Detoxifies: As you stretch the muscles in your body, toxins are released from inside the joints. The toxins are known as crystal build up, and once released are flushed out of your system.
- Helps Organs: Supporting the detoxifying of the organs through the glands and helping to avoid and prevent disease.
“080_205” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by adifansnet
Whether you’re a yoga person or a gym person is very much down to personal preference. If you need to be motivated and like to push yourself, then the gym sounds ideal. If you prefer relaxing stretching techniques that you can do whenever you want, then yoga is perfect.
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
