I did it. The thing I thought I would never do. Like ever. I’ve always heard how beneficial it is, but never expected to find myself trying it out. Don’t worry, I’m not on drugs or something like that. I’m talking about yoga.
When you brainstorm a list of possible yoga participants, a twiggy looking teenage boy probably doesn’t come to mind. But there I was, front row and center, completely unaware of what the next hour had in store for me.

The experience would have been much more frightening if it weren’t for two factors: 1) my mom and sister were right there with me and 2) my grandma was the instructor. My grandma has been teaching yoga for years and I never once thought of attending one of her classes. However, she recently started teaching at LVAC, so I thought: why not?

I was pretty darn awkward at first. “Downward what position? What the heck is a warrior pose? What?! AHHHH!!” —-> all of these thoughts ran wild through my head. Thank God I wasn’t the only guy in the class, so I wasn’t self conscious about that. But, the yoga thing itself took some getting used to. Once I started getting into the whole relaxation and breathing part of it, though, I definitely started to feel the benefits of the class!

The past couple of weeks have left me in a rough state. One, I’ve been a little stressed out with the BodyPump certification. I’m so anxious about filming the video and just want to get it done. Having to wait until after July 6 (the launch date at LVAC) has just killed me! Two, my workouts this week have been pretty intense, leaving me sore and stiff. I must say that yoga did wonders at fixing both of these problems. The hour long relaxation period helped push my worries aside for a little bit, as well as sooth my aching muscles.

I will definitely be incorporating more yoga and stretching in my workout routine. It’s so important for us fitness freaks aid our bodies with muscle recovery (and give ourselves a mental break). All of the exercise we do is mentally and physically taxing! Yoga can help with all of this, so I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t done so. My grandma’s phenomenal class will become a regular thing for sure. (LVAC members: Thursdays 10:15 @ the North club!! You’ll love it, trust me!)

So, there you have it, Will’s first experience with yoga! No judgement allowed, especially if you haven’t tried it! It will be worth your time.

How about you?

• Do you regularly attend a yoga class?
• How often do you incorporate stretching in your routine?
• What’s something new that you’ve tried lately (with fitness or life in general!)