Home > Healthy Living

Healthy Living

Healthy Living — No Comments
6
Oct 11

CDC says yoga is common complementary routine for healthy living

If your Atlanta yoga classes have been feeling a little crowded lately, it's for good reason. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more and more Americans are taking up yoga and other complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) for healthy living.

In a recent issue of its National Health Statistics Reports, the Atlanta-based agency stated that yoga is one of the most common CAMs in the U.S. It estimated that 6.1 percent of all CAM users take advantage of the mind-body routine.

This number represents an increase from the last time the CDC measured CAM use. In 2008, the organization set the figure at 5.1 percent.

Why the increase? Well, the agency notes that yoga is a light-intensity exercise method, meaning it is easy on the joints and, as a CAM, may be relatively safe for people of all ages and health levels.

"Generally, persons who choose CAM approaches are seeking ways to improve their health and well-being or to relieve symptoms associated with chronic…illnesses or the side effects of conventional treatments for them," the CDC explained.

No wonder the Yoga Journal estimated that nearly 16 million Americans practice yoga.

Related items

Healthy Living — No Comments
16
Sep 11

In Atlanta, yoga may contribute to healthy living among teens

Atlanta urban youth are a seriously underserved population, one that can use all the help it can get. That said, studies have shown that yoga may assist such teens in making personal changes and improving physical health.

How hard is it to grow up in a blighted urban environment? Scoop Daily recently released a report posted by ABC News that rated Atlanta as the third worst city in the U.S. for urban youth.

The study pointed to poverty, crime and unemployment as the primary drivers of decline in the quality of life among Atlanta's urban teens. The news source quoted the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, which stated that African-American youth account for more than 90 percent of all prisoners serving time in juvenile detention centers in Fulton County.

Likewise, unemployment in the state of Georgia currently stands at 10.1 percent, according to the state's Department of Labor.

Such problems can take a terrible toll on both the mental and physical health of urban teens. In some case, fitness- and yoga-based programs may be able to contribute to healthy living.

For instance, a study published in the journal The Science of Health Promotion found that urban teens who had access to open spaces in Atlanta tended to walk more often, potentially improving their health.

Another investigation conducted at the University of Cincinnati determined that urban teens with asthma who used alternative or complementary therapies – like yoga, meditation, prayer or relaxation techniques – were more likely to experience positive respiratory outcomes.

What does all this mean? Well, besides being a good indication that urban populations need help, such research suggests that Atlanta's underprivileged teens might benefit from yoga programs that cater to their age group.

Whether engaging in stretching, deep breathing, mindfulness meditation or tai chi, individuals who try yoga-based exercises often report feeling healthier and more content.

Related items

Healthy Living — No Comments
13
Sep 11

Hotels are getting more requests for yoga mats, healthy living supplies

Do you travel much outside of Atlanta? If you do, and you've tried to do healthy living exercises on the hard floor of your hotel room, you know that its stiff, uncushioned carpets can wreak havoc on your knees, back and elbows during yoga. It's little wonder that more and more hotel patrons are ordering yoga supplies than ever before.

Anyway, that is the thrust of a recent article published by Reuters. A director of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company told the news service that guests are increasingly calling room service for yoga mats, treadmills, exercise bikes and other fitness-related accoutrements.

"Probably fitness equipment is the biggest request we get from guests. It's the biggest preoccupation of business travelers besides getting their work done, so we try to make fitness available on any basis they ask for," said " said Vivian Deuschl, the company's corporate vice president.

She noted that, in addition to yoga mats and DVDs, many hotels are going the extra mile to offer patrons almost any fitness-based amenity that one can dream up.

The Ritz-Carlton's hotels offer personal trainers on demand, for example. Others, like the Kimpton Hotel chain, offer an all-day yoga channel and a basket of gratis yoga apparel, as the Kimpton's chief operating officer Niki Leondakis told the news organization.

In the end, it all comes down to providing what guests want – which, lately at least, means all things yoga.

Why are patrons shifting their desires from the mini-bar to the mat? Leondakis offered Reuters a theory based on the large number of baby boomers hitting retirement age.

"Twenty years ago it was wine, dine and work, not about maintaining a healthy lifestyle on the road. People today are looking at work/life balance in a more integrated way," she concluded, quoted by the news source.

Hence the popularity of Georgia yoga classes. Americans of all ages are flocking to yoga – nearly 16 million, according to a survey conducted by the Yoga Journal.

Related items

Healthy Living — No Comments
8
Sep 11

Yoga facilitates healthy living on every level

Pursuing healthy living can be frustrating, not least because there are so many different facets of existence – the mental, the physical, the spiritual, the emotional – each of which requires targeted care all on its own. This can be problematic. After all, what kind of life system can address all these aspects of one's being at once?

Yoga, that's what. Scientists and laypersons alike are coming around to the fact that yoga is ideal for making personal changes, physical adjustments or mental improvements.

Consider all of the studies coming out about the benefits of doing yoga long term:

- It's good for your head. According to a literature review published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, yoga may help reduce the symptoms of depression. The authors, a team of UK mental health experts, found five previous investigations that indicated the benefits of using yoga during a bout of depression. The group cautioned that each study used different metrics, but that overall, the psychic benefits of holistic health regimens remain clear.

- It's good for your back, too. A report in the journal Alternative Therapies announced that doing regular yoga-based exercises may help relieve tension and aches in the lower back. In particular, scientists determined that participants who took yoga classes experienced varying improvements in their flexibility, balance and pain-related disability.

- Your wrists may benefit, believe it or not. A scientific investigation published in the Journal of the American Medical Association addressed the ways that special yoga-based hand exercises can soothe the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Researchers found that individuals who took yoga tended to see improvements in grip strength and tendon-centered pain.

- You might even sleep better. A report appearing in the journal Cancer found that even patients with lymphoma were able to sleep better and reduce their psychological distress after three months of daily yoga sessions.

Related items

Healthy Living — No Comments
2
Sep 11

CDC says yoga can contribute to healthy living

For many people who live in Georgia's capital, Atlanta yoga classes are an integral part of their weekly workout routine. After all, stretching, posing, meditating and breathing deeply are good for you no matter what part of the Peach State you live in.

In fact, there's one Atlanta-based organization that has been a proponent of yoga-based exercise for years – namely, a little agency called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Why is yoga so healthy?

Scientists, public health authorities and healthy living experts often agree that doing yoga can do the body a world of good. One reason for this general consensus is that yoga strengthens so many different muscle groups, opens up multiple energy channels, refreshes multiple organs and contributes to good mental and physical health.

People have known this for centuries. In an article published by the CDC, the U.S. Surgeon General reports that yoga has been practiced as a health regimen since at least 600 BC.

"Yoga philosophies…asserted that physical suppleness, proper breathing and diet were essential to control the mind and emotions, and were prerequisites for religious experience," the source states, noting that an offshoot of the yoga developed in Asia has evolved into the sports medicine-related practice many Americans are familiar with today.

Adopting yoga into your routine

Low-impact exercises are beneficial for nearly everyone. This is one reason why the CDC recommends yoga for people of so many divergent health statuses.

For example, the agency states that yoga is a great way for people over the age of 65 to stay fit and strengthen their muscles and bones, all while running a low risk of injury.

Likewise, the CDC has suggested that people with certain debilitating conditions, like chronic fatigue syndrome, try yoga as a way to improve well-being and reduce anxiety.

Related items

Healthy Living — No Comments
3
Aug 11

College and pro athletes take healthy living tips from yoga instructors

Georgia athletes from Atlanta to Zebulon – yes, it's a real town – have been flocking to yoga classes as a way to glean healthy living tips from seasoned instructors. They are not alone, either. College athletes and sports professionals across the U.S. are getting into yoga as a way of managing their mental acumen while staying physically fit.

If you don't believe it, check out the New York Times. A recent article, which has been republished on one of ESPN's healthy living blogs, featured five former NCAA basketball players, four of whom played for Cornell University in the 2010 National Tournament.

Today, these gentlemen – some of whom stand more than seven feet tall, mind you – regularly attend one-and-a-half hour yoga sessions at the 92nd Street YMCA.

They're not the only ones using yoga to stay healthy and limber, either. Tim Thomas, a pro hockey goalie and member of the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning Bruins, recently told NHL.com that he has been taking yoga ever since a hip injury took him out of the game a few years back.

Even retired athletes are diving into the holistic system to stay active. Greg Louganis, former Olympic diver and multiple gold medal winner, practices yoga and stretching exercises as part of a targeted physical fitness regimen, the New York Times reported.

Louganis, who at 51 teaches diving to up-and-coming athletes, retired from diving in 1988, the same year he announced that he is HIV-positive. Today, he takes prescription medications to keep the disease in remission and uses yoga to stay flexible and physically healthy, the newspaper noted.

Why do so many athletes take yoga? It may be because the regimen is so versatile. While some workout systems leave certain muscles strong and largely ignore others, yoga classes can hit all the major muscle groups. Furthermore, stretching exercises can cool the body off and keep muscles and tendons from tightening.

Related items

Healthy Living — No Comments
28
Jul 11

Making personal changes and adopting yoga helps musician perform better on stage

Many Americans want to start optimizing their well-being and making personal changes in order to improve their quality of life. Enhancing the strength and resilience of one's mind and body may be as simple as engaging in the practice of yoga. Experts who provide healthy living tips often mention physical activity as a way in which people can achieve better stamina, flexibility and endurance, and the gentle stretches and poses of yoga can certainly help them accomplish these goals.

However, the holistic mind-body regimen is not just good for one's bones and muscles. Countless enthusiasts report that it has also improved their mood, in addition to relieving stress, tension and anxiety.

Individuals of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels have enjoyed the myriad benefits that are associated with the program.

Recently, the Irish Times reported that a musician from the National Symphony Orchestra practiced yoga to help her stay focused and concentrate on stage. Suzanne Brennan, who plays the clarinet, found that the Eastern art improved her performance.

"I noticed that after my yoga practice, I wasn't shaking," she told the news source. "Before, when I would approach a load of [difficult musical passages], I'd be quite anxious. Now I am much more steady with the notes. [Yoga] gives you more control over your body."

Brennan added that since adopting the holistic regimen, she has experienced fewer throat infections and feels more tolerant towards others. She enjoyed the exercises so much that she even encouraged her fiance, John Forde, to perform them with her.

"One of the big myths in the West is that you have to be some kind of an Olympic athlete to do yoga, but that is not the case," he said, quoted by the news source. "As long as you can breathe, you can do it."

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Healthy Living — No Comments
10
May 11

Visit the largest waterfall in the world – Victoria Falls

Travelers can do Dahn Yoga exercises anywhere that they find a calming atmosphere. It is particularly ideal if one can find a way to do yoga or tai chi surrounded by nature, as it is important for an individual to feel connected to the earth during their practice. Those who are heading to Africa can do this on a trip to Victoria Falls.

While going on an African safari can provide an unforgettable experience for many, those who want peace and relaxation will certainly want to see this cascading beauty. Located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, the waterfall stretches for more than a mile and plunges into a gorge from more than 350 feet. It is the largest waterfall on earth, attracting more than 1 million people every year.

Tourists may want to check out the Devil’s Pool while visiting the area. It is a small basin at the edge of Victoria Falls that is perfectly safe for swimming, due to the natural rock that lies beneath the water’s surface.

The attraction provides a serene backdrop to one’s yoga practice, but those who find enlightenment in more adventurous activities can try whitewater rafting, kayaking or bungee jumping while in the area.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Dahn Yoga Georgia / Healthy Living — No Comments
6
May 11

When it comes to yoga clothing, simple is often best

Even though yoga, meditation, tai chi and qigong may technically be done in any kind of attire, certain outfits are better than others at facilitating relaxation, introspection and peace. Dahn Yoga clothing typically consists of simple, long-sleeved apparel made of natural fibers, which many experts say is better than synthetic cloth.

An article on the Mother Nature Network recently noted that more clothing companies are beginning to specialize in yoga togs that are made with organic fibers while still maintaining their tight and apparently fashionable fit.

The news source pointed to several brands in particular, all of which offer clingy outfits that adhere to the common conception of what yoga shirts and pants should be – form-fitting, stretchy and too small to cover the midriff.

While these clothes are quite popular, they do not always afford the relaxation and range of motion that they should. Clothes that are tight and restrictive can break one’s concentration during meditation, not to mention ride into body crevices where they do not belong.

In Dahn Yoga, members are encouraged to wear a loose, comfortable two-piece outfit consisting of a long-sleeved shirt and long cotton pants. This garb maintains a cool body temperature and allows the limbs and trunk an unrestricted range of motion.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

Healthy Living — No Comments
13
Apr 11

Study finds yoga may reduce cardiac arrhythmia, anxiety

For decades, Dahn Yoga has provided practitioners in the U.S. with an effective form of stress management. The soothing postures and deep, controlled breathing of yoga have been shown to reduce anxiety, stress and – according to recent research – the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF).

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that practicing yoga for 30 minutes three times a week significantly reduced the likelihood that participants would experience this condition.

AF is a form of cardiac arrhythmia in which the upper chambers of the heart do not beat in sync. Individuals with this condition can experience a rapid heartbeat, and over time this problem can lead to the formation of blood clots in the atria.

In the new study, researchers found that yoga exercises reduced the risk of AF by nearly one-half. Furthermore, the system helped dampen anxiety, lessen depression and improve patients’ quality of life.

The research team concluded that yoga has physical benefits that extend beyond improvements in flexibility.

Individuals who want to be able to lower their heart rates and control their energy flow may look to Dahn Yoga for practical methods for accomplishing these goals.

People who looked at this item also looked at…

Related items

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →