Yoga Before Bed

Yes, quite cliche but I have become a fan of yoga. No, it hasn't gotten me a rock hard six-pack (yet), but it is an amazing de-stresser. I discovered the wonders of how helpful yoga can be for the mind near the end of college, but didn't really have time for it in between finishing two majors, hanging out with friends, and trying each bar's daily happy hour specials. After graduating and trying to find a new stress reliever from the intensity of the post-grad exams, I found another Women's Health yoga workout in my e-mail inbox. Who wouldn't try it? So, the other night before I went to bed, I practiced a few of the poses, and before I knew it, I was all stretched out and relaxed enough to hit the sack. I woke up feeling more flexible and in a pretty happy mood after all my ohm-ing the night before. Overall, I approve of the yoga de-stress/before bed workouts (Click on the hyperlinks).

Some people like to meditate and not think about anything while they are yoga-ing. Well for me, I like to think about all the things I did that day, what went well, what was fun, and what annoyed me. I think about it, and then try to let go of them, so I can start the next day without the worries and distracting thoughts from the day before. All you insomniacs and people who go to bed stressing/reviewing and can't fall asleep, please do the yoga bedtime routine. Yes, I've recommended it to my dad, but he doesn't believe in exercise, so my suggestion fell on deaf ears. Going about my routine, my last thought was the annoying lady at Victoria Secret's badgering me to sign up for the amazing store credit card. Yes, I would love to save 20% off my free pair of cotton hip hugger panties. Bring over that application! Absolutely not. After 3 years of working at American Eagle and the Loft, the most valuable thing I have learned was never to sign up for one of those. Bad for your credit score and bad for your bank account!

Back to the yoga. Some of the de-stress positions look simple, but they actually require some amount of balance. Chances are that you have better balance than me. I like to blame my lack of flexibility and balance on my soccer career, but really I think it was because I quit ballet too early. I suppose at the age of 5, I believed I was either going to be a precocious Anna Pavlova or bust. I chose bust and finally picked up soccer, which at least for me, didn't require as much balance. After about a week of doing these poses and workouts, I definitely felt more relaxed, flexible, and balanced. You won't be able to bend over into a bridge like a gymnast, but you'll notice improvement, especially the bow and the crane poses which feel pretty ridiculous on the first try.

A lot of the poses are simply extended stretching, but somehow it just feels really good. I suppose compared to sitting in a desk chair for hours all day, anything feels better. If you're creative, unlike myself, add a couple more fun poses to the workout. I feel like a yoga instructor when I can come up with a pose that feels like stretching that I can incorporate into the routine. Regardless, don't overdo the ab cruncher ones. If I do too many that work the stomach, I can feel my back crying out as if it's saying, "don't forget about me!" That's what's so great about these workout poses - they work pretty much everything and you don't have to do a mental checklist: thighs, calves, arms, back, abs. It's a pretty inclusive routine hence part of the stress relief. Of course my Type A self would get stressed out making sure I stretched out everything through all of the poses. Another plus is a few of the de-stress poses helped stretch out my back. I felt the cracks up my spine as I twisted and bended. Even easier than getting someone to squeeze, lift, and crack your back for you, but always helpful if it's from a friend.

The most important thing is that the poses make you relax and de-stress. Yoga won't give you a cardio workout, won't give you the same strength training as dumbbells, but it will give you a great stretch, some tone, and a less stressful day! Yes, I'm trying all the fad exercises, but I would definitely choose yoga in my room over an early morning rowing session or biking in the cold weather.