Approaching middle age and beyond, we worry about losing our youth, vitality, and our firm and youthful-looking bodies. As we move through life skin loses its firmness and begins to wrinkle. Through time our face is affected; excess skin gathers around the mid region (ahem.)
Cosmetic surgery cannot reverse ageing. We might look better, but it doesn’t improve health. Improved appearance makes us “feel” better, but looking good is only an illusion of good health. There is no nothing that makes you glow more than actually being healthy.
Loss of body tone is a natural phenomenon of ageing. It impedes circulation and contributes to poor health. There are many ways to remedy the loss of body tone and improve circulation. Most involve physical activities; such as running, jogging and swimming. All are effective, yet not everyone wants to be outside on a grey winter night.
The older we become, the more difficult it is to maintain a regular workout. The body is a wee bit stiffer and there is never enough time. It always seems like the more we need to exercise, the harder it is. Yet in order for exercise to be effective, consistency is vital.
When time is limited, we usually focus on one or two activities and tend to exercise without a warm-up or cool-down. In a best-case scenario, just doing exercise can lead to injury. This is when yoga becomes a great solution.
Yoga is a total fitness package encompassing hundreds of different exercises, both aerobic and non-aerobic. Yoga for me goes well beyond athletics. Through its controlled breathing; and its strengthening, stretching, and endurance building exercises, your entire body is toned. Circulation is stimulated and the mind relaxes.
Yoga especially affects fascia, which is the “bag that holds the body together.” Fascia completely permeates your entire body. It encapsulates everything; muscles, organs, glands, nerves, and lies directly under your skin. When fascia loses resilience through ageing, it adds to the sagging skin situation.
An appropriate yoga practice therefore helps restore and maintain elasticity of fascia and improves overall circulation. Therefore, when the fascia directly under your skin becomes more resilient, your overlying skin responds and appears more vibrant. This gives us another reason to stay bendy.
