If your fitness habits have gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone. Social distancing orders and quarantine habits have led to a worldwide decrease in physical activity over the last 6 months. What is even worse is that exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress and anxiety, so reducing or quitting your workouts could have very negative effects on both your physical health and your mental wellbeing. The good news is that returning to yoga after a brief or extended hiatus is very easy!
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Restarting Your Yoga Routine
Forgive Yourself
First of all, don’t engage in self-depreciation or judgment. Let go of the past and adopt a mantra of self-acceptance. Regardless of why your routine was upset in the first place, focus on how to make changes to your current circumstances to allow you to put aside the small amount of time that will provide the greatest impact on your well-being. If you’ve ever experienced the benefits of yoga, get ready to experience them anew! Returning to class after a hiatus will allow you to observe your body and muscle reactions in new ways.
Overcome Your Obstacles
Look inward to consider the reasons you stopped doing yoga so that you can make a plan to do better this time around. If scheduling was an issue, be realistic about how much time you can commit to your other obligations. Sign up for a single yoga class to give yourself something to look forward to and also become part of a community that will keep you accountable and wonder where you are when you don’t show up. For those who are not particularly motivated to work out, recruiting a friend can make it a lot more fun! If your hiatus was at least partially financial, supplement your class time with some free classes available on our YouTube channel to help you improve your core strength and flexibility while lowering your stress levels.
Start Slow
Remember that it’s okay to ease back into the process! If you are a former yogaholic who hasn’t been to class in a while, you might find positions that were once second nature are now a bit challenging. Instead of becoming frustrated with yourself, see this as an opportunity to focus on form and breathing and practice those meditation skills when stress begins to get the best of you.
Try New Techniques
Depending on how long it has been since you last took yoga classes on a regular basis, your needs and interests may have changed. If you are now working from home instead of having a daily commute, you will need to work out different sets of muscles. Consider purchasing some yoga props to help you ease back into things, or try an approach such as aerial yoga that could be both more fun and less stressful for those with out-of-practice muscles.
Learn From Your Hiatus
Life is full of learning opportunities. Use the process of returning to wellness as a lesson and a self-care module to keep you at your best. Be conscious of how your body and mind feel this time around and make sure to take the time to enjoy yourself.
Sign Up For Vacaville Yoga today!
The best way to end a hiatus is to stop procrastinating! Yoga Core Fit has a full schedule of exciting yoga classes just waiting for you. Sign up today and rediscover how amazing yoga can be!