Sometimes after class, a student will ask me, “How often should I practice?” This sometimes comes from new students who are in the newer phase of excitement around the practice and ready to dive into a daily schedule of yoga.
Back in the day, when I started practicing, I would have said that doing yoga daily is the best thing you can do. I still somewhat feel that way although these days, with all the additional knowledge I have about anatomy and biomechanics, I’d rather suggest that you do a FEW things every day and specific yoga poses may or may not be part of that recipe.
Let’s start out with a general premise: A little bit of something every day will be better for the body and have a greater impact that one thing, for a longer period of time, only infrequently. Let me give you an example. What if your schedule only allows you to go to yoga twice a week for an hour. Is that more or less beneficial than doing 15 minutes of yoga on your own every day and supplementing that with your two classes a week? I’d suggest that the latter is more beneficial. Think of it this way: Would it be better to brush your teeth every day for 3 minutes or twice a week for 15 minutes? I’d suggest the former in that case and I’m sure your teeth would agree with me!
You see, the body’s anatomy ( bones, muscles, joints and fascia) responds OVER TIME to negative stimuli, be it the results of poor posture, repetitive movements and stress ranking high among the factors. The more you can do every day to decrease the impact of those elements on the body, the better off you’ll be for the long term.
The other factor that I think we have to keep in mind is that everyone is running short on time. We’re not all triathletes, training for our next event, spending 3 hours a day training. For many of us, we’re fitting in exercise with our daily routine and it doesn’t leave a great deal of time for exercise. The other factor to consider is doing the same kind of exercise every day might not be so great either. That’s why I used to support the idea of yoga classes every day and now I really encourage my students to cross train with other things, like running, cycling, rowing machines, weight work and cardio machines.
Here are some key elements you can think about integrating into your day:Â
- Meditation: This is a whole topic unto itself. For purposes of this discussion and to keep things really accessible, let’s call it “deep breathing breaks.” Take 5 10-breath deep breathing breaks throughout your day. One when you wake, one before bed and 3 throughout the day. It’ll trigger your parasympathetic nervous system and help you relax. That’s a great technique to start and end your day with and to fill your day with, right?
- Intentional movement for at least 15 minutes a day: This could be a few yoga poses, some foam rolling, going for a brisk walk or lifting some free weights. This 15 minute break is where yoga poses can really fit in nicely because 15 minutes of yoga is about 10 poses held for about 5 breaths each. That’s pretty accessible for most people.
- Some form of exercise for 45 minutes a day at least 3 times per week: This is where your yoga class or gym break might fit, or a run or riding a bike. This is more of the “specific exercise” activity you might already be doing, while not doing the first two activities.
That’s it! I could make it more complicated although I want to keep it really simple.
The only other piece I’ll add to this list is “get good sleep.” I’d say 7-8 hours a night, with your phone in another room. Again, that’s a whole conversation unto itself but let’s leave it at that.
If you’re looking for information on yoga, take my LEARN YOGA CHALLENGE. It’s a free video series on You Tube and you can get started with this link here to the guide. I’d love to hear from teachers as to what they tell their students on this topic and if you’ve heard this question. Also, what tips do you use to integrate mindfulness and movement into your life?
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Thanks for reading!