You’ve heard all the benefits of yoga being touted for years. Not only does it build strength and flexibility, but it can also be quite beneficial for your mental health.
So how often should you do yoga?
Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi has come up with a list of questions you should ask yourself to figure out how many days per week or minutes per day are just right for you. Read on for our specific recommendations.
Like many other health practices, yoga is not a one-size-fits-all routine. The whole point of yoga is to be mindful of your body’s condition and the experience that is uniquely yours as you practice yoga.
How often you should do yoga may depend on what kind of benefits you’re seeking from it. For instance, if you want a physical transformation, practicing yoga for an hour at least two to four days per week is ideal. But if you’re trying to achieve a certain kind of flexibility or reach specific health goals, you may see better results from shorter daily sessions.
Over time, as you find your body can handle more or you adjust your yoga goals, you may want to increase either the number of days per week or the length of time per session you practice yoga.
Each individual is different and may need to do yoga at varying intervals. Ask yourself the following questions to help determine how many days per week or minutes per day you should be doing yoga.
No matter what your ultimate goals and needs are, Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi can help you achieve them by offering many online and in-person classes to train your body and increase your mind-body awareness.
One way to determine how often you should do yoga is by asking yourself why you’re doing it in the first place. Depending on what you are hoping to gain from your yoga practice, you may have different needs for how often you should participate.
If your goal is physical transformation, then doing a deeper practice of yoga two to four times per week or more is ideal, depending on your energy level and the time you have in your schedule.
Yoga and other mind-body studies tend to allow more flexibility in the way they are practiced, so you can do them for just 10 minutes every day and experience a wide variety of benefits.
The mental benefits of yoga include:
The practice of yoga is known to increase flexibility overall, but if your goal is to achieve a specific kind of flexibility or skill — such as being able to sit in half-lotus position, or stretch to fully reach your feet — then you may see better results working on it with short daily sessions, instead of longer periods, a few days a week.
People often start out practicing yoga with a feeling of how often they want to do it. For instance, you may be gung-ho to commit to five days a week, but then quickly find out it’s too much for you.
If you don’t set realistic and sustainable goals for how often you want to do yoga, you probably won’t achieve your goals.
If you feel like you need yoga practice every day and feel renewed and refreshed afterward, then go for it! Make yoga a part of your daily self-care routine.
On the other hand, if your yoga practice feels like a chore and you have to push yourself even though you know it’s good for you, it’s probably better for you to start smaller. You may want to fit yoga in just two or three times a week, scheduling it at times when you’re the least stressed or distracted.
When trying to figure out what’s most sustainable for you, ask yourself this question: If a yoga session got added to your calendar this week, would you be excited about it?
Would you rather just do some quick yoga sessions on your own when you can fit them into your schedule, or do you need:
There can be a social aspect to a yoga class that many people enjoy, and this in no way takes away from the practice. Rather, aligning your schedule with other people such as an accountability partner, friend, or family member can make attending class regularly and getting into the practice that much easier.
Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi instructors lead a variety of classes to fit your schedule while helping you work on your physical and mental health goals with other like-minded members of the community.
It’s important to set goals for yourself, but you should also be able to adapt and adjust them along the way. Expectations can lead people to get stuck or burned out because they think they should improve a certain way or their practice should follow a specific path, but it might not pan out that way.
It can be helpful to schedule some one-on-one time with an instructor, to review your goals and set realistic expectations. Your instructor may also have recommendations you haven’t thought of for keeping your yoga practice and self-care on track to achieve your goals. If you feel stuck or bored with your practice, consider scheduling a private session with an expert at your local Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi center.
Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi centers offer yoga classes for people of all levels, from beginners to experienced yogis.
No matter what your goals are or the amount of time you spend doing yoga each week, we will help set you up for success. We’re very flexible (pun intended!), offering in-person and online classes that will fit your schedule, as well as tons of resources to help you along the way.
How often should you do yoga? That depends on your current condition and wellness goals. Give your nearest Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi center a call or schedule an appointment online to get started - we’re happy to help!