 You don't have to be limber or young, skinny or even in great health to do yoga. It's one form of exercise that can be adapted to most any fitness level. Although Madonna and other female celebs have declared yoga their favorite way to work out, it's also popular with men.
In fact, in John Capouya's bestselling book Real Men Do Yoga (published by HCI) football's Eddie George, Shannon Sharpe and Amani Toomer; baseball pitchers Barry Zito (2002 Cy Young Award winner) and Al Leiter; legendary hockey goalie Sean Burke and NBA superstar Kevin Garnett talk about how the practice of yoga has helped them increase flexibility, build muscle energy and prevent sports injuries.
The reason yoga has such wide appeal is that it's all about individualizing poses. There are numerous styles and techniques for people with physical limitations due to age, illness, injury, obesity, or even the fact they haven't exercised in years. On the other hand, it can also be adapted, through the incorporation of weights and rapid movements, to provide a cardiovascular, muscle-building workout to those looking for an advanced fitness routine. Another advantage: once you learn some yoga basics, you can use some simple poses even sitting at your desk or standing in your office to relax, stretch and recharge.
 A quick guide to yoga stylesThe origin of the word "yoga" is the Sanskrit word yuj, meaning "yoke or union." Although it originated thousands of years ago in India and is often associated with Hinduism and Buddhism, yoga is not a religion or tied to specific religious beliefs. Instead, it is an ancient exercise discipline which combines physical postures, breathing exercises and a philosophy of mindfulness aimed at a union between mind and the body.
All styles of yoga are based on the same physical postures (called poses). Some of the most popular types of yoga include:
- Hatha. This style of yoga is generally slow-paced and involves gentle movements coordinated with breathing. It's a good introduction to basic yoga for beginners.
- Vinyasa. Literally meaning "breath synchronized with movement", vinyasa yoga usually involves a series of poses called the Sun Salutation that matches yoga postures to the breath.
- Iyengar. Based on the teachings of the yogi B.K.S Iyengar, this yoga style emphasizes the best way your individual body should be positioned in each pose in order to obtain maximum benefits and avoid injury.
- Viniyoga. Developed by yoga authority T.K.V. Desikachar, viniyoga uses individualized yoga instruction with an experienced teacher to create a personalized yoga program based on such factors as health, age, any physical problems or injuries and flexibility.
- Power or "Hot" Yoga. Technically known as "ashtanga", this is a fast-paced, intense style of yoga. It provides a challenging cardiovascular workout because of the constant-but-flowing movement from one pose to the next.
Yoga for healthThe deep stretching and slow breathing of yoga has long been known to help people relax. However evidence has accumulated in recent years that yoga may have some additional, and surprising, health benefits too.
For example, according to a study headed by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, people who practice yoga regularly are less likely to be obese. The reason isn't necessarily the exercise part of yoga but the mindfulness part that promotes a slim body. Simply put, practicing yoga seems to make people mindful of what and how they eat. And that, the scientists say, can help prevent the dread phenomenon of middle-age spread in normal-weight people. In addition, regular yoga practice promotes weight loss in those who are overweight.
 The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), says low back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work days - and now several studies have provided evidence yoga could help relieve this common problem. A study recently published in the journal Spine found that a group of low back pain sufferers who regularly practiced yoga postures had less pain, improved function, less need for pain pills and improved mood. "Proponents of yoga have long described its benefits in reducing back pain," researcher Kimberly Williams, Ph.D., of West Virginia University's Department of Community Medicine said in a media statement. "But not everybody was convinced. This is a much bigger, much more rigorous evaluation than had been done before."
Yoga appears to improve quality of life for breast cancer patients, too. Research published in the journal Psycho-Oncology found regular yoga practice resulted in a 50 percent reduction in depression and a 12 percent increase in feelings of peace and meaning in women with breast cancer. It also dramatically relieved their fatigue symptoms. "Evidence from systematic reviews of randomized trials is quite strong that mind-body therapies improve mood, quality of life and treatment-related symptoms in people with cancer. Yoga is one mind-body therapy that is widely available and involves relatively reasonable costs," said Suzanne Danhauer, Ph.D., who headed the Wake Forest University School of Medicine research team.
An Indiana University study concluded that yoga can help stroke victims improve balance and endurance, as well. Lead researcher Arlene A. Schmid, a rehabilitation research scientist at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, found that after eight weeks of a twice weekly hour long yoga class, stroke patients' range of balance improved dramatically and so did their capacity for exercise endurance as well as their self-confidence.
Other yoga research is being actively pursued by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), too. According to the NCCAM's web site, studies are underway to see how yoga might help a variety of medical conditions including high blood pressure, chronic low-back pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HIV and multiple sclerosis.
Finding a yoga classYMCA and health clubs often offer yoga classes. The sources below can also help you locate experienced yoga teachers in your area:
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