Re-committing to fitness on this International Yoga Day

International Yoga Day is around the corner and is celebrated on 21st June 2021. Yoga has been a part of the Indian health system for ages, but it was only in 2014 that the United Nations recognized the significance of Yoga and its contribution towards well-being to proclaim 21st June as the International Day of Yoga.

When was Yoga started?

Yoga is an age-old practice that originated in India about 5,000 years back. ‘Yoga’ means to unite and is a Sanskrit word mentioned for the first time in the Rig Veda. The word means the joining or the unison of the mental and physical aspects of the body with the consciousness.

The original form-focused a lot on breath control, flexibility postures that improve strength and well-being of the physical and the mental being. Today, people from all parts of the world have adopted Yoga, though different variations and forms have evolved over the years. Practicing Yoga does not entail investing inexpensive accessories and has simple-to-follow techniques that make it quite popular worldwide.

Why is International Yoga Day celebrated?

The objective behind observing International Yoga Day is to raise awareness about the benefits of this ancient practice. India was the first to propose the draft resolution for the day in the UN, and the same was endorsed by 175-member countries of the body.
India’s objective was to help the world understand the quintessence of Yoga uniting the mind and the body, offering a holistic methodology to improve our health and attain the desired state of well-being. Physical inactivity is one of the rising causes of death worldwide, and Yoga plays a beneficial role in fostering better lifestyle choices. Thus, Yoga helps attain and maintain the right balance in our everyday lives.  The International Yoga Day is celebrated on 21st June, and the theme for this year is ‘Yoga for well-being.

What are the benefits of doing Yoga?

Practicing Yoga daily helps improve physical and mental health. Some of the benefits of Yoga are:

• Helps enhance strength; for example, the tree pose is perfect for balance and stability.
• Yoga relieves back pain. For example, the cat-cow pose is a good stretching exercise that improves mobility if you have lower back pain.
• Yoga is a great solution for swollen joints and arthritis. 
• Yoga is good for the heart and overall cardiovascular health. For example, Downward Dog Pose is a good example.
• Helps you sleep better. For example, the legs-up-the-wall pose is best for inducing sleep.
• Helps brighten your mood. Yoga is known to boost mood and make you more alert.
• Helps manage stress. For example, the corpse pose is good to clear the mind because you focus on your breath.
• Yoga is good for self-care and offers a good opportunity for group healing.

Can Yoga reduce tummy fat?

One of the International Yoga day benefits is that you get to reconnect with an ancient practice with proven results. So yes, Yoga helps reduce belly fat. You can practice asanas like Tadasana, Balasana, Shavasana, and Bhujangasana for reducing your tummy.

Which time is best for Yoga?

The best time to do Yoga is early morning. But, you can choose to do Yoga any time of the day but ensure that you stick to the routine every day.

Can we drink water before Yoga?

It is good to drink water an hour before the

so as to not to have to take any water break in between.

Yoga is simple and result-oriented, but it is always advisable to practice and learn Yoga from a certified coach. Since it is Covid times, you can choose to enroll with a fitness app like FITPASS-TV to learn yoga techniques from experts. If you wish to have one-to-one sessions with a certified trainer, you can enroll with FITCOACH. If you wish to get practical nutritional and dietary tips, you can use the services of FITFEAST.