Review: 30 Days of Yoga Challenge

One of my goals for 2016 was to become fit and active, so towards the end of January I took it upon myself to start the 30 Days of Yoga Challenge. It is a series on YouTube created by Adriene Mishler (Yoga with Adriene) a trained teacher who invites you along to practice yoga with her for thirty days. She also has many other yoga videos on her channel whether that be for night time, beginners or runners catering for all. Her mantra is 'find what feels good' which I think sums up the practice perfectly as there is a lot of freedom within each video. If you are a beginner like me or more advanced with yoga, Adrienne provides multiple options for different levels within each practice which is great :-) 

Equipment
One of the great things about yoga is that you need very little equipment. At the start of the challenge I was simply practicing on a folded up blanket which worked well but I decided to invest in a yoga mat about a week in as I was really enjoying it and found that it gave me better grip. You can find them very cheap at outlet stores - mine was only £8.99 which is great! Blocks are often mentioned within the videos to help 'bring the earth up to you' - a fancy way of saying a higher platform for you to rest your hands or sit bones on. However, I do not feel that they are necessary to purchase and Adriene often suggests simply using a book or a similar object. In terms of work-out gear leggings and a loose or tight fitting top will do just the job :-)  

Self-Motivation
To help motivate myself to engage daily with the yoga practice I created a chart with all of the days on it and made it nice and colourful. After I had completed the practice I had the satisfaction of crossing that day off. Similarly, I liked to write it on my to-do list for that day. Another tip would be to roll out your yoga mat or blanket the night before and place your workout gear next to it so the next morning you are prepared to go straight into the exercise.   

Benefits

Review
I could not recommend this yoga series more, I think it is a perfect starting point if you are wanting to lead a more active lifestyle. I also find it to be a great mood booster and makes your body feel energised rather than tired and relaxed for the day ahead. It certainly stretches you out in a very satisfying way too. The main benefit I gained was definitely my flexibility, within a week and a half the heels of my feet were sitting firmly on the ground during downwards dog and towards the end of the challenge I could easily do a forward fold and touch my toes :-) I also noticed that I had greater control of my body with more strength in my arms, core and legs. There were a few days where I couldn't fit it in in the morning and I would do it at night but here I chose to do a video from her yoga for night time playlist (which makes you feel very sleepy and relaxed!) and then resumed the challenge the next day. As the challenge progresses you get more familiar with some of the moves and can move your attention away from the screen and really work on your body :-) The videos range from 12 to 34 minutes long so are the perfect length for them to easily fit into your day. 

I am moving onto another 30 day challenge practice this week but I am going to aim to do one yoga video a week as I have found it as a form of exercise I thoroughly enjoy!  

What are you favourite fitness exercises/challenges? :-)

Sarah Marie x