Having a gym that has it all, is the best retreat you can have in life.

I’ve tried almost every kind of yoga and tonnes of different studios in London.

What I know is that I need yoga in my weekly /monthly schedule in order to feel the benefit of my other exercise both physically and mentally.

Stretching is key to other exercises I do like cardio and weights and boxing. If you don’t stretch out properly after doing these you will contract and tighten the muscles, making you strong by unflexible. Which can lead to injuring yourself easily.

Yoga isn’t just stretching though, it’s also physically challenging carrying your own weight through poses and can seriously tone your body and help with core strength (which I lack).

Yoga also helps your mind to relax, wind down and reset. Learning to control your breathing through yoga can have a really positive impact on your mental stability and help control anxious feelings. I’ve found it to help me in controlling my overactive mind. Once my heart rate rises, along with my breathing getting fast, my head goes into overdrive. But by learning to control and slow down my breathing, I am also able to slow down my mind.

My favourite thing about doing Yoga at Virgin Active is I can do it straight after a workout, or a swim plus I can go and relax in a sauna steam room afterwards too. It’s a nice way to reward yourself after a workout and it’s so nice to have one space to do it all.

It becomes your second home, and a place of retreat rather than somewhere that feels like a chore.

Being able to try out so many things under one roof really helps to encourage me to give new exercise options a try.

As always these are just my personal thoughts, I’m not a PT etc…

https://www.virginactive.co.uk/

Images by Derek Bremner