Fitness Education

Why Good Yoga Technique Continues After Class

Can Yoga Benefit You All Day Long? Yes. Try a Class at our Reisterstown Gym!

Think your yoga practice begins and ends when you walk in and out of the gym every day? Think again. While yoga classes may support both physical and mental wellness, the reality is that yoga techniques and principles can be applied to your everyday activities for better balance across nearly all aspects of your life. Wondering how to embrace yoga outside of the studio? Here’s a closer look. Continue reading “Why Good Yoga Technique Continues After Class”

Fitness Tip

What Happens in a Beginner Yoga Class?

Beginner’s Basics for Yoga in Reisterstown Gym

If you’ve never done yoga before, the thought of taking a class can be an intimidating one. Will you be able to keep up? Will you feel silly and/or out-of-place? Do you need to bring along anything special with you? All of these questions are perfectly legitimate and yet should not stand in the way of you and a potentially life-changing fitness pursuit. To that end, we’ve assembled a handy guide to all things beginner yoga. Here’s what you need to know. Continue reading “What Happens in a Beginner Yoga Class?”

Fitness Tip

Strengthen Your Mind, Spirit, and Body With These Six Yoga Poses

Find Mind & Body Wellness with Brick Bodies’ Yoga in Reisterstown

Close your eyes and picture yourself in a peaceful room being guided through a series of gentle, fluid stretches, movements, and breathing exercises which reduce stress, release tension, improve circulation, alleviate chronic pain, and burn fat — all adding up to enhanced energy, physical and mental health, and even longevity. This is Zen yoga, and it is an increasingly popular fitness technique designed to help people where they are while bestowing upon them the many brain-body benefits of yoga.

Continue reading “Strengthen Your Mind, Spirit, and Body With These Six Yoga Poses”

Fitness Tip

How Important is the Mind-Body Connection in Fitness Training?

Explore the Mind-Body Link with Our Timonium Gym

Tennis legend Arthur Ashe once said, “The ideal attitude is to be physically loose and mentally tight.” Football great Alex Karras said, “Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in the muscles.” Long distance runner Lynn Jennings said, “Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body.” Continue reading “How Important is the Mind-Body Connection in Fitness Training?”

Fitness Tip

Yoga Beginner? Top Three Yoga Myths to Ignore

The Mind/Body Benefits of Yoga in Baltimore

When many people hear the word “yoga,” their thoughts turn to visions of people sitting cross-legged and chanting “Om.” Or, they picture a group of impossibly fit people contorting themselves into pretzel-like position after pretzel-like position.

There’s much more to yoga than these two scenarios. Wonder what other myths exist about this popular form of fitness? We’ve got the skinny on three that come up over and over again.

Myth 1: Yoga is only for fit, thin, bendy people.

Speaking of the skinny, many people mistakenly believe that yoga is just for hot moms in yoga pants. This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality is that anyone can do yoga and gain multiple health benefits in the process. And while some advanced yoga classes are for people who are further along in their practices, beginner yoga is all-inclusive, meaning people of all genders (man-buns strictly optional), body types, and abilities are welcomed and encouraged to participate. So no matter what your level of fitness, yoga is all about looking inward — not about looking at the super-flexible supermodel one yoga mat over. (This also means she won’t be looking at you.)

An added benefit? You may begin your yoga practice without a thin, bendy body, but doing yoga may put you on the route to getting one. Why? Because while you may never be ready for a career as a contortionist, the more you do yoga, the more lithe and nimble you’ll become as you develop a healthier range of motion. This will come in handy both in and out of the yoga studio.

Nor is yoga just for the able-bodied. In fact, whether you are simply at the beginning of your fitness journey or recovering from an injury,  yoga is truly for everyone.

(Another form of exercise that’s terrific regardless of your fitness levels or as injury recovery? Swimming. Sign Up for an Aquatic Session at Brick Bodies today.)

Plus, many newbie yogis swear that yoga makes them feel so great that they naturally turned to healthier habits, although becoming a vegetarian and giving up your Friday afternoon glass of wine are by no means a prerequisite.

Myth 2: Yoga has limited physical benefits.

Think yoga’s effects are limited to just the mental and the spiritual? Think again. Yoga has been scientifically linked with a huge number of positive fitness outcomes, including fat burning and muscle toning. So while you will leave class feeling more relaxed and stress-free (thank you, Savasana!), you’ll also walk out feeling stronger.  But you don’t have to take our word for it; even after a beginner yoga class, you’ll be feeling the burn the next day.

With elite athletes including everyone from Shaquille O’Neal to LeBron James among its fans, who are we to write off yoga’s transformative potential?

As a side note, while we mentioned the spiritual benefits of yoga above, yoga is actually secular — meaning it’s not attached to a particular religious belief system of dogma. Rather, it’s a philosophy which encourages you to take from it what you will — nothing more and nothing less.

Myth 3: Yoga is less effective than other forms of fitness.

These are busy days. It makes sense that you are looking for the most effective, efficient forms of exercise which can be packed into the 30 or 45 minutes you have. Next time you think your only option is to hop on the treadmill or elliptical, think yoga instead. Even just 20 minutes of yoga a day can help you look and feel better.

Now isn’t it time you put these common yoga misconceptions to the test for yourself? Taking a yoga class can help you dispel these myths and immediately start reaping the brain and body boosting benefits of yoga. Sign up for a trial pass today to check out Brick Body’s exciting lineup of yoga classes.

Fitness Tip

How to Build Your Body with Yoga

Achieve Inner Peace and Build Strength with Yoga in Reisterstown, Timonium, & Baltimore

What do Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Gisele Bundchen, Jessica Biel, Pink, Kerry Washington, and Emma Stone have in common besides being rich, famous, and beautiful? They all share a love of one activity: Yoga. Continue reading “How to Build Your Body with Yoga”

Fitness Tip

Top 5 Benefits of Yoga for the Beginner

Manage Stress & Build Your Body with Yoga in Baltimore

Named one of 2017’s top 10 fitness trends by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Yoga is an ancient discipline that is appropriate for people of all ages and abilities. Continue reading “Top 5 Benefits of Yoga for the Beginner”

Fitness Tip

Pickup Basketball: How to Up Your Game On the Court

Fast Break into Fitness with Exercises at Reisterstown Gym

Basketball has a number of advantages over other sports. There’s no need to buy expensive pads like hockey and football since all you need is a comfortable pair of shoes and shorts. Also, a court and a few friends to play for bragging rights. When you want to be the best of the pickup basketball players,  there are a few workouts that the pros are raving about that will help your game.
Continue reading “Pickup Basketball: How to Up Your Game On the Court”