Yoga for Beginners: What You Should Know Before Your First Class

Although it can be intimidating when you first walk into a yoga studio, it’s important to remember that everyone was a beginner at some point. Being brave enough to try it gives you a chance to practice a key tenet of yoga: self-compassion.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about yoga that can make people nervous about trying it,” says Judi Bar, the yoga program manager at Cleveland Clinic Wellness and Preventive Medicine, who has an individual yoga therapist certification (C-IAYT) from the International Association of Yoga Therapists and who is certified by Yoga Alliance, the world's largest nonprofit yoga association that certifies teachers and schools.

Some people think you can’t do yoga if you aren’t flexible or you can’t touch your toes, she says. “They see pictures of a very fit younger person standing on one foot holding their hands over their head in a pose and think that yoga is out of the question for them,” she says.

Those assumptions aren’t accurate, she says.

Yoga has expanded and changed significantly in the United States in the past decade or two, says Bar. Although there are a lot of classes that are more competitive and challenging, there are also ones that accommodate every size, shape, medical condition, and age, she says. “Anyone can do yoga; you just have to find the class and teacher to fit your abilities and needs.”

Before You Go, Look for a True ‘Beginner’ Class
If possible, start with a location that’s convenient to your house or work. “If you choose a studio that’s a significant commute from your house, the reality is that you’ll probably have a hard time getting there on a regular basis,” says Bar.

Many yoga studios offer a weekly or monthly beginner yoga class or series. These classes are designed for people who might feel intimidated by yoga and are looking for a safer approach rather than trying an all-level yoga class right away, says Stephanie Keach, the owner and founder of Asheville Yoga Center in Asheville, North Carolina, who is certified by Yoga Alliance, the world's largest nonprofit yoga association that certifies teachers and schools.

“We cover breathing, moving slowly, and listening to your body,” she says. The class can also help debunk a few myths that social media can perpetuate, Keach adds. “It may surprise some people to learn that yoga is not just handstands on the beach while wearing a bikini.”

Sometimes studios advertise beginner classes, but there can be a lot of variation in that nomenclature, says Bar. “It might not mean beginner for the average person; it might be a class for a younger person or someone who has some yoga experience,” she says. Talking to the instructor of the class you are interested in can help you determine if the class will be a good fit for you, adds Bar.

Get to Your First Class Early and, Once There, Ask Questions
Once you decide on the studio or fitness center, ask if you can observe the class or classes you are interested in, says Bar. “That can help answer a lot of your questions and help you know what to expect,” she says.

Though you should also feel free to jump right in and try out the class for yourself. Aim to be on time or early to give yourself time to get settled. “Part of the benefit yoga can bring is a sense of calm and an opportunity to observe how your body and mind is feeling,” Barr explains. If you can avoid rushing or being stressed, that will improve your experience, she says.

Once you enter the yoga room, choose a spot to unroll your mat. If you have concerns about being able to do all the poses (more on that below) or you have health issues that may require a trip to the bathroom, you may want to position your mat toward the back of the room or close to the exit, Bar says.

And if you can, let the instructor know it’s your first yoga class. Depending on the size of the class, he or she may be able to keep an eye on you in case you’re struggling or need extra instruction.

What Should I Wear to Yoga Class?
You don’t have to wear special yoga clothes unless you want to, says Barr. “What people wear to yoga has evolved because it tends to be easier to move if you don’t have a bulkier pant hanging down or your shirt falling in front of your face,” she says.

Ideally, you want to wear clothes that you feel safe and comfortable in, says Barr. This could be yoga pants and a snug-fitting top, sweatpants and a sweatshirt, or shorts and a tank top or T-shirt, she says. “Some studios may have a dress code, so you may want to check the website or stop by the center before you attend class,” says Bar.

Do I Need to Bring Anything With Me to Yoga Class?
What you need to bring with you to class can vary from studio to studio, says Samantha Scupp, the founder and a teacher at Healthwise, a New York City hot yoga studio, who is certified by Yoga Alliance, the world's largest nonprofit yoga association that certifies teachers and schools. It’s a good idea to check the website before you go, says Scupp. Some studios provide a mat, towel, and water, but many don’t, she adds.

If you’re planning on attending a class at your local YMCA, gym, or community center, check the schedule or call the front desk to find out what you’ll need to bring to be prepared.

What Should I Eat Before Yoga Class?
Because of all the movement of your torso, as well as other parts of your body, it’s not a good idea to have a full meal within two hours of practicing yoga, says Barr. If you do need a light snack or you’re taking a class shortly after you wake up in the morning, stick to simple carbs, energizing snacks, or foods that are easy to digest. You might experiment with which foods work best for you; toast, nut butters, bananas, or low-fat yogurt are all good options before a workout.

What if I Can’t Do a Pose?
Listen to your body and respect your limits; don’t do poses or movements that don’t feel safe or comfortable, says Bar. “It’s important to realize that you can get hurt doing yoga if you don’t listen to your body,” says Bar. If a teacher is asking you to do something that seems out of the range of your ability, it’s better to pass than to risk injury, she adds.

Instructors will often offer alternatives or adjustments to make poses more or less challenging, says Bar. If an option isn’t offered, it’s okay to ask for a modification that works for you (just be sure to be respectful and not disruptive to the instructor) — or just pause on the mat where you are, whether it be sitting or standing. “Stay still and take a breath and wait until the class is finished with that pose,” says Bar.

What if I Don’t Understand What the Teacher Is Asking Me to Do?
When teachers use Sanskrit terms and terminology it can be challenging for people at first, says Bar. Sanskrit is the original language of yoga, which many instructors do use.  Even poses with familiar words — Warrior, Tree pose, Dead Bug pose — could leave you scratching your head.

If you attend a class and the instructor is using a lot of terms you don’t know and you’re having trouble keeping up, inquire about a more beginner-level class with a teacher who uses more basic language to describe the poses, says Bar. Many studios will offer beginner classes that will help you get to know basic Sanskrit terms over time, she says.

What if I Need to Use the Bathroom During Class?
If you have to use the bathroom, just quietly leave the room to go, says Bar. “If you think it’s likely that you’ll need to excuse yourself during class, make sure you know where the restroom is,” says Bar — and place your mat in a part of the room that will make leaving and reentering the room as easy as possible.

It’s okay if you need to duck out of the room if nature calls, Bar says. “Part of practicing yoga is knowing what you need and taking care of yourself.”

Does Yoga Count as Exercise?

The majority of us realize that yoga is a decent method to lessen pressure and stretch your muscles, yet is it strenuous enough to be viewed as moderate physical action? In case you're attempting to crush in enough exercise to accomplish your own wellbeing and health destinations or meet the rule of 150 minutes of moderate physical movement every week (suggested by the U.S. Division of Health and Human Services and other wellbeing gatherings), you may think about whether adding a yoga class to your routine would "tally" toward your objective. (1) The appropriate response: It depends.

There are an assortment of yoga styles — vinyasa, helpful, Hatha, and hot, just to give some examples. Each requires an alternate measure of physical effort. There's a major distinction between a therapeutic yoga class with almost no development and a quick-paced vinyasa class where you're rapidly moving starting with one trying posture then onto the next.

The last may require enough effort, and hoist your pulse enough, to qualify as moderate physical movement; the previous may not, clarify Edward Laskowski, MD, a physical prescription and restoration authority and the co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.

"Classes that attention more on care and reclamation may not get your pulse up that much," says Dr. Laskowski. A few classes are designed for getting individuals to a higher heart zone rate where you're testing and working the heart substantially more, which may without a doubt be a high-impact exercise, he says.

This is what you should think about yoga and wellness.

Yoga Can Improve Muscle Strength

You needn't bother with machines or freeloads to fabricate muscle. There is proof that yoga improves quality when polished routinely. Numerous stances in yoga are a type of bodyweight preparing that uses your body weight for obstruction, for instance, the handstand or the board. Certain positions and stances, just by utilizing your body weight, will challenge a muscle and make it more grounded, says Laskowski.

One investigation found that, toward the finish of the examination, ladies who did an hour of ashtanga yoga two times per week for eight months had the option to lift more weight with their legs contrasted and ladies who didn't do yoga. (2) Another examination found that yoga improves center and chest area quality and perseverance; members had the option to accomplish more twist ups and push-ups following a month and a half of classes. (3)

Be that as it may, the muscles you work in a yoga class may contrast somehow or another from the muscles and muscle tone you work from different sorts of solidarity preparing, Laskowski clarifies. Yoga is progressively about utilitarian quality, he says. In weight preparing, for instance, you may confine a specific muscle (like the biceps) to fortify it. In yoga, then again, you use muscle bunches together.

"We utilize a lot of various joints and muscles in yoga, which is pleasant on the grounds that that is the main event in our day by day life," he says.

Would yoga be able to Be Aerobic Exercise?

What establishes moderate and energetic physical movement differs from individual to individual, since everybody has a remarkable most extreme pulse contingent upon their age, wellbeing, and how to fit they are. (4) For solid grown-ups, the American Heart Association prescribes an objective pulse of 50 to 70 percent of your most extreme pulse for action to consider moderate force exercise, and 70 to 85 percent of your greatest pulse for action to consider lively exercise. (4)

For instance, the normal 20-year-old's heart ought to pulsate somewhere in the range of 100 and 170 times each moment to be in the moderate to fiery movement go, while a 60-year-old's pulse ought to thump somewhere in the range of 80 and 136 times each moment to be in that range.

Yoga isn't really a vigorous exercise in a similar class as strolling, running, biking, or utilizing a curved machine, says Laskowski. Regardless of whether a yoga class will get your pulse in the focused on zone to consider moderate physical movement relies upon the kind of yoga and how strongly you're traveling through it, says Laskowski. Classes that attention more on care and rebuilding may not get your pulse up as much as increasingly athletic classes that are intended to keep you moving, he includes.

An examination that saw the pulse in ashtanga, Hatha and delicate yoga found just an unassuming rise of a pulse. Members in ashtanga, the more dynamic sort of stream yoga, had an expansion of around 30 beats for every moment, though Hatha and delicate yoga understudies had an expansion of just around 15 beats for each moment. (5) Depending on your age and resting pulse, that measure of action may be sufficient to consider moderate exercise, however for other people, it would not.

That doesn't mean it's not beneficial, says Laskowski. It's still movement, all things considered — it's simply less exceptional than something that gets your pulse up progressively (similarly as running is less extreme than running). "The heart is a muscle, and when you challenge it by lifting pulse you cause it to adjust and get more grounded, so anything that does that is useful," he says.

What number of Calories Do You Burn During Yoga?

There are such huge numbers of components that decide what number of calories you'll consume doing yoga, including tallness, BMI, and age, among others, says Sally Sherwin, a yoga educator at the Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who is affirmed by Yoga Alliance, the world's biggest philanthropic yoga affiliation that ensures instructors and schools.

"The rule is somewhere in the range of 200 and 600 calories [burned] every hour, which is a major window, in light of the fact that there are such a large number of various types of yoga," she says. In a therapeutic yoga class, you're unwinding profoundly and likely not going to consume numerous additional calories. Be that as it may, you will consume significantly more calories in an incredible class where you're moving a great deal, Sherwin includes.

As indicated by calorie assessments determined at Harvard Medical School, the normal 125-pound individual consumes around 120 calories in a half-hour of hatha yoga, and a 185-pound individual consumes around 178 calories in that half-hour. Hatha yoga is a general classification that incorporates vinyasa or stream yoga. (6) In an examination, a 125-pound individual is assessed to consume 135 calories in 30 minutes of strolling (at a pace of 15-minute miles) and 210 calories bicycling at a moderate pace on a stationary bicycle. (6)

Despite the fact that you may perspire significantly more in Bikram yoga, the calorie count is generally the equivalent. In an investigation by a group of analysts from Colorado State University (exhibited in May 2014 at the national gathering of the American College of Sports Medicine) found that in a standard hour and a half class that experiences 26 postures in a room warmed to 105 degrees and 40 percent mugginess, ladies consumed a normal of 330 calories and men arrived at the midpoint of around 460 calories, which isn't excessively a long way from the calories consumed strolling energetically for a similar measure of time. (7)

There is proof that rehearsing yoga can help with weight reduction conceivably in a roundabout way through the way of life transforms it supports. In a little 2016 investigation performed at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (distributed in the diary Evidence-Based Complementary Alternative Medicine), individuals who rehearsed Iyengar yoga (a moderate moving sort of yoga that spotlights on body arrangement and stance) and shed pounds subsequent to taking up the training, were met. (8) The specialists distinguished a few elements (in light of the meetings) that may have added to the Iyengar yogis' weight reduction: a move toward smart dieting, feeling upheld by a culture that advanced good dieting and practices, and physical changes like muscle fabricating and conditioning.

Things to know before your first class. Read here