Strength, strength, strength

If I had to sum up in a single recommendation what has changed the most in the world of exercise over the last few years, it would be this: do strength training.

It's not a fad or something dreamed up on social media. There's very solid scientific consensus around its benefits. Strength work helps preserve muscle mass and bone density, improves balance and independence, reduces the risk of falls, and contributes to healthier ageing. That's why the leading international organisations in sports medicine and exercise science consider it an essential part of any physical activity programme.

At Yoga Grund we don't sell the idea that yoga is enough on its own. Quite the opposite. I always encourage people to complement their practice with other forms of movement, especially strength training. Walking, running, cycling, swimming or playing a sport are all excellent allies for yoga. But if I had to single out one activity above the rest, it would be strength work.

And that same idea applies to the classes themselves. If we know that certain strength stimuli can complement what yoga already offers, there's no reason to keep the practice turned away from them. That's why, in the Adapted Yoga and Functional Yoga classes, we occasionally bring in resistance bands and other strengthening exercises, adapting the practice to today's needs without turning it into a gym session. It's simply a matter of adding useful, effective tools wherever they can contribute something.

Strength training strengthens the body. So does yoga, but yoga also offers something that's hard to come by today: ninety minutes in which your attention is no longer hijacked by work, your phone, your worries, or an endless to-do list. By the end of class, the body feels more awake and the mind, paradoxically, feels calmer. That small mental "reset" is, to me, one of yoga's greatest strengths. And I see no reason to give up the benefits of strength training when the two get along perfectly well.

And I'll close with a perfectly conscious bit of nepotism. If this whole sermon on strength has convinced you, the next step is to put yourself in the hands of someone who actually knows what they're doing. My recommendation is Vida Fitness Lab. He's a friend of mine, so objectivity is in short supply here... though, fortunately, his professionalism isn't.