Theres a revolution in America, one thats been steadily growing for years. This revolution is driven by consumers who are taking charge of their health and well-being. They want to stay healthy and functioning for as long as possible, rather than relying on after-the-fact healthcare. These consumers include a growing number of aging baby boomers looking for self-care tools to enhance and expand their wellness.

Yoga is perfect for this wellness revolution. Here are some reasons why.

Move it or lose it. The number one reason people get stiffer as they get older is because they stop moving. Our bodies were made for moving. Watch children for any length of time and you see they rarely sit still. As kids get older, theyre told to sit down and sit still. Eventually, we lose the playfulness that young children have. We become adults and sit at our desks, sit on the couch, sit in the car. A sedentary lifestyle stiffens our joints and weakens our muscles.

Theres a naturally occurring fluid, called synovial, between our joints that helps keep us mobile. The more we move, the more fluid is created. Think of a car. You would never skip putting oil in your cars engine; it would freeze up. We cant inject oil between our joints but we can keep them lubricated by moving consistently and systematically, such as through a yoga practice.

Keep your balance in life. Keeping our balance can be taken literally or metaphorically. People of all ages can have poor balance. Sometimes theres a physical reason but sometimes its just a matter of being out of practice. And the older we get, the more important balance is. How many times have we heard, or voiced it ourselves, the fear of falling and ending up in a nursing home? Yoga poses are perfect to help you improve your balance and you dont need to stand on one foot to do it.

Yoga helps us keep our balance metaphorically, too. Yogas emphasis on mindfulness, of staying in the moment, teaches us to take a step back in stressful situations or during a conflict with another person. By learning to stay present, we develop the composure and self-control we need to handle our stress without a knee-jerk reaction.

Community of like-minded people. Its easy to make excuses not to continue a yoga practice at home. Piles of laundry, errands and kids call us away from our mat. Or you may not even know where to start. Thats the beauty of going to a studio. You dont have to figure it out on your own. Theres someone there to guide you through the practice. Plus theres a group energy that cant be found watching a video, no matter how friendly and upbeat the instructor is.

Builds strength. The average American has muscles that are too tight or inflexible, areas of the body that are weak or misaligned, and an overall lack of body awareness. Yoga is a great antidote for these issues but they dont get resolved in one, two or even three classes.

Is this the year you decided you needed to take control of your health, find a way to de-stress or find balance in your life?

Yoga can be a key piece of your personal wellness plan.

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Joining the yoga revolution - AdVantageNEWS.com