It's time to reset and restart as you prepare for the beginning of another week. Whether you've got aches and pains from sitting down too long, or your mind is racing with work-related questions, we've got just the thing.
Top yoga instructor Zoe Young recently took over our Instagram account to bring you a live, 30-minute yoga flow workout. The workout included lots of shoulder rolls, opening up those muscle groups and making it perfect for people who spend their days hunched over their desks. Check out the flow below:
It's a great workout to end the week and prepare for the start of the next one, but there's science to back it up. Yoga can not only open up your shoulders, but prevent work-related back aches and pains, and even lower your stress levels.
One study, published in the scientific journal Occupational Medicine, found yoga reduces perceived stress and back pain, improves psychological well-being and has the potential to reduce sickness absences.
Dynamic yoga flows like this also work on your mobility, lengthening your muscles and improving your quality of life well into old age. Science dictates you should be doing stretching exercises every single day to stay healthy, fit and mobile as you age. Yoga flow routines like this will go a long way towards achieving that goal, as will our beginner's guide to stretching.
Lower stress will also reduce the production of the stress hormone known as cortisol in your body. Cortisol causes you to increase the amount of fat cells stored in your body: a contributing factor to weight gain. Cortisol has also been found by the journal Obesity to "influence the reward value of food" and is responsible for the phenomenon of "stress-eating".
Take 30 minutes to exercise, stretch your muscles and elevate your heart rate with Zoe Young's dynamic yoga flow. You'll reduce back pain, lower your stress levels, feel better, lose weight, improve your mobility and lengthen your lifespan. Now that's a serious workout.
Liked this?
-
-
Sleeping naked improves the quality of your sleep, according to science
Sleep How you sleep, and what you wear, can affect the quality of your sleep. Here's how
By Matt Evans •
-
7 reasons elliptical machines are a great workout for the over 50s
Fitness Expert advice on why the elliptical machine needs to be part of every workout routine
By Lucy Gornall •
-
Yoga: These are the most popular yoga poses on Instagram
Wellness With demand in beginner's yoga surging due to lockdown, strike a pose on social media with one of these popular moves
By Matt Evans •
-
Workout: The 30-minute yoga flow to detox after a busy week
Yoga It's Friday! If this week has been too stressful, stretch away your pandemic worries with this yoga workout
By Matt Evans •
-
Yoga for anxiety: 9 poses to help you calm the mind and breathe easier
Mindfulness Looking to quiet a racing mind? Practicing yoga for anxiety is a great place to start
By Kat Bayly •
-
How to meditate: Best meditation apps, beginner's guide to mindfulness and more
Mindfulness Meditation is more popular than ever. This is our official "how to meditate" guide to getting started
By Matt Evans •
-
Best yoga mats: Grippy, high-quality options for home & the studio
Buying guide Our round-up of the best yoga mats, suitable for all types of yoga styles from Ashtanga to Yin
By Kat Bayly •
-
WATCH: This 30-minute energising yoga flow workout is great for beginners
Yoga This 30-minute yoga flow is a great workout for beginners and experienced yogis alike
By Matt Evans •
-
The best workout leggings: Squat-proof designs ready to move in
Fitness Looking for the best workout leggings? Try these are our top picks
By Sagal Mohammed •
-
Watch: Relaxing 15-minute yoga flow to enhance mindfulness and beat stress
Yoga End a stressful week (or year) with this therapeutic yoga flow workout to enhance mindfulness
By Matt Evans •
