Starting yoga - what to expect?

[WhoisitnowRalph]

I'm 47, pre-menopausal, 4 stone overweight, with chronic foot pain (which I need surgery for) and sacroiliac pain. I have a stressful job involving a lot of travelling, my body hurts and I get regular migraines.

Naturally I know I need to lose weight (I've been on a diet for 27 years), but I'm wondering if yoga might help improve my flexibility and ease some of the body pain while I try for the billionth time to lose a few lbs.

I tried pilates once but it wasn't a good experience, so I'm a bit shy about turning up to a class as a beginner. What should I expect, am I going to be the only fat one huffing and farting vigorously as I fail to master a basic pose?

I found Pilates much harder than yoga.

The first time I went (to yoga) I thought it was all a bit wanky and far too serious for my liking. Then we did the relaxation bit at the end and honestly, it was a revelation.

Definitely try and choose your classes carefully though- some are full of very very serious types and others are more relaxed.

Just try and relax, there have been a range of ages, sizes and flexibility in every class I have been to. Wear something comfortable. Tell the teacher you are a beginner so they can help you if needed, don't push yourself too far first time. Try and then practice a few basics at home as you will quite quickly see improvements. Expect to sleep really well afterwards!! Have fun!!

I would make sure you arrive in plenty of time so you can chat to the teacher, get comfortable and make sure they're aware of your possible pain areas.

Is it a gym yoga class, a yoga studio or a community hall sort?

Yoga classes and yoga teachers are all quite unique in my experience so I would encourage you to be open minded and, if you don't get on with the first one, try another.

Eg I know about 6-8 local teachers - 1 of which would be PERFECT for you based on what you've said and 2 of which would probably put you off and the other 5-6 would be fine. It's likely to be similar where you are. Don't suppose your in the Midlands / East Mids are you!!!?

If you find the right class, it could have an enormous positive impact on your mental, physical and spiritual well being

If you search for yoga and your town name on Facebook you will prob find lots of groups / teachers then you could follow a few things for a few weeks to get a feel for the sort of things they all cover / do.

Hatha yoga is gentle, breathing based movements and poses which is prob best suited for you.

Ashtanga is quite hardcore!

A gentle vinyasa flow is lovely but probably needs a bit of experience of basic poses to be comfortable in.

Yin yoga is all about stretching and staying in supported poses for quite a while. Very indulgent and restorative.

Good luck - I fucking love yoga (you may have guessed)

If you're up for a bit of 'practice' before you go, Yoga with Adrienne on You Tube is fab for all levels and she has a 30 day intro to yoga series.

Yes I have a relative who is a yoga teacher (overseas sadly), and when I watched videos of her doing her thing at retreats I have rolled my eyes somewhat at the degree of semi-wankiness. But I am capable of getting in touch with my spiritual side and quite like a bit of meditation - not sure about praying over a bowl and saying "namaste" much.

My pilates experience was more that the class didn't cater for beginners and the instructor wasn't able to assist me much, so I got very little out of it. Plus, it really bloody hurt my back.

No @FusionChefGeoff, I'm down in Hampshire! I've had a look and there are a few in my area, one literally 5 mins walk from my house (community hall type). Says it's Hatha/Restorative yoga.

I really want to love it, I might try YouTube a bit first!

Ooooh Hatha / restorative sounds good for you!! Especially if it's close

Just make sure you're not shy about saying you're a beginner or sticking your hand up if something hurts or doesn't make sense.

Yoga is 100% about being kind and listening to your body - not pushing yourself or being in pain so there is always an adjustment or prop that can be used for each individual body.

If the teacher is British Wheel of Yoga trained that is usually an excellent start...

She doesn't seem to have a website, but her FB page says she trained with FRYOG IYN500?!

I’ve been doing yoga for about 20 and none of it has been wanky, I’m intrigued, what is the wankiness?

I've sent her a message. May this be the start of my yoga years.

I did pregnancy yoga which was brilliant. I now do Pilates which i love, i can really tell if I miss a few sessions. I stiffen up and feel tense.

My whole body feels sooo stiff, that's what I'm hoping to improve.

I do yoga flow, which is very gentle and the relaxation is lovely. I do Pilates too and lots of other more energetic classes.

I have resumed yoga after 20 years. I am slim but had awful back ache and stiffness and osteopathy nearly each month.....after two months of yoga all ache and stiffness gone. I do 3 classes a week... Different types.... Love it....tried Pilates and did nothing to help me....waste of time. My yoga classes are beginners and advanced and I do what I can and teachers are lovely...only once did I not repeat a class as was meant to be beginners but wasn't and teacher wasn't helpful.

Yes my pilates experience was similar to your one with the one off yoga class earsup! I'm hoping to have better luck this time.

It's a shame really, I've been to lots of other types of classes that could've been problematic for a beginner - step, body pump etc - and had a great time, yet it was the pilates one where I felt awkward and in pain and got no help all the while the instructor was rattling on using terminology I'd never heard of. I'm not being critical of the instructor, I think the class was just so oversubscribed that she had no chance to help new starters.

Hi OP - I am 50, stiff as a board and promised I’d start exercising 1 Nov. I didn’t. I can barely put on a pair of socks , I feel like the tin man. I don’t really know where to start either - I need to lose about 2 stone too. My problem is a 2 hour drive to work each way, and my job involves sitting down in front of a computer.

Shame you had such a bad experience of Pilates. The instructor doesn’t sound good and classes should be small. I never got on with yoga and don’t like holding static ‘passive poses’ I feel yoga prizes
flexibility over strength. Yes it’s good to be flexible for YOU but far better to be strong and Pilates is more about functional mobility and strength. I found it life changing and far more challenging. It completely sorted my back out whereas yoga did my back in. I guess we’re all different though and you have to find out what works for you.

Last time I tried yoga the instructor read a poem for 15 minutes... so boring.

That's the trouble isn't it Gara - although I get a 15 minute walk in with the dog most days, I spend most of my time in a car/at a client site at a desk/sat at my own desk. It's also a vicious cycle - because my body hurts and many of the migraines are exercise induced, I'm less motivated to move around in the first place. If I've been sitting still typing up a lengthy/urgent report for 4 hours, simply standing up is agony everywhere.

That's interesting Delatron - maybe I'll see how this goes and then give pilates another try. As for reading a poem for 15 mins...well, that just goes back to a previous poster asking earlier whatever made us think yoga classes were "wanky". Stuff like that!

I'm conscious that there are tons of YouTube video tutorials out there for doing yoga at home - are any of those worthwhile? I think FusionChef mentioned one...

I did start doing Adrienne yoga in the New Year - her 30 day thing - I managed about 15 days in a month and it was quite good, it’s just finding the time and the commitment. This morning I started up again doing a few exercises - it’s the XBX plan - you can probably google it - it’s 10 basic exercises supposed to bring up fitness - so touching toes, swinging arms, push ups, sit ups etc. You start at a very low level of reps and then build up - 5-10 min each morning. I’m going to try and stick to that - and maybe do some yoga. My problem is I just don’t enjoy exercise and am always knackered. It’s a vicious circle.

@WhoisitnowRalph I'm also in Hampshire (New Forest) and do yoga. I know what you mean about it being a bit wanky. I've tried a few instructors now and have found one that's a good mix between wanky and not. For example, she'll use the proper name of the yoga pose but say that it's good for stretching xyz muscles. Not too much going on about chakras or anything. And she does relaxation at the end but it's about being in touch with your body rather than anything too spiritual. Good luck with your yoga search!

am I going to be the only fat one huffing and farting vigorously as I fail to master a basic pose?

In my experience, it's the venue that makes all the difference. I go to a wanky yoga studio and I'm always the fattest one there. Classes in community halls/village halls tend to attract a different type of person. The atmosphere is usually more down to Earth, and you also get to know people a bit better as the same people go each week

Yoga is bloody great. Classes vary hugely, because there are lots of different styles of yoga (some wankier than others ), different teachers who may or may not appeal to you, and class members varying from intimidatingly bendy to struggling beginners. Hopefully you'll find a class you love, but if not, try YouTube. Adriene is great.

Use Yoga with Adriene on YouTube to start you off. She has so, so many free videos for a range of abilities, including yoga sitting in a chair, for beginners, a video explaining each pose in detail and so on. It would build your confidence before attending any classes.

There's definitely yoga, yoga and yoga. Generally I prefer yoga to pilates as I prefer more of a vinyassa flow style.

Yoga with Adriene always gets mentioned because she's great and realistic. Her videos vary in length and style. Some are simple, basics "foundations", some more complex vinyasa flows.

It is well worth going to a class so the instructor can make corrections. Often very flexible people "cheat" with their alignment and it is common with yoga to feel like you get worse before you get better as you learn the postures rather than creating a shape.

As a very inflexible person, I find a strap/ resistance band and block very helpful. I don't think my hands will ever have a close relationship with my feet