Yoga straps

It might not be a long shot to think of some kind of strap or band as part of a yoga kit – the idea of using ‘resistance bands’ for a range of fitness activities is gathering more and more ‘coinage’ in the forums where people talk about health and wellness.  In the case of yoga straps, these cotton or nylon straps help beginners or veterans to hold poses that would otherwise be difficult to maintain.

Think of that arcing pose where the ankle seems just out of reach.  You might catch it but then be forced to let go after only a couple of seconds.  That’s where a properly placed yoga strap can help you achieve what is supposed to be the principle of yoga: sustained, consistent poise that helps stretch and strengthen muscles.  Any trainer will tell you that you won’t get the same results from just “grabbing at” poses and abandoning them.  The straps encourage stability, accuracy, and consistency, to really give challenged yoga people the edge they need to stay the course in all of the poses in their notebooks.  These kinds of tools help to show that there’s no reason to get rid of some of the core positions that may cause problems for a struggling participant.

So, for leg grabs, shoulder stretches, or any of a number of yoga activities, build yoga straps into your routine and see how they can help you do yoga correctly for all of the benefits that the ancient art provides.

Yoga Ropes

Another great tool in a yoga toolkit is a set of yoga ropes – much like the traditional jump rope, a yoga rope helps set up various activities that work the body.  Unlike the jump rope, these activities are not cardio-training but geared toward muscle tone and body agility, and the rope functions mostly as an extension of the body.

For examples of this, think of “hanging” exercises of any kind.  You can do a seated hang, where arms hold the ropes to suspend the body, or a set of forward or backward bends, where using the rope creates tension for your arms in a specific direction.  You can also set up more advanced poses for various goals like “spinal traction” where the spine is held at a certain position, or kidney exercises where rope-held positions create different blood flow to energize or sustain these inner organs.

It’s a good idea to get some kind of training guide to be able to visualize all of the ways that yoga users can benefit from setting up yoga rope activities.  There are a lot of tips and tricks in books and DVD guides that will show you just how extensive your list of options is.  And, unlike other bulkier tools, yoga ropes take up practically no space in your pack!  So consider branching out into “advanced” yoga with ropes and other neat tools – to become a ‘black belt’ in this meditative field.

By Justin Stoltz,Fitnessfuture correspondent.