People are increasingly looking forward to a post-COVID world, but until then many are taking up new hobbies and interests to bide their time. Surely, you’ve seen photos of fresh homemade sourdough breads and potted succulents doing the rounds on social media. Even cast iron pans are getting their well-deserved attention these days.

A few days ago, someone suggested that I try yoga. My first reaction was a big NO. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, yoga is just not for me. I have always thought of yoga as too gentle, if not lazy, to be my new diversion at home. It’s just too easy.

Goodness, was I wrong.

Never mind the fact that I’m someone you would describe as having a heavy built. What really surprised me was my lack of flexibility in practically all areas of my body. I could not even hold down a proper tiger pose – one of the basic yoga asanas – without breaking a bucket of sweat.

Needless to say, my curiosity was piqued. And for all those years that I looked down upon yoga practitioners (my brother included), I apologize. I’m far from being a hard-core yogi, but I endeavor to improve my flexibility through yoga. Even so, before I buy my first pair of Lululemon, I did some reading on yoga as an exercise. Countless testimonies, literature, and scientific studies have mainly pointed out the many wonders that yoga can bring to both mind and body.

So, with everyone around me talking about trying out a new hobby or opening up a new chapter in life even as COVID-19 pandemic rages on, I think I have found the one that’s perfect during extended quarantine. Yoga simply provides answers to so many physical and mental needs that I’d be hard-pressed not to try it.

Yoga Beats Stress

Everyone could use a stress buster these days. COVID-19 sure has brought people at the brink of despair. Most are worried about their safety, about their businesses and jobs, and about being forced to live in a lockdown. Stress is a ticking time bomb that could wreak havoc just like the coronavirus.

Yoga can help. According to this study, yoga helps fight stress in the same way as good old fashion relaxation. By reducing stress and anxiety, you enjoy an improved mood, mental health, and overall quality of life. So take that, COVID-19!

Yoga Improves Balance and Coordination

Yoga is not just about inner peace. Certain yoga poses have been scientifically proven to improve balance and coordination. That’s on top of enhanced flexibility and posture. When most people are constrained within the four walls of their homes, few physical activities can help develop balance and coordination. These two promote motor skills which in turn help prevent physical injury as you go about your daily activities.

Yoga Boosts Muscle Strength

If you’re like my previous self, you probably taught that yoga isn’t about strength training. After all, the poses are executed with very gentle moves. So how can it improve muscle strength? Well, in a 12-week controlled clinical study published online in 2015, yoga has been shown to improve muscle and cardiovascular strength among Chinese adults.

So yoga is not just good for your mental health but for your muscles too. Just because you’re not running 10 kilometers every morning or lifting five-pound hexagonal dumbbells, doesn’t mean yoga won’t make you sweat.

The Long and Short of Yoga

Yoga is good for the body and mind. It improves mood, beats stress, and boosts your immunes system along the way. Yoga can be beneficial when done correctly. It requires little investment, apart from a pair of stretchy pants and yoga mat. You don’t need to walk or drive to a gym to practice yoga, which means you’re mostly safe from COVID-19 infection. Plus, there are countless resources online to help anyone learn for free.

Yoga, for me, is definitely worth a try in this pandemic. The only catch is I need to devote time for it and be willing to learn. Wish me luck.