Q: Everyone I know is doing some kind of yoga. I want to try it. Everyone says it's super healthy, but isn't it more of a cult?-Katie F., Oak Park, Illinois
A: Regardless of whatever spiritual foundation yoga had when it was developed 5,000 years ago, it's become a very accepted type of exercise. Around 36 million Americans do some form of the practice, while spending around $16 billion on classes and equipment annually.
There are all types of yoga, from Vinyasa (unifying movement and breathing), Iyengar (intense prolonged holding of poses), Bikram (26 poses in a room that's 105 F and 40 percent humidity), Kundalini (uses kriyas-repetitive body motion and intense breathwork-while chanting and meditating), Yin yoga (stretching and unwinding very slowly) to chair yoga, done at Dr. Mike's Cleveland Clinic Wellness Center. But no matter how it is marketed, be it nonreligious exercise or spiritual endeavor, the benefits that come from yoga are significant.
Clearly, yoga promotes flexibility, and there's no right or wrong way to do it. To start, look for classes that do slow poses. Then, as you get into it, you'll become more flexible and more able to achieve the full physical benefits. You'll also discover that it improves your outlook.
Studies show that yoga relieves your stress responses (the yogic breathing technique helps do that; instructions at sharecare.com, search for "belly breathe"); eases depression and anxiety; and aids weight loss. As you do it, you will come to feel that mind and body are two parts of a unified whole: YOU.
When you treat your body right (ditching the Five Food Felons and being physically active) your mind responds positively, and when you help your mind become calm and clear, your body feels better too!
Q: I've been seeing a lot of news lately about how fitness trackers don't actually help you lose weight. Are they really ineffective? Should I stop wearing mine?-Drew M., Seattle
A: Millions of Americans are using fitness trackers now, from pedometers such as Omron to Fitbit, the Apple Watch and dozens more. But a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that followed 471 overweight adults trying to lose weight over two years found those who were given a fitness tracker lost less weight than those who had regular diet and exercise guidance with no tracker! The authors weren't sure why the trackers were less effective, but speculated that just having a tracker might have made people complacent.
So, is it time to trash the tracker? The answer is "no!" The trackers used in that study were different from the ones you wear on your wrist and that most of you love! The study's trackers were worn on the arm and measured energy expenditure, but not steps, one popular feature of today's trackers. And many of the trackers used in the study didn't give instant feedback; you had to go online to see your results. Plus, initially people who get fit often lose inches around the waist but not weight (waist size is more important than weight), and this study didn't look at that either.
So, the researchers chose the least appealing types of tracker-and found them less than compelling. That's not a fair way to judge more-responsive and easier-to-use fitness trackers.
We say, keep your fitness tracker and get the most out of it by setting goals, like a certain number of steps per day or running at a certain pace for a set amount of time. Set the timers and reminders. Download your accomplishments and follow your waist size, not your weight. You might even buy a tracker and a tape measure for a friend so you can challenge one another to hit your goals, or start a friendly competition. Any steps (on your way to 10,000 a day, no excuses) you take to improve your health are good steps.
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen at [email protected].
(c) 2016 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.