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Nevada, USA, January 2, 2018
Yoga has emerged among the top 10 fitness trends worldwide for 2018, according to ‘Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2018’ published by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) based in Indianapolis, USA.
“The sustained popularity of Yoga seems to be that it reinvents and refreshes itself every year making it an attractive form of exercise,” the Survey Report said.
“Based on ancient tradition, Yoga utilises a series of specific bodily postures practiced for health and relaxation. This includes Power Yoga, Yogalates, Bikram, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kripalu, Anurara, Kundalini, Sivananda and others,” the Report added.
Global Respondents
The Report accounted for more than 4000 fitness professionals from Mexico, Chile, Columbia, Venezuela, Portugal, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Serbia, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Taiwan, Switzerland, Jamaica, South Africa, Bermuda, Greece, Ireland, Finland, Kenya, New Zealand, China, Barbados, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.
Now in its twelfth year, this Survey provides 40 potential trends to choose from and claims to help the health and fitness industry make critical programming and business decisions.
Nevada based Universal Society of Hinduism President Rajen Zed said that Hindus were highly pleased with the fast and tremendous growth of yoga worldwide.
A Living Fossil
“Yoga, referred as ‘A living fossil,’ was a mental and physical discipline for everybody to share and benefit. Its traces went back to around 2000 BCE to Indus Valley civilisation,” he said.
According to Mr Zed, Yoga, although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, was a world heritage and liberation powerhouse to be utilised by all.
Patanjali, who codified it in ‘Yoga Sutra,’ said that Yoga is a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychical.
Major Yoga benefits
US National Institutes of Health said that Yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress.
A 2016 Yoga in America Study said that about 37 million Americans (including many celebrities) now practice Yoga; and it is strongly correlated with having a positive self- image.
“Yoga is the repository of something basic in the human soul and psyche,” Mr Zed said.
Besides ACSM, other participating organisations included American Council on Exercise, National Council on Strength and Fitness and The Cooper Institute.
Dr Walter R Thompson, Associate Dean at Georgia State University, is President of ACSM, which claims to be “The world’s largest Sports Medicine and Exercise Science organization.
Indian Newslink is the exclusive Media Partner of the Yoga Festival being organised at Kawai Purapura in Albany, Auckland from February 22 to 25, 2018.
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Image: Yoga Festival Poster
