Why Your Clients Need Yoga During COVID-19
As the COVID-19 crisis continues, health and wellness are becoming an even more important theme in our lives. Working to improve our physical, mental and spiritual states will help us be at our best when this pandemic passes. From better breathing to focus and flexibility, getting into yoga will have you reaping the benefits in no time.
What’s so great about yoga is that it’s universally available to everyone! It’s not geared towards a specific age group and the poses can be easily modified for different skill levels or if someone has an injury or condition. Not only that, but there are several types of yoga to choose from, so if you’re not keen on the first one you pick, give another type a try!
Benefits of Yoga
From a physical workout to a mental break and even a spiritual experience, yoga offers a multitude of benefits to help you and your clientele during this difficult time. Here’s a brief look at some of the advantages you can expect to experience when you make yoga a habit:
Increased flexibility and balance
Not only does yoga loosen tight muscles and fascia, adding stability, flexibility and balance, but you’ll also see aches and pains disappear as tight muscles heal and relax. Do you have senior clients? Better balance also means a smaller chance of falling, which can really be a game-changer for that age group in your community.
Improved fitness
Though a common misconception is that yoga is not a “real workout,” you might be surprised at how high your heart rate climbs and the physical results you’ll notice. It’s called a practice because it’s a journey to understand, improve and master the poses. You’ll build muscle, increase your endurance, boost your lung capacity and improve your bone density. It’s a great low impact way for you and your clients to build up your fitness!
Better sleep quality
Many of us are having trouble sleeping these days, and yoga can certainly improve sleep quality! Not only does it provide a relaxing, soothing environment where our bodies and minds can shut down, it also provides downtime for our nervous system, allowing our bodies to relax into a deeper, more restful slumber. This is a great way to promote yoga to your clients with families, who might be struggling to get a good night’s rest after a busy day at home with their kids.
Improved focus
Yoga is even good for the brain! Studies show that practicing yoga regularly leads to better coordination, reaction time and memory. If you or your clients are looking to maintain a routine, stay on track and continue reaching for goals while we’re distancing—the improved focus that yoga brings might be exactly what you need.
Reduced stress
As social and physical distancing continues, fear and anxiety are on the rise, but yoga can help! Practicing yoga releases more GABA (gamma-aminobutryic acid) in the brain’s thalamus, and this is what reduces anxiety/stress and focuses the mind, while increasing levels of happiness. These times are stressful and yoga can help balance everything out right now!
By providing a calming distraction and focusing the mind, a greater level of happiness can be achieved when the prefrontal cortex shows heightened activity, which takes place during yoga. Promote yoga as a way to boost happiness and lower stress, that’s something we can all use these days!
Spread the Word to Your Community
Now that we’ve given you a refresher on the benefits of yoga for your mind and body, how can you share that info with your community? As a fitness and wellness expert, your clients are looking to you to help them get through this tough time and sharing the benefits of yoga will help fill that need. We’ve got a few ideas about how you can promote yoga to your clients during the COVID-19 crisis:
Make a marketing plan
The best way to reach your community with your message is to develop a strategy and execute it in the best way you can. In other words, set up a killer marketing plan to focus on your message and target your audience.
Develop a specific plan to address the benefits directly. For example, launch a campaign directed to your senior members highlighting how yoga can positively impact their lives. Send out tips, fact sheets, stretch suggestions and more! Your clients will appreciate this personal, targeted approach.
Is your marketing automated? That makes it even easier! Automation makes it quick and easy for you to get your message across as you navigate being apart from your clients! With WellnessLiving, you can reach your audience in just a few clicks with pertinent info, regular updates, yoga tips and ways your clients can do yoga while they’re isolated.
Up your social media game
Strengthen your connection and engage with your community on social media! Let them know about yoga and its benefits by posting relevant info and sharing industry content. You can even start a targeted yoga group for daily practice and communication. This is a great way to focus on interested members of your audience with specific information that can help.
Besides offering relevant, interesting and informative content, try hosting virtual events on Facebook Live and Insta-stories to mix it up and demonstrate just how yoga can improve flexibility. Consider demonstrating poses, hosting talks and even taking real-time questions to better reach your community and keep them invested.
Get your audience involved by asking them to post their favorite poses and ways that yoga has helped reduce their own stress so that you can share the benefits of yoga as a community. Get them in on the fun and helping to promote your message through their channels, too.
Become an expert
You’re already an authority in your field, so it’s time to expand your expertise! Do your research to establish yourself as the go-to yoga pro. Tackle a topic like ‘getting better sleep using your yoga practice’ and spread the word with a blog, podcast or any other medium you choose to reach as many people as you can in your community.
Starting a Blog
Start a blog to reach your targeted market with your message. Post content like the health benefits of yoga, invite guest bloggers to share their relevant content and ask people to subscribe so they know when your newest content is posted.
The secret is to use this platform as an additional way to engage with your clients. Be sure to answer all questions posted, address all comments and assure your audience that you’re interested in their feedback.
Starting a Podcast
Podcasts are gaining in popularity every day and they’re a great way to literally speak to your audience from any location. You can interview guests, answer questions submitted by your audience, or simply talk about yoga and all its benefits.
Nervous about starting on your own? Listen to similar podcasts to get an idea of the format and contact someone who’s been doing this successfully for their advice—you might even be a guest speaker on their podcast to get your feet wet!
Get Creative
Beyond blogs and podcasts, here’s your chance to really be creative! From TikTok to Instagram, posting video content will really attract attention and separate you from your competition. Consider making short videos of poses, whole routines, or even just quick tips to keep your audience interested in the benefits of yoga—and in your business.
Grow the yoga community!
Expose your community to as many teachers and experts as you can by reaching out to your peers. Get the yogis in your community to take up teaching by sharing resources that’ll make it easy. Sites like the Yoga Alliance can help keep your community informed. With info like online learning, opportunities for financial support and industry updates, it’s a great resource for anyone looking to get into teaching.
Start Bragging About the Benefits of Yoga
From the physical to the mental and spiritual advantages, getting your clients interested in yoga should be a cinch. While the COVID-19 crisis continues, it’s important for health and wellness professionals to do everything they can to help their community stay motivated and manage their stress. By introducing yoga to your many markets, bragging about its benefits and leading by example, your community will be on board in no time!
