by Michael Bowen

BEST FITNESS TREND - Yoga - Two years ago, the winners in this category were Tae Bo, kickboxing and walking. So how do we account for the "new-found" popularity of yoga, a discipline that stretches back 2,200 years? Certainly practitioners point to stress relief as one advantage. But another benefit centers upon how yoga ministers to the mind and spirit, not just to the body. In the hatha yoga tradition (which emphasizes physical control and postures and is widely practiced in the West), regulated breathing (pranayama) controls the mind, while the mind controls the body. Calm breathing reflects a tranquil mind; if we store bothersome experiences in our minds, our bodies will manifest that psychic turbulence in the form of tension. Basically, yoga holds the promise of wiping away your tension headaches and softening your body into so much wet spaghetti. Caffeine-guzzling, Type A personalities need not apply.

2nd: Walking

3rd: Spinning (stationary cycling)