Bad Yogi Blog

In a perfect world, all of our nutritional and wellness needs would be met by our yoga practice, eating whole foods, and getting lots of sunshine and fresh air. While these things can a go a long way towards good health, we live in a modern world where our food is deficient in vital nutrients, our air is polluted, and even too much sun can be dangerous.

Practicing yoga provides a multitude of mental and physical benefits… it’s just good for your soul! It relieves stress and anxiety and puts you more in touch with yourself. However, yoga also requires a lot of hard work, whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been practicing for years. Of course, your endurance, flexibility, and core strength improve over time, but it’s still a workout.

Certain supplements can help yogis of any level take their yoga game to the next level.

The Top 7 Supplements for Yogis 

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is essential for several key functions in the body, including neurological function, nerve cell health, and energy production. This vitamin is mainly found in animal-based proteins, so if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, there’s a good chance you’re deficient in this vitamin. Some common signs of deficiency are fatigue, depression, headaches, and heart palpitations. Lack of balance is also a common issue for people deficient in Vitamin B12, so yogis will want to keep their levels up through diet or supplements. 

Glucosamine

The primary purpose of glucosamine is to build cartilage. Cartilage is essential to the yoga practitioner because it pads the joints. As we get older, it becomes less and less flexible, which may slow a yogi’s progress. Glucosamine is also helpful for those suffering from arthritis and joint pain. The human body produces its own glucosamine, but if you are experiencing flexibility issues or joint pain, you can up your intake by drinking bone broth or taking a glucosamine supplement made from ground-up seashells.

Turmeric

Yogis with chronic pain or inflammation can benefit from upping their intake of turmeric. Turmeric is a spice that’s been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to treat liver conditions, digestive problems, skin infections, and inflammatory conditions. It is often recommended as a natural pain reliever. To up your intake of turmeric, you can add it to dishes like curries or barbecue rubs, add it to homemade salad dressing and marinades, or take a turmeric supplement.

Fish Oil

Fish oil is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for good health. If you don’t consume fatty fish like mackerel, anchovies, herring, salmon, or tuna at least twice a week, you may wish to take a fish oil supplement. Omega-3s are essential for a healthy heart, brain health, bone health, and eye health. Yogis may wish to up their intake of fish oil if they are experiencing issues with inflammation, joint pain, or stiffness.

CoQ10

CoQ10 is an antioxidant that protects your cells and helps them regenerate. The body produces it naturally, but it’s production declines as you age. Low levels of CoQ10 have been linked to issues like cancer, diabetes, brain disorders, and heart disease. Supplementing with this antioxidant may treat heart failure, improve fertility, keep your skin looking younger, reduce headaches, reduce diabetes symptoms, and even prevent cancer. 

Yoga practitioners may be especially interested in its ability to help with exercise performance by protecting the cells from oxidative stress and reducing muscle fatigue. To up your intake of CoQ10, you should eat more organ meats, muscle meats, fatty fish, and cruciferous vegetables. It is also available in supplement form.

Vitamin E

For the yoga practitioner, vitamin E is a good choice because it prevents inflammation and improves flexibility in the joints. In general, it may also prevent heart disease, support the immune system, and even lower the risk of certain types of cancer. It can also be applied topically to treat skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. To increase the amount of vitamin E in your diet, eat more seeds, nuts, avocados, and green leafy vegetables, or take a supplement each day.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that plays a key role in body and brain health. Every cell in your body contains magnesium, and it is essential for regulating the nervous system and the contraction and release of muscles. It also helps convert food into energy and fights depression. Its anti-inflammatory benefits are beneficial to yogis who are having flexibility issues or joint stiffness. This important mineral can be found in leafy greens, dark chocolate, nuts, or fatty fish. It is also absorbable in supplement form.

Enhancing Your Individual Yoga Journey with Personalized Supplements 

The vitamins and supplement industry has gotten a lot of bad press in recent years, but that is changing. Thankfully, there’s a new trend toward personalized supplements that are customized to meet an individual’s lifestyle and wellness goals.

Companies are now offering customized vitamin packs that contain your recommended personalized vitamins. The process usually starts with a survey to discover your individual requirements, then the company sends you one customized pack of vitamins to take each day for a month. Another box of vitamins is delivered to your door each month, so it’s a totally hassle-free, personalized system.

This is an excellent option for yoga practitioners because it takes away all the guesswork. Your personalized recommendations will include only the supplements you need for your lifestyle. It’s a super convenient way to fill in the nutritional gaps in your diet.

As a yoga practitioner, it’s safe to assume that you’re interested in improving your health in safe and natural ways. Certain supplements can enhance your health and up your yoga game in a natural and non-invasive way. Consider personalized vitamin packs as a convenient way to get exactly what you need- nothing more, nothing less.

Download our free yoga form guide — over 50 yoga poses broken down with pictures.