To yoga or not to yoga?

That is the burning question.

I understand the idea of doing yoga along with eating raw has been off-putting, challenging, impossible, downright scary for some of you.

And, I'm here to tell you, you don't need to do yoga. Nope, not at all. Not even half a downward facing dog, or a quarter of a lotus. Nothing.

Yoga does not have to be in your life if you don't want it to be.

Whew - huge weight off the shoulders for some of you. You can breathe easily now.

I chose this plan that included yoga simply because...

1) I knew the teacher and so I trusted the information

2) I thought daily yoga would be a good way to help me keep focus

You see, yoga is what I live for (okay, maybe I'm overstating a little), it's my poison, it's my drug, it's my morning coffee when I can't have coffee. I just love yoga, it makes me feel alive and healthy and strong....... (and un-coordinated, and fat, and un-supple and crazy)... and for the good and the bad, it's just what I like to do.

But you really don't have to do it to change your life.

What you do have to do if you want to get fitter and healthier is move. Yup, you heard me - move. It doesn't matter if is bowling, badminton, basketball, bobsledding, back country skiing or basket weaving (okay, I ran out of B exercises), just move more than you normally do.

Swim if you like to swim, dance if you love to dance, walk if you love to walk. Do it at the gym, around your neighbourhood, at the local YWCA, at your friend's house or in the privacy of your own four walls.

It doesn't matter what you do or where you do it. Just get that body movin' and shakin' and jigglin' and wigglin'.

I met a group of people when I lived in the States. And I have to admit, I laughed at them at first (bad me).

I must have been living under a rock, because I had never heard of this, but they would go to a huge shopping mall before opening hours, all decked out in tracksuits and trainers and they would walk and walk around the mall.

What I realised later was that they were all people who felt vulnerable in their neighbourhoods. They were either older, or infirm, or female and they felt that it was unsafe to walk alone around their area, so they walked around a mall where there was security and people and stuff happening. And they would go round and round on their circuit until they had enough.

Every day.

I think that's great. It's clever, it's safe and it's cheap. It shows that their really is no excuse to not get out there and just do it.

Now, if you do this, don't go walk around during peak hours when you will be fighting mom's, babies and groups of teenagers. Go when it's quiet. Oh, and stopping every 10 steps to check out the merchandise doesn't count either. You have to stay focused and walk and get your heart pumping.

Yes, stay focused.

And find something you love. Find an exercise that makes you happy. And do it.

It doesn't have to be yoga.

(Photo - mine)