I Did Yoga Before Work Every Day for 2 Weeks: Here’s What Happened
Yoga and I have a complicated relationship.
My body doesn’t look like pop culture’s typical yoga body, and my flexibility leaves a lot to be desired.
Still, I’ve been practicing yoga once or twice a week for the last two years, and it has had a huge effect on my physical and mental health. But I haven’t seen my strength and flexibility improve enough to get into a shoulder stand without spending 20 seconds flopping like a fish first.
So, yeah, I knew I’d have to practice more often to see my strength and flexibility increase, but I was also curious about how practicing before work would affect my focus, productivity, and mood.
Thus, the before-work daily yoga experiment was born.
With this experiment, I wanted to prove that anyone can practice and benefit from yoga, even if their body differs from those we see dominating the yoga space. I also wanted to find out what would happen to my mind and body after two weeks of yoga, and if there were any benefits to practicing before work.
The Experiment
Before starting work Monday through Friday, I did a 30-minute yoga session at home using the Down Dog Yoga app (which I love). Some days I chose a more intense power yoga practice and other days I did a restorative practice, depending on how I felt.
I still did my regular afternoon workouts three days a week and walked the dogs our usual 2-3 miles a day.
I kept a journal of how I felt every day after practicing.
Week One
The first day was arduous. I’m not used to working out in the morning, so I was stiff and tired and just not that into it. Luckily, after powering through the first ten minutes, I actually ended up enjoying it. I felt great the rest of the day and had a very productive morning.
On day two, I came in with a restorative practice featuring some intense stretching. Afterwards, I felt relaxed and ready to take on the day.
Halfway through the first week, I was already noticing some slight changes. I was more relaxed and focused in the midmorning, which is usually the time of day when I struggle with focus the most.
On Tuesday and Thursday I did restorative practices, and on those days I felt more calm and peaceful. When I did the more intense practices that really made me sweat, I came away feeling more powerful and focused.
By Friday, my body was ready for a break. I was weak and sore during my practice and found myself dreaming of savasana in every pose. I couldn’t shake that feeling throughout the entire practice, but I pushed through and unapologetically savored that final resting pose.
In week one, I found that yoga increased my focus, gave me a deeper sense of peace, and put me in a much better mood than I was used to.
Week Two
On Monday, I came back fully rested and did a power yoga session. Since my body had the weekend to recover, I felt strong and graceful during practice. I enjoyed the same sense of relaxation and enhanced focus from the previous week and felt great all day.
I went hard on Monday, so the similar intensity practice on Tuesday was difficult and discouraging. In my notes I said, “I really enjoyed the savasana part” — so, you can guess how it went. Despite not feeling strong during the workout, I pushed through and, after practice, I was ready for the day.
The next day I went in with a restorative practice that focused on stretching and breathing, which was exactly what I needed. I realized that my flexibility had improved slightly and I could touch my toes a lot easier than before the experiment. After this practice, I felt centered, calm, and focused.
I ended the week with power yoga practices on Thursday and Friday.
The burnout and soreness returned on Friday, but I pushed through and felt a huge sense of accomplishment for making it through a tough session and completing the experiment.
My body felt more flexible in week two with the cumulative effects of daily yoga. My mood and overall productivity were also better in week two, which suggests that the more you practice yoga, the greater the benefits.
Challenge Results
My increased sense of calm and focus were the most notable results of doing yoga every day before work. After every practice, my body and mind felt stronger, which made me more productive and boosted my mood.
Feeling like a badass has always been my favorite part of yoga, and I discovered that practicing in the morning may be the best way to benefit from that feeling throughout the day.
My overall mood during those two weeks was more positive and consistent than usual. Incorporating yoga or meditation into my mornings might actually be necessary to keep me sane. Who knew?
I was concerned that my afternoon workouts would suffer after having done a strenuous yoga practice, but I didn’t find that to be true. My afternoon workouts seemed mostly unaffected.
Doing yoga every day made my body feel sore and weak during some of my yoga practices. I wasn’t expecting that, but I enjoyed some practices less because of it. I’m sure my muscles would get used to it after a few more weeks, so that’s probably not a long-term issue.
The biggest drawback to doing yoga before work was that it messed with my schedule. I’m not a morning person, so I didn’t start my day earlier during this experiment. Since I work for myself, I have the freedom to adjust my schedule as needed, but that also meant that I got started 40 minutes later every day. That isn’t exactly sustainable for me right now.
Still, I really enjoyed this experiment and learned a lot from it. I really loved how I felt after doing yoga, and it truly set me up for a more productive and positive day.
Going forward, I’m going to practice yoga in the morning or just before lunch three days a week so that my body (and my schedule) has time to recover.
If I’m brave, I may eventually ramp it back up to every day.
Final Thoughts
In this experiment, I learned that thirty minutes of yoga every day can boost my mood, increase my flexibility, and help me stay focused during work. I’d say that’s pretty powerful, and it makes me want to practice as often as possible.
If you struggle to get into the poses like I do, I’m here to tell you that’s okay — you don’t have to be ultra-bendy to benefit from yoga.
You just have to show up.
Are you going to try this challenge? Let me know in the comments!
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