In addition to healthy eating habits, an important component of a healthy lifestyle is sufficient exercise and relaxation. We sit too often and for too long behind computer screens and at our desks in our busy workplaces. And when you sit too long, your insulin levels become unbalanced. Not good… Insulin regulates your blood sugar levels and it is extremely important in terms of your overall health that it is stable. It ensures that your blood sugar lowered to a normal, healthy level throughout the day. Sufficient exercise ensures that blood sugar decreases naturally. That’s why we here at Rens Kroes HQ aim to move around a bit at least every two to three hours. That way we ensure that our metabolisms keep functioning optimally.

Alongside exercise, relaxation is also very important. If we’re busy, we often forget about relaxation and don’t devote enough time to it. The perfect combination of exercise and relaxation is offered by yoga. There are many different types of yoga that you can alternate between depending on the mood you’re in.

The basis of postural yoga is Hatha yoga. This is the form of yoga from which all other forms emerged. In Hatha yoga, you’ll learn to become aware of the breath and to link it to movement in the various postures.

There are also more dynamic forms of yoga like Ashtanga, Bikram and Vinyasa yoga. For yogis that like a bit more action on the mat, these are good options to cleanse your body and keep up your fitness!

And then there are the forms of yoga that focus on mindfulness and awareness, like Yin yoga and the increasingly popular Kundalini yoga. These forms are great for achieving deep relaxation and inner peace.

It’s actually best is if you try a number of different styles and find one that is right for you. Of course you can do this by attending the many ‘live’ yoga classes held at a studio in your area, but we’ve also recently discovered something that’s perfect for when your busy agenda doesn’t permit you to bike over to a studio every week: The House of Yoga. It’s an online yoga platform to which you can subscribe for a small fee that gives you access to a whole array of yoga classes that you can view anytime, anywhere in the world (as long as you have an internet connection). Being in the heart of Amsterdam, we have the luxury of having a gym available to us at our office, so we’ll often start or end the day with a practice from The House of Yoga. These classes are also just as great to do at home, on vacation or on a business trip. We are fans!

What to eat?
If you’re going to practice yoga in the morning, make sure that you don’t have any heavy food in your belly beforehand. Have your breakfast about an hour before you hit the mat and make it a smoothie (like out Heartbeet or Spicy Pumpkin) so that you have enough energy to get through the class, but that you’re not stuffed. If you’ve practiced in the evening, end your day with a delicious, calming and cleansing warm drink, like our Feel Good Drink.

Namaste!