How can we reach the Masses?

How can we reach the masses?

     Did you know that we have somewhere around 50 yoga studios throughout the Phoenix valley?  In the city of Phoenix alone there close to 1.5 million people.  In the entire state of Arizona, somewhere around 6.5 million.  Yet, a report by The Trust for America's Health said 23.3 percent of adults in Arizona are obese (tying with Florida and New Mexico), compared with 21.7 percent in 2007, when Arizona ranked 43rd.  The report also stated that 37 other states were fatter than us and that we ranked pretty good in comparison to them. 

     According to the report, we’re not doing too horrible in comparison to other states.  However, we still have a lot of work to do.  We all know that obesity can cause heart problems, diabetes and depression.  And the only resolve for these challenges is predominately medication.  Can you imagine if exercise or its benefits came in a pill form?

     Did you also know that depression affects approximately 10-15% of our population in any given year, and up to 20% of the population as a whole?  Three times more women than men are diagnosed with depression. Average duration of illness is 10 years. It is estimated that 15-20% of older adults suffer from depression.  The January 2005 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reported a study on the effects of exercise and found comparable results from studies in which patients with mild to moderate depression were treated with antidepressants. "The effect you find using aerobic exercise alone in treating clinical depression is similar to what you find with antidepressant medications," said Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, a study author and professor of psychiatry and director of UT Southwestern's mood disorders research program. "The key is the intensity of the exercise and continuing it for 30 to 35 minutes per day. It's not for the faint of heart."

     I don’t mean to bore you with statistics here, but I wanted to a get a point across.  The point is that not enough of us are exercising.  It’s something like two thirds of the population that isn’t.  These are your brothers, sisters, parents, children, friends and coworkers.  While close to fifty of us have opened yoga studios here the valley to help with this mess, we need your help.  We need you to speak with your family members and your friends and educate them on this problem.  We need your help to educate them that there are options for them.  The yoga may not be a fix all, but it will help.  If you’re reading this and you’re a yoga practitioner, you know yoga will help. 

     Lastly, I’ll leave you with this.  The gentleman’s name on this photo is Josh.  Josh has a similar spinal condition to mine “Spina Bifida.”  Josh practices yoga with us here at Pura Vida, religiously and he’ll tell you himself that it’s working.  He’s had less back pain and overall he feels a lot better.  I wanted to point him out because he’s a true testament to the benefits of yoga and because I myself recovered from a death sentence I was given decades ago.  And now to come full circle and be able to help someone else with a similar condition is that much more amazing and meaningful to me.

To your health & success,

Marco Gamez