the buzz log

If the economy has you down, consider going into downward dog. Yoga, the Indian discipline that combines deep breathing, meditation, and stretching poses, has an added benefit for the economically pressed: sanctuary for the stressed.

The yoga coordinator for Crunch gym confirmed the increase of attendance with the decrease of the stock market. "A yoga practice becomes a refuge from the negativity of an economic recession, and the studio becomes the sanctuary."

Both yoga and its cousin Pilates (developed by Joseph Pilates with exercises that focus on strengthening the core) are finding followers in Search, who have turned to their computers to turn over a new leaf.

Searches for "yoga classes" shot up over 100% in the last 30 days, along with "yoga poses," "types of yoga," and even "anti-gravity yoga."

Those who want the sinew of Madonna would be advised to head to the yoga studio. The pop star said she's addicted to the practice, striking a pose seven days a week. The Material Girl admitted to People.com, "I could've been a member of 'Cirque du Soleil.' It got to the point where I didn't have a glass of wine and I had to go to bed early because everything was around my yoga."

A poll commissioned by Yoga Journal, found that 11 million Americans do yoga occasionally and 6 million perform it regularly. These days, you don't have to go far to get your Om on. Wii Fit offers yoga instruction right to your game console. Other side benefits: One book boasts that yoga can improve your sex life.

While yoga is popular, Pilates has its own cheerleading section in Search. It's the secret behind Jennifer Anniston's killer bod. And the San Francisco 49ers are reportedly fans, too.

Pilates requires a machine invented for the practice called the "reformer" whose pulleys and stirrups help it resemble an ancient torture device. And while it may feel that way, it's pushing your body into submission through a series of resistance exercises that work on muscle strength, spine alignment, and breath control. Searches on "malibu pilates," "pilates equipment," and "zone pilates reviews," filled the search box in the last 30 days.

Despite the grim economic climate, the forecast for fitness is looking up.

Filed under: Fitness, Economics

Everyone's doing it: celebrities, business moguls, even your co-workers. It's sprouting up in gyms, offices, airports, and shopping malls. We speak, of course, of "yoga."

"Yoga positions" (+284%) and "yoga classes" (+23%) are stretching upward. Searchers are also seeking enlightenment on "free yoga exercises online," "yoga teachers," "yoga journal," and the answer to the inevitable question: "what is yoga."

Yoga equipment and accessories are a huge industry, with people looking for mats, clothing, DVDs, music, and jewelry. Somehow, we have a feeling that folks dialing up "nude yoga" and "naked yoga" are more interested in watching it than participating. But hey, what do we know?

Who's looking for yoga? A healthy 24% of searchers come from the 35-44 age range. Coastal states New Jersey, New York, Florida, and California are most interested in checking out online yoga offerings. And what kind is everyone looking for? Meditate on the top 10 searched-on yoga styles…

Filed under: Health, Fitness, Yoga Practices

There are three reasons to study martial arts: (1) for self-defense, (2) for fitness, and (3) to look really, really cool. We're not talking Ralph Macchio here. We're thinking Jet Li in Fist of Legend or Bruce Lee in just about anything.

So when "krav maga" spiked 73% yesterday, we were sure that searchers were lining up to hit the mat and kick some butt. After all, Krav Maga is the official combat system of the Israeli Defense Forces, and no matter what you think of them, you wouldn't call them wimps.

But after a little digging, we found that while Krav Maga may have Buzz in a chokehold, other martial arts aren't faring so well. Searches on "kickboxing," which usually ranks in our top 500 searches, went soft last week. "Martial arts" dropped 9%, "kung fu" lost 4% yesterday, and even "self-defense" took a blow. That can only be the sound of a million little New Year's resolutions crying out in pain.

The martial arts may be slipping, but there's still fight in them. So, in the hopes that you ditch pilates, skip spinning, and re-dedicate yourself to your own fists of fury, we present the top martial arts searches online. Strap on your yellow belt and ready your horse stance…

Filed under: Fitness, Sports, Martial Arts