A Well Rounded Fitness Program Will Benefit Your Yoga Practice

Many people who exercise regularly will add yoga toadjusted and you can gain strength from practicing it
their exercise routine for the flexibility benefits. I addon your knees, but again, if you gain some strength
other exercise routines to benefit my yoga practice. Itfrom other activities your overall gains will be quicker.
might sound backwards to you but Pilates' coreCardiovascular work increases your lung capacity. If a
strengthening helps in every single yoga pose. Weightsedentary person tried to full out sprint for a mile, the
training helps with the strength needed to hold poses infirst problem would be they wouldn't be able to
yoga, and cardio exercises increase lung capacity andbreathe. Someone who regularly does some sort of
keep your heart strong. A well rounded fitness routinecardio exercise will have more of a chance to run the
is a good idea to keep your body in balance, and tomile. Increased lung capacity is another one of yoga's
keep improving in your yoga practice.benefits, but once again, if we practice cardio regularly
During any yoga practice there is always somethingthe gains will be quicker.
you should be doing with your core; pulling it in,So how often should we be doing each? Weight
activating it in poses to help with the balance, etc.training should be 2-3 times per week for 30-45
Pilates is about strengthening the core, along with theminutes. You want to work on all of the muscle groups
rest of the body, and about adding some flexibility.starting with the bigger muscles groups and working
Practicing Pilates exercises adds flexibility. It is similar totowards the smaller ones. Chest, back and legs should
yoga in that you attach your breath to yourbe first, and then do some shoulders, biceps and
movements. Since teaching yoga is my passion, I amtriceps. You can use any sort of strength apparatus,
biased in my belief that yoga has more of a flexibilitystrength machines in a gym, free weights (dumbbells),
benefit. Pilates, on the other hand, has more benefit ofor resistance bands work well. Consult someone
core strength because people will practice a few corecertified in weight training or research which exercises
strengthening poses in yoga, but will rarely practice ato start with. Just, please, be safe about it.
whole yoga session focused on the core.Pilates can be practiced at home with many available
Joseph Pilates studied various exercise practicesDVDs or at a gym or Pilates studio. You can get great
including yoga. Pilates taught that functional exerciseresults from practicing 2-3 times per week for 30-60
would improve posture and physical fitness. Hisminutes.
exercises were intended to keep the mind, body andCardiovascular exercises can be done outside, i.e.
spirit in balance. With physically fit bodies we can livewalking, jogging, or riding a bike. If the weather is bad
with ease and enjoy life. So as you can see, there arethese can be done inside on a treadmill, cross trainer
many similarities in a yoga and Pilates practice:or stationary bike. Dancing, ice skating, and playing
Increased strength, flexibility, using breath connectedfootball with the kids, are all good forms of
exercises and the mind and body connection.cardiovascular exercise too. You want to focus on
One benefits the other when you practice themgetting your heart rate up and being slightly out of
regularly. I teach many yoga and Pilates mixed classesbreath; Slightly out of breath meaning that you can
and I teach them separately. Both are beneficial; theyspeak a sentence while you are doing the activity.
are simply in larger doses when you do themInterval training is another great way to build respiratory
separately.health and lung capacity. If you are walking you want
Weight training brings a series of new benefits to yourto bring a way to keep track of time. You could walk
yoga practice. Strengthening the legs helps to holdslowly for a few minutes then walk briskly, then back
poses a little longer. Standing poses require someto slow, etc. If you are at a higher fitness level you
strength in the legs and that strength will increase bycould walk and run in your intervals, jog and sprint, etc.
practicing yoga alone, but if you can strengthenYou get the idea. You want to bring your heart rate up
additionally to your yoga practice you are ahead of theand then let it come down a little, then back up and
game.continue that way. Cardiovascular exercise is
Upper body strength training helps with those plankrecommended 30-60 minutes daily.
(push up) poses, and any poses that strengthen theThis sounds like a lot of exercise but an example of a
shoulders and upper back. If you are not strongweekly schedule could be:
enough to hold yourself up in a high pushup you can2 days of weight training for 30 minutes.
always use your knees for support, but if you can2 days of Pilates practice for 30-60 minutes.
strengthen that upper body through weight training,3-5 days of yoga for 45-60 minutes.
your strength gains will be quicker.Add 30 minutes of cardiovascular to each day.
When I teach power yoga I have a series of posesYou don't need to do everything at one time either,
that takes you from an upper pushup position (plankbreak it up if you only have 20-30 minutes at a time to
pose) to a low push up position where you hold yourexercise. Make a commitment to yourself for better
body straight a few inches off the floor. Then youbalanced physical fitness.
come into an upward dog pose and back to a lowYou are looking at an hour a day to improve your
pushup. This is a fantastic move to strengthen thephysical fitness, increase respiratory health and lung
shoulders and the core, but you need a little bit ofcapacity and increase your overall sense of feeling
strength to do it. It requires both upper body strengthgood ~ physically and mentally.
and core strength. Of course any yoga pose can beHave fun!