Archive for Power Yoga
A Power Yoga Video Is A Great Guide To Effective At-Home Yoga Workouts!
Posted by: | CommentsIf you've been shopping for a power yoga video, it's likely that you're looking for just the right DVD to boost your home yoga workouts in intensity and effectiveness.
A good power yoga video will grow with you - meeting you where you are in terms of endurance and ability level, and pushing you to improve through the various power yoga poses. Getting your training from a quality power yoga DVD can be a great compliment to taking yoga classes in a studio, which can tend to be expensive. If you're tight on time, money, or both, why not try a new power yoga video to help you improve strength and flexibility at home, as a nice change of pace from your normal cardio step videos!
Is a Power Yoga Video Alone Enough Training?
Power yoga poses can be learned from power yoga DVD's, although the best situation for learning power yoga is in a class with other students and a live instructor. The reason that the power yoga class is a better choice if it is available is that the instructor can watch the poses that the student is doing and make corrections so that the technique is right and there is less of a chance of injury. When a person uses a power yoga DVD, there is not an instructor to make any corrections, nor are there usually mirrors available in the person's house that allow him to see if the poses that he is doing match the poses the instructor is doing in the video. If you are an experienced yoga practitioner, this shouldn't be a problem, as you are already quite competent. If you are new to power yoga, it could be more of a concern. Consider going to a few classes to get yourself started on the right track. If this is simply not an option, don't worry, you can still get a great deal of benefit from taking your body through a yoga routine, even if your form is not 100% perfect. Just pay special attention to listening to your body and exercise caution when attempting anything that seems uncomfortable, or that strains a body part with too much stretch, a feeling of imbalance, or the sense that if you fall or are doing this wrong, you could be in trouble!
Supplemental Power Yoga Equipment
When deciding which power yoga DVD is right for you, be sure to read the back cover to see if there is any additional equipment required. In most cases, all that is needed to participate is a yoga mat and some comfortable clothes. The yoga mat is important because it allows you to adopt various poses without your hands and feet slipping when they get sweaty during the workout. It allows the poses to be held solidly so you don't have to readjust your base every few minutes. The yoga mat also allows you to participate in the power yoga videos without feeling the pain in their buttocks, knees, back, or other areas when performing certain poses since there is some padding in the yoga mats to help with it. This is not as much of a concern if you are exercising on a carpet, but if you are working out on hardwood or linoleum floors, your kiester will thank you for a nice thick yoga mat!
The clothing you wear while practicing yoga needs to be comfortable but also should not slip up or down during the various poses. You should not have to constantly readjust your clothing in the middle of poses, so comfortable pants or tights and a comfortable tank or snug t-shirt are usually the best choices. Some men prefer to go without a shirt, but this can also be uncomfortable when lying without fabric between the skin and the yoga mat because hairs can be pulled and skin chafed.
Some power yoga videos suggest other items, like blocks, straps, etc. to help you modify poses or work yourself toward attaining more challenging asanas successfully. If you don't have these items, you can often start out by substituting common household objects, like cans of vegetables or towels and belts. (Crazy but true!)
Sometimes, it can be hard to feel like we can take advantage of all the health benefits of yoga because it has become so expensive and trendy in the United States. However, working out with a good power yoga video is a great way to get trained and keep yourself disciplined and inspired when it comes to your yoga practice.
CorePower Yoga
Posted by: | CommentsAs you may well know if you've ever hurt your back or had abdominal surgery, you move your core and rely on core strength with almost everything you do - walking, standing, sitting, laughing - all these activities rely on core muscles in your body. The importance of a strong core for good posture and good health is a large part of the reason behind the development of Corepower Yoga. You can not be strong if you do not have a strong core.
Where Are CorePower Yoga Classes Taught?
Corepower yoga is a new brand of yoga being taught in five states nationwide: California, Colorado, Oregon, Illinois and Minnesota.
How Much Does CorePower Yoga cost?
Your first class is free and you can sign up for a series of more sessions for just $5/class.
Developing Core Strength with CorePower Yoga
There are many power yoga DVD's and classes that teach students how to develop their bodies using simply their body weight and different poses which are held for a certain length of time. These poses help to develop core strength and strength in the limbs as well. Core strength is an area of particular emphasis for CorePower Yoga students - they want the foundation of the body to be strong. CorePower yoga develops these core muscles especially because it incorporates movements and philosophies from fighting martial arts, not just traditional yoga. There are a surprising number of ways to strengthen the core, Whether the pose is sitting, standing or balancing, when the stomach and back muscles are engaged, they grow stronger by the minute.
Is CorePower Yoga Good For Your Health?
Developing the core with power yoga helps individuals who enter the class with back problems. Developing the stomach muscles helps the body to support the torso through the use of the stomach muscles rather than using the back muscles so much. It allows the students to maintain better posture, whether sitting or standing, so that the back is kept in better alignment throughout the day. In addition to the core's development in corepower yoga, the flexibility that is gained in conjunction with the core development allows individuals with back problems to have looser muscles in the back and hamstrings, which also helps to alleviate pain.
In addition to these looser muscles and developing the core in power yoga, there are other health benefits as well. The individual is taught how to relax all other muscles in the body other than the ones that are being used to hold a particular pose. In this way, the individual can apply these skills in other areas of his life so that the neck muscles are not tensed while typing or in the middle of an important meeting. The students are also taught to breathe properly so that they can breathe deeply even in the midst of strenuous exercise, when panting and shallow breathing often become instinctive. These breaths are controlled and are taken in and out through the nose. The breaths are drawn from the diaphragm so that they are slow and full, supplying much needed oxygen to the entire body. These breathing methods are important life skills as well since they can be applied to any high-stress situation to help create a sense of inner calmness and peace.
There are other skills that are helpful in real life, such as the poses that allow individuals to completely relax the body and maintain that relaxed state in body and mind. These relaxation and breathing methods can be applied at any time during the day when there are stressful situations. Granted, you won't always be able to find a quiet space for a relaxing asana, but some deep breathing and mental re-focusing can still do you a world of good.
To my mind, the chief benefits of CorePower Yoga are improved strength, circulation, breathing and relaxation techniques and flexibility. While you may experience significant improved lung and heart function, yoga, even CorePower Yoga, tend not to be an aerobic exercise in terms of keeping your heart rate at a consistently elevated level for 20-30 minutes or longer. I believe a cardiovascular fitness activity, such as walking, running, or swimming, is an excellent compliment to a 3 times per week (or daily!) Core Power yoga exercise program.
What is the Difference Between American Power Yoga and Regular Yoga Classes?
Posted by: | CommentsAmerican Power Yoga is a special brand of "yoga-esque" exercise that was developed by Kurt Johnsen in Dallas, TX. In his 3 studios, you can attend classes that will get you sweating! The classes are open to a wide variety of people and experience levels. No need to be intimidated - just come to an Open class or Beginner's class and you'll be welcomed with open arms.
Rather than being a traditional, historically accurate yoga practice, American Power Yoga is more of a gym class designed to get you fit, and challenge you, using principles from yoga, kung fu, and other sources. It is not a fighting activity, but elements of training to improve breath, strength, flexibility and mental focus are incorporated.
The Benefits of American Power Yoga
American Power Yoga (APY) has become popular in this country as students have seen the benefits of the all around workout that this style of yoga can give. Power yoga works the core muscles as well as practically every muscle in the body. Power yoga is practiced by almost every age of person and almost every physical ability. It helps to strengthen not only the person's body, but also his mind and overall well-being. Power yoga is taught in a variety of different yoga studios in Texas.
Health Advantage Of Power Yoga
Kurt Johnsen's American Power yoga consists of a series of poses that individuals perform in a very controlled manner, smoothly flowing from one to another. Although the workout often appears to be easy since it is so smooth and flowing, looks are deceiving since the poses all require that the individual hold his own body weight throughout the series of five or more deep breaths that he needs to take before the pose is over. This requires a high level of concentration and body control that has to be mastered and gives the students a great workout as well.
There are many different health benefits to practicing power yoga on a regular basis. The first is obvious from the previous paragraph – strength. In addition to strength, however, there are other health benefits for not just the body but the mind as well. The body becomes more flexible when practicing power yoga since the poses require many different stretches and contortions when holding them. This enables the body to gain strength and flexibility at the same time, opening passageways that may have been bound up for years, constricting blood flow and holding in toxins. Increased blood flow is an additional benefit to practicing this type of yoga, as well as balance and coordination, since these are also needed to perform the poses correctly and to hold them.
Mental health is bolstered through the breathing techniques that are used in the poses of power yoga. The breathing is maintained at a constant level throughout the power yoga class, even when it gets difficult. The breathing is always deep and slow, being pulled in and out through the nose, rather than through the mouth. It is always pulled through the diaphragm so that it is deep and provides the necessary oxygen to the body. This provides a high level of concentration and relaxation to the person participating in the yoga class which he can carry over into his work life.
At the end of the day, American Power Yoga is another great yoga-based workout that has been Americanized by a dynamic fitness guru to make it fun and exciting to an American audience. There's nothing wrong with that unless your main draw to a yogic practice is the historical and ancient tradition of "real" yoga. If you're just looking for a fun and challenging workout, and you happen to live nearby to an American Power Yoga studio, then you may be in luck! Give it a try for free with free yoga in the park, or try out a class for five dollars and see how it goes for you.
Am I Overweight?
Posted by: | CommentsIt is no accident that you have found this article at this Web site -- you more than likely are overweight, or at least you feel as though you are. In the title of this article is a question that you probably have asked yourself: Am I Overweight? The answer to that question is often a very subjective one, based as much on feelings and emotions as on actual data. In scientific and medical terms:
* You are overweight if you weigh more than your recommended body weight range in the chart you can see on the Am I Overweight page. A figure that represents the percentage of your body weight that is due to fat is the Body Mass Index (BMI), which can be found on the table on the same page. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. In other words the algebraic expression for BMI is: BMI = Kg / (m)2. BMI ratings between 20 and 25 are considered in the healthy range, and ratings between 26 and 30 are considered overweight.
* But BMI may overestimate body fat or inaccurately estimate total body fat in muscular persons or those losing muscle, according to the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute. Older people who have lost muscle mass have more fat for a given BMI than do younger people, as as result. For that reason, waist measurement is often checked as well. Another reason is that too much body fat in the stomach area also increases disease risk. A waist measurement of more than 35 inches in women and more than 40 inches in men is considered high.
* If you are more than 20 percent over your recommended body weight range, you are considered obese. For example, the chart indicates that a 5’6” person’s recommended weight range goes as high as 154 pounds. Twenty percent of 154 (154 X .2) equals 30.8. Rounded up to 31 and added to the base weight of 154, it would indicate that a person who is 5’6” and weighs 185 is considered to be obese. BMI ratings between 30 and 39 are also considered to be indicative of obesity.
* Morbid obesity is defined as being 100 pounds or more over the recommended body weight range, or having a BMI rating of 40 or more.
Get Rid Of Love Handles
Posted by: | CommentsDo you want to get rid of love handles ? So what, precisely are love handles ? Those lumps of fat on your waistline are love handles, often a little tricky to remove.
Get rid of love handles starting today !
Today people are quite often judged on their appearance and extra weight won’t do you any favors. The best way to get rid of love handles is to use exercises and a weight loss program that are targeted and focused on removing weight from your whole body.
Standard and oblique crunches are the exercises that target the waist area and, therefore, your love handles. Oblique crunches are usually done with your feet placed firmly on the floor but you can also take this exercise further by raising your feet off the floor. You will find that in no time your abdominal muscles will be stronger and the fat around your waist disappearing.
By strenghthening and toning your abdominals you will be well on your way to get rid of love handles. The important side issue of exercising is the increase in your metabolic rate which is vital in order to burn fat. Do not train every day as you will need time out to recuperate. Do not over do things to begin with, at the slightest sign of serious discomfort or pain, stop and fully recover before exercising again. If you are unfit you will need to build up your exercise workouts over a period of time.
Toning exercises are not enough and you will need to focus on total body fat loss. Your excercising program will be complete if you include running or walking or swimming or cycling, or indeed any combination of these, which will take care of the aerobic element of your routine. After a while you might really get to like doing this stuff, remember they are doing you a huge amount of good.
It is not just exercise that will help to have a more trim waist. Diet plays a large part in this too. Love handles are a sure sign that you are overweight and that you must incorporate a healthy diet in your lifestyle. It is crucial that you consume not only healthy food but in the right amounts so that you can present a slimmer revitalized you to the world. Your new eating regime must include the nutrients that your body must have.
By taking the steps we have outlined here you can stop, starting today, the jokes about your extra pounds. For the sake of your health the extra weight that has been spoiling your waistline has just got to go !
More information on how to get rid of love handles.
If you exercise daily and eat the correct foods you should have no trouble and your quest to get rid of love handles will happen sooner than you think.
Liz Langley
Lose 15 Pounds in a Flash
Posted by: | CommentsFor many, 15 pounds seems like a lot of weight to lose. That extra flab seems to hold onto your waist, thighs, and bottom like there's no tomorrow, it seems hard to shift. I'd really like to give you a helping hand. I'll level with you, I've been there myself. But I changed, and you can too. It won’t be too difficult, but as I’m sure you already know – you will need to put in some effort.
At the end of the day, there are basically two parts of your life that will need to change to make this fat loss work. These changes are not rocket science - you have to modify both the type of foods you eat (and how much) and your level of exercise. I’d like to share with you some basic principles that really helped me lose a great deal of weight – 50 pounds in all. Time is of the essence, let's get cracking!
An outstanding guide on how to lose 15 pounds is available here: Lose 15 Pounds Fast
The first step: Food!
If you want to lose the weight quickly, you will have to be very careful about your calorie and fat intake. It's very likely that you'll want to lose the weight quickly, so some big changes will be necessary. At the end of the day though, diets are basically short-term. There is only nutritious eating and exercise if you want to lose and keep the 15 pounds off. Change your mindset from ‘how can I lose weight?’ to ‘how can I stay healthy?’. I made this change, and it really did make all the difference for me. I won't go into painful details about all the different foods you are allowed to eat, most of you know this already. When making decisions about what to eat, think about what's healthy, not what will drop those pounds, trust me.
When looking at your eating, the obvious applies: Stay away from fatty, high sugar, and salty foods – occasionally indulge, but make it very occasional. I can't stress how necessary it is to plan out when you eat fatty foods, don't just let circumstances dictate when you indulge.
If you’re looking for a great free site on losing weight quickly, then check out Quick Ways to Lose Weight
Let’s get Physical!
To burn fat, you’ve got to get your heart rate up and keep it there on a very regular basis. I would suggest physical activity 4 or 5 times a week, for at least 30 minutes. I first thought that all this exercise would diminish my energy, boy was I wrong, I got so much energy BACK. Working out actually puts energy in, it does not take it away! The best option is to choose something that is fun: kickboxing, a fast walk or sprint, aerobics, high intensity dvd's, running machines, gym work, choose anything that's fun. Try a few and see which you like.
Essentially, exercise really does need to be part of your daily ritual, this is absolutely paramount. Also, for at least one exercise session per week, choose a high intensity workout, it will really boost metabolism and make you feel alive.
Here's a list of simple methods to burn calories, when these are applied everyday, they are incredibly effective. Take a look:
- Climb stairs at a fast pace
- Do some spot running quickly
- Do squats
- Get a skipping rope, I bet you'll love it
- Do some jump jacks
- Do twenty push-ups
- Sit-ups – 20 at a time if you can
So there are my suggestions, in some ways basic, but if you make it regular, you will shift those pounds. The trick is to put these strategies into your daily ritual. In a nutshell there are three steps, controlling your eating, working out, and quick calorie burning activities. If you do all 3, the weight will definitely slide off. Remember, it's all about your health not a fad diet - you can get that slim body back, best wishes!
I sincerely hope that you will put these steps into practice, if you feel you need to lose even more pounds, head on over to How to Lose 40 Pounds
Diets Don't Work : The Truth
Posted by: | CommentsThe diet industry is churning over trillions of dollars a year. With the media screaming everytime they see a celebrity even slightly overweight, the pressure is on to look thin, which makes the diet industry very wealthy. These days you are hardly counted as a celebrity until you have your own diet and exercise program.
The truth is that many of these programs don't work. Sure, you will lose a bit of weight and feel great, but sooner or later, the weight returns and usually more abundantly than before.
The whole diet industry is built on a false premise – that if you eat less you lose weight.
Typically though, the amount you eat and exercise are merely symptoms of an underlying problem. The real problem is on the psychological level, i.e. it's emotional or mental.
Some people gain weight as they are avoiding attention and being noticed. These people may try desperately to lose weight, and will struggle until they resolve the psychological issue that is at the bottom of it.
The excess weight some people keep is often from depression, laziness, or other psychological issues. When you have resolved the underlying psychological issues, you will find you will lose the excess weight very easily.
The underlying psychological issues can be resolved in many different ways. A psychiatrist is one choice, but it is a long, slow and expensive process. Another quicker method would be using hypnosis.
Weight loss hypnosis accesses the sub-conscious mind and, in the hands of a qualified and competent practitioner, provides very rapid changes. You may not be aware that your day to day life and habits are goverened by your sub-conscious mind. You can see results much quicker when you make changes on this level.
Not everyone can get to a clinical hypnotherapist. A very good alternative is a hypnosis mp3 download or CD.
These are very powerful, affordable and easily accessible methods of making the psychological changes necessary for permanent weight loss.
They come in two main formats, a vocal program where you listen to someone guiding you through a hypnosis session or subliminal program where you consciously hear music but embedded in the music are subliminal messages helping you lose weight. Some of these programs contain binaural beats, which is a special beat designed to aid relaxation and help the program work on a deeper level.
Hypnosis MP3 programs work very well and being affordable and accessible, are a great way for anyone to benefit from hypnosis in their weight loss program.
Power Yoga CD’s
Posted by: | CommentsIf you've been enjoying a power yoga practice at home with a power yoga video, or in a power yoga class at a studio, you may be enjoying your workout, but looking for a more relaxing way to get fit outside the confines of your living room or a class room. Listening to a power yoga CD is a great way to relax and stay on target with your yoga workout, even if it's taking place outside in your back yard, on the beach, on a camping trip, or on vacation. Even if you're not looking for such a dramatic yoga setting, and just want the freedom to go through your yoga poses at your own pace at home, or on business trips, working out with a power yoga CD is a great way to go.
Warning: Power Yoga CDs are not always the best choice.
For those that are beginners in the practice of yoga, a power yoga CD is probably not the best choice to start with. Power yoga CD's can be beneficial for those that are familiar with the practice of yoga since they already know the poses and can understand just from listening to the instructions on the power yoga CD. However, for those that are not familiar with yoga, the power yoga CD will sound like another language - Sanskrit perhaps! - with the names of the asanas making no sense. A better choice for a beginner would be to buy a power yoga video or to go to a power yoga class where you can see how the poses are supposed to look, and the instructor can make corrections to the way you execute the various yogic poses.
What Types Of Power Yoga CD's are Available?
There are a couple of different types of power yoga CD's.
- Guided Workout: There are some power yoga CD's that will lead the students through an entire power yoga workout. The instructor will give the instructions about moving from one pose to the next as well as tips to holding the pose properly. These power yoga CD's are great workouts for those that are more experienced in the practice of yoga and can give a quick workout at home for those that do not have the time or ability to go to a class in a studio.
- Guided Meditation: There are other power yoga CD's that can be used by beginners or experienced practitioners alike. These CD's take students through some meditations and meditation techniques that can help to relieve stress in their lives and give them a quick break from reality. Many who practice yoga like it for the way they learn to breathe and relax the muscles in their bodies so that they are not as tense as a whole.
- Yoga Music Only: A third type of power yoga CD involves just listening to music. If your instructor uses a play list in class, you may be able to get a list of the songs she uses and assemble a tape of your own to reinforce what you've learned in class. Most commercially available power yoga CD's will feature music without words - often of Indian origin or influence, although this is purely subjective. If you can, try to listen to a few tracks on a power yoga CD before you buy it, so you can assess whether you will enjoy working out to the music.
Often, no matter what type of Power Yoga CD you get, it can end up being a little boring to workout to the same routine every day, so get a few different yoga CD's to vary your workout, or sprinkle in workouts with yoga DVD's or yoga classes, for maximum variety.
As you know, yoga is a highly personal practice, so make it fun and relaxed. Go at your own pace (no matter what the instructor says on the CD or DVD that is guiding you) and breath and relax. This is for YOU. Make it your time.