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<\/p>\nLove yoga but also love tough workouts? With cardio yoga, you don\u2019t have to choose.<\/p>\n
If you prefer adding pulses to your warrior poses, love doing push-ups in your down dog, or crave the go, go, go flow of sun salutations, this heart-pumping practice\u00a0may become your new favorite workout.<\/p>\n
Think you\u2019re ready to take your practice from a chill stretching session into one that helps meet your cardio goals? Read on to learn the demands and benefits of cardio yoga before deciding if it\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n
\u201cCardio yoga is any type of class that incorporates yoga asanas (poses) that get your heart rate up and challenge your cardiovascular system,\u201d says Ann Swanson, MS, C-IAYT, author of\u00a0Science of Yoga.<\/p>\n
The cardiovascular intensity of an activity is determined by how much it challenges your heart and lungs across five zones. Cardio yoga\u00a0pushes you into the \u201ccardio zone\u201d (i.e., zone 2 cardio and beyond), which is 60 percent or more of your maximum heart rate.<\/p>\n
While you might not find classes explicitly labeled \u201ccardio yoga,\u201d forms like vinyasa flow and power yoga fit the bill. These\u00a0types of yoga move quickly from one pose to the next.<\/p>\n
Embodying this more intense approach to yoga is our new program, OzHelp LAVA. Fusing power yoga and primal movement, it not only trains mobility and flexibility, but also builds strength, burns calories, and works your lungs.<\/p>\n
The pace of cardio yoga is faster than what you\u2019d expect from traditional yoga, but a well-designed class also includes rest periods to allow your heart rate to come back down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis conditions your heart to become stronger and more resilient,\u201d Swanson says. (Just like a cycling class or run with intervals.)<\/p>\n
You may even find yourself doing plyometric\u00a0movements, like jumping to plank or hopping lunges, between yoga poses that challenge your strength and endurance.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll probably sweat even if the room isn\u2019t warm,\u201d Swanson says.<\/p>\n
The advantages of a cardio yoga practice like OzHelp LAVA start with the existing benefits of yoga and build from there:<\/p>\n
The more your muscles work until fatigue, the stronger they get and the longer they\u2019re able to perform. A fast-paced cardio yoga practice will keep your muscles constantly working, leaving less time for recovery between movements.<\/p>\n
Increased intensity requires more of your heart to pump oxygenated blood to working muscles. The heightened demands of cardio yoga propel your heart rate into graduating zones, forcing your lungs to exert more to oxygenate that faster-moving blood.<\/p>\n
Yoga that keeps your heart pumping is a time-saver, counting as both a cardiorespiratory workout and a flexibility and mobility practice.<\/p>\n
We tend to associate restorative and slow flow yoga with stress reduction, but research shows that you may receive the same benefits from a more strenuous practice.<\/p>\n
In one\u00a0study published in the Journal of Health Psychology, women aged 18 to 30 participated in one-hour sessions of either power yoga or \u201cstretch yoga,\u201d a slow-paced yoga that focused on meditation, breathing exercises, and stretching. According to the research, the women who participated in the stretch yoga session as well as\u00a0those who took the power yoga class experienced significant reductions in stress.<\/p>\n
Weight loss is a complicated equation with multiple variables, including age, sex, genetics, nutrition, lifestyle, and physical activity.<\/p>\n
No yoga class is a silver bullet, but cardio yoga, when paired with a healthy diet, may help you burn calories, which can help you achieve a calorie deficit and\u00a0lose weight\u00a0over time.<\/p>\n
A regular yoga practice may also support your chances of long-term weight loss.<\/p>\n
In one recent\u00a0study, members of the control group enrolled in a behavioral weight loss program that included professional and peer support, a nutritional plan, and guidance on exercise. The intervention group received the same resources, plus two 60-minute Iyengar yoga classes (a slower-paced form of yoga) per week.<\/p>\n
According to the report, the yoga group lost significantly more weight (36 pounds vs. 15 pounds) after six months. Yoga also \u201cresulted in greater distress tolerance, mindfulness, and self-compassion and lower negative affect.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
No form of yoga is \u201cbetter\u201d than another; they all have their advantages and drawbacks. Your yoga practice should be based on your goals, experience level, health, and preferences.<\/p>\n
For example, someone looking for a challenging workout may find that a cardio yoga workout is the best choice for them. But if you\u2019re experiencing high levels of stress, consider a slow flow or restorative class instead.<\/p>\n
And if you have any health concerns or injuries, consult with your health-care provider before adding cardio yoga or any new exercise to your routine. Once you receive the go-ahead, you may find it helpful to work with a certified yoga therapist who can answer questions, offer modifications for certain yoga poses, and provide information, resources, and guidance.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re just beginning your yoga journey, start with a class designed for newbies before trying cardio yoga. In addition to learning the names of many poses and how to get into them safely, a slower-paced class will also give you an opportunity to learn how to breathe properly, which is the key to any yoga practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cA fast-paced yoga class may be harder for a beginner who doesn\u2019t know the movements or safety cues yet,\u201d Swanson says.<\/p>\n
If you attempt a class that feels like cardio yoga and feel a bit in over your head, listen to your body, adjust the pace as needed, and do what can.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t get discouraged,\u201d Swanson says. \u201cFeel free to take breaks and visualize movements.\u201d The same advice applies to yogis of all levels of experience.<\/p>\n
Once you have the basics down, you may be ready for OzHelp LAVA, which offers cues and modifications to meet you where you are.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Love yoga but also love tough workouts? With cardio yoga, you don\u2019t have to choose. If you prefer adding pulses to your warrior poses, love doing push-ups in your down dog, or crave the go, go, go flow of sun salutations, this heart-pumping practice\u00a0may become your new favorite workout. Think you\u2019re ready to take your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3711,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[91],"class_list":["post-3710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-fitness"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3710\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}