Alright. I just want to start this off with a honest confession. As a long-time avid runner and overall lover of exercise, I didn't "buy into" yoga at first. In my young, clueless mind, it looked like stretching made famous(I've also got to note here that I've always marked "very unlikely" when the survey said "I stretch regularly" so...). I didn't experience yoga until my second year of college, when I took a hatha yoga class to fill an extra semester hour. In that cold room, with my arms screaming in pain by the second downward dog from lifting practice earlier that morning, I still didn't quite get it. Rather than warm my muscles up and open up my hips, I found myself with goosebumps, my heels several inches from touching the ground. It was still a good experience, and I learned a lot of poses, but yoga and I didn't click yet.
As I progressed through my athletic career and into personal training, the wonders of yoga started to dawn on me. I had some success with doing a few routines at home to ease constant back pain, and realized I had needed to open my mind a squeak further from my previous experience to appreciate yoga. A new power yoga place opened up 2 minutes (literally) from my apartment, and I did a free trial week and fell in love. I've learned to appreciate doing yoga for the good of my body, rather than trying to "conquer it" or going for the end result of being faster or stronger or any of my usual reasons for exercise. I totally appreciate how much looser my hips are after yoga, how much 30 chaturangas and countless seconds of holding chair will make your muscles burn, and how at peace my constant-craziness brain feels after. I'm doing yoga 1-2 times a week these days, and incorporating it into some of my clients' workouts who could use all of its awesomeness in their lives and workouts as well! Moral of the story? Don't knock it 'til you try it...more than once ;)
That was a long confession, wasn't it? But now you know the truth about my relationship with yoga, and will enjoy this workout that's got a lovely blend of yoga and body weight exercises that much more! Feel the burn and the stretch ;)
Yoga Burn
20 jumping jacks.
5 downward dog to high plank (watch how here), holding each 10-15 seconds; from high plank, step one foot forward into a lunge.
Hold crescent lunge, dropping your back knee to tap the ground then straightening again. Do 10 then switch legs.
Pop both feet back into high plank, then do 15 push ups (drop knees to ground if needed).
Staying in high plank, lift right foot off the ground and draw right knee towards your left elbow, then straighten it again for one rep. Do 15 on that side, then switch sides.
20 3-second squats (Count to 3 as you lower, then stand back up at normal speed).
Laying on your back, bend your knees, drop them away from each other and press the bottoms of your feet together. Push your feet together as you crunch up off the ground, then release. 20 reps.
Feet flat on the ground with knees bent, 20 hip bridges.
5 downward dog to high plank; hold the last plank 30 seconds.
10 push ups from high plank.
Put weight in right hand and rotate to the left for a side plank. Hold 15 seconds. Switch hands and sides for another 15 seconds.
Child's pose for as long as you'd like. :)
I hope you have fun with this workout! If you have any questions on this workout or your own thoughts on yoga, I'd love to hear from you!
I'll leave you with this beautiful picture. It needs no further explanation ;)
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