Power Yoga – Discussed

Power Yoga - the latest trend to hit the fitness industry, especially in India, with many leading health clubs and individual trainers offering interesting classes and variations.
Though many hard-core Yoga followers claim that Power yoga is just some fancy mixture of exercises and hardly resembles the traditional definition of Yogasanas, Power Yoga seems to have started by two Yoga gurus following the Ashtanga Yoga style for decades.

It has also been advocated as a better way to use Yoga for weight loss which has also made it very popular amongst the ladies. Another characteristic of a Power Yoga class is that most of the time is utilized in performing the exercises and minimal time spent in relaxation postures or even chanting.

Power Yoga basically is a calorie-burning and comparatively more vigorous routine than a traditional Yoga routine, that combines cardio, strength and flexibility through Yogasanas and some additional exercises focused on aerobic movements and toning muscles especially the abs, lower back, pelvis, the postural muscles, also on building strength, enhance endurance and breathing. Most of the benefits of classical Yoga are retained, even though the method of application are different.
It also focuses on building up the metabolism through the exercises and asana postures and thus ensures a continuous burning of calories throughout the day, even when not exercising.

The same procedure of a warm-up before the Power Yoga class is used, focusing on easing up and relaxing the muscles and raising the temperatures and stimulating the blood circulation to all parts of the body.

Some benefits Power Yoga are –

o It works on strength, stamina, flexibility, reflexes and agility all in the same workout
o It focuses on boosting the metabolism and helps focus on achieving healthy body weight
o It stimulates the release feel-good hormones, and helps reduce stress levels and detox
o It retains the benefits of classical Yoga

Breathing right!!

Have you ever experienced a situation in which you have searched the entire house for something, only to find that you were holding it in your hand all the time!! Even if you do not belong to the absent-minded lot amongst us.
Similarly in case of exercising, your search for results has very simple companion – your breathing technique! Didn’t think there was a technique for breathing ???????
If your trainer has guided you right, then while lifting a weight (usually) - when the muscle contracts, you exhale and, when you are putting it down – when your muscle relaxes, you inhale. Is it important to maintain this sequence?

To start with, as we have learned, there are 2 basic processes – inhaling and exhaling.
When we inhale, we take in oxygen which then gets dissolved in the blood, and this oxygen-rich blood is pumped by the heart to all the muscles and organs. The muscle then contracts while exercising. This contraction temporarily constricts blood flow through the arteries passing near muscle and later releases some waste products, which are carried by the blood to the heart and lungs for purification.

So, moral of the story? When you contract your muscle, always exhale, so that the direction of blood flow near muscles and that from the heart don’t become opposite. And when the muscle relaxes, inhale, so that the pure blood pumped by the heart reaches the muscle to prepare it for the next contraction.

Whatever you do, please avoid holding your breath – simply or through Valsalva Maneuver – when you are lifting weights, to avoid blackouts and other health problems.

Cardio activities call for deep breathing through nose and mouth, for better endurance. Connoisseurs of Yoga may have different beliefs, some logical others not so much.