About.com Yoga

Since I left you guys hanging in plank pose for a week, I’m sure you’re ready to lower to the floor. The question is, how are you going to get there? There are basically two options. Knees, chest, and chin is a perfect description of the first option, since those are the parts of your body (plus your toes) that are touching the floor in this pose. If you’re going that route, drop your knees first, then lower the chest and chin while bending your elbows straight back and keeping your butt up in the air.

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Categories: chest, chin, floor, Knees, pose

How Plyometric Exercises Can Help You Burn Calories

If you’ve ever been to the gym and seen people doing a series of high-intensity, rapid jumps or skips, you’ve probably been witnessing plyometrics. This type of high-octane training taps into energy stored in your muscles to encourage development in these areas, as well as cardio functioning, stamina and agility. A recent study found that a moderate plyo routine done on a hard surface could even improve your athletic performance. But the best news is that because of the energy needed to do them, they burn a massive amount of calories. So whether you want to boost your performance on the field, want to tone up fast or simply want to mix up your regime for a more exciting workout, this collection of plyometric moves can really do wonders for your exercise programme. For each of the exercises, do two to three sets of 10 reps. But remember – perfect form is key so take a break if your form begins to slip.

Squat Jumps

Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands clasped behind your head. Keeping your weight on your heels, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then hold the position for a second. Without counter-movement and without using your arms, jump as high as possible and be sure to absorb the impact when you land by pushing your hips back and flexing your knees. Repeat until you’ve completed all reps.

Scissor Jumps (Alternating legs)

Stand in a split squat position with your left foot forward and your right foot back, and your right arm forward and left arm back. Keep your chest up and jump, scissoring your arms and legs at the same time so that the opposite arm comes forward with the opposite leg. When you land, reverse the jump and scissor your legs back to the original starting position, then repeat.

Tuck Jumps

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands at your sides, keeping your weight on your heels. Quickly push your hips back while flexing at the knees to squat down into a quarter-squat. Swing your arms backwards and without pausing at the bottom of the squat, reverse the direction and explosively jump into the air, popping your knees up to your chest. When you land, make sure that you absorb the impact by pushing your hips back and flexing at the knees. Repeat single efforts for the correct number of repetitions, or as a series of multiple repetition jumps.

Standing Broad Jump

Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart and with your hands at your sides. Face the direction of your jump and quickly push your hips back and flex your knees into a quarter squat. As you do this, swing your arms backwards, then without pausing, jump forwards as you swing your arms forwards. When landing, absorb the impact by pushing your hips back and flexing your knees. You can repeat as a single effort or as multiple repetitions.

Slalom Hops

Stand in an upright position with your knees slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart. Flex your knees to quickly drop your body 10 to 12 inches, the rapidly explode upwards, forwards and to the side. Swing your arms forcefully upwards, and immediately repeat the jump upon landing, but forwards and in the opposite direction.As with the other exercises, be sure to absorb the impact by flexing your knees rather than keeping them locked.

Categories: arms, exercise, feet hip, fitness, hip width, jump, Knees, knees repeat, Plyometrics, quarter squat, quickly push, Squat

Bloated and Gassy? Stop Feeling Sofa-Bound and Try Yoga!

Feeling bloated and gassy is one health concern that affects everyone at some point in life, and, man, is it embarrassing. Gas and acid reflux can really have a negative impact on your overall sense of wellbeing, causing you to reach for the Tums and lie on the sofa until it goes away . However, according to Boston-based yoga instructor Zayna Gold, long-time Crohn’s disease sufferer and creator of Healing Through Movement, a more subtle, natural way to deal with that bloated feeling is yoga. ‘Fifteen minutes of yoga will help ease your pain,’ she says. But how exactly does yoga benefit your digestive wellness?

 

Gold points out that starting from a reclining position ‘gives you a chance to take a deep breath and feel energized.’ After this, she recommends that you progress from seated to standing positions, such as the bridge pose that stretches your body and stimulates your abdominal organs. Once you’ve done a few stretch poses, you should move on to twist poses that tone your abdomen – which is essential for eliminating gas, bloating and constipation. The other poses work and relax your nervous system, which is comprised of your back, neck and spine. Gold explains, ‘You will feel less stress when your nervous system is relaxed. The health benefits will spread to the rest of your body and ease your digestion.’ So which poses should you try?

 

1. The Apanasana: This is a great starting pose in which you lie on your back, relax, inhale and place your hands on your knees. From there, you exhale and hug your knees to your chest. To maximise the stretch, rock your knees from side to side and stay for five to 10 breaths before you release your knees, and repeat the movement a few more times. To vary the stretch, you can do one side at a time, leaving the other leg extended. This simple stretch is also known as the wind-relieving pose, as it helps you to gain relief from bloating and gas pains.

 

2. The Spinal Twist: You might want to try this pose if you need to soothe and tone your abdomen. Again, start by lying down, hugging your knees and breathing in. Then, as you exhale, drop your knees to the left, using your left hand to push them down gently. From here, turn your head and stretch your arm out to the right, staying for five to ten breaths. Once this is completed, inhale, return your hands and knees to centre and repeat on the other side. For variation, you can have a go at the one-legged seated spinal twist which, as you do it from a seated position, gives you more control over your stretch.

 

3. The Bridge Pose: Also known as the “Setu Bandha Sarvangasana”, a mild inversion like the bridge pose helps your blood flow, making you feel more energised and get over that post-dinner bloat. Lying on the floor with your knees bent, arms beside your body and feet flat on the floor, move your hips up so that you give your chest a good stretch. For an even better aid to digestion, Gold recommends the following variation, ‘Press one hip up and hold the pose. Take five breaths, then switch to the other side.’ However, this isn’t the only modification you can try. For another version of the Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or Bridge Pose, start as you did before but keep your hands under you as you arch your back and open your chest. It’s also a good idea to clasp your hands and interlace your fingers under your back.

Categories: bandha sarvangasana, bloating, bridge, bridge pose, gas, Knees, pose, setu bandha, spinal twist, stretch, yoga

Tabata: The Best Way To Mix Up Your Workouts

Tabata – it’s the new word on the fitness grapevine and it’s certainly making waves. A system of short, high-intensity intervals developed by Japanese professor Dr Izumi Tabata to improve the training and fitness of Olympic speed skaters. The method is behind it is timing – everything is based on 20 seconds of work followed by a 10 second rest, then repeated between six and eight times. The total workout comes in at around 4 minutes, but don’t be fooled by the time – this is 4 minutes of hard work at your absolute maximum effort. The small intervals force the body to keep moving before it recovers from the previous set of exercises. At some point between rounds six and eight, the body reaches its maximum oxygen intake so you’ll find that your muscles begin to shake and your lungs begin to burn around this point. But the best bit is that the aerobic and anaerobic pathways fires up the afterburn effect so you’ll be burning calories long after you finish your workout. This exercise strategy is certainly more of a formula than a set workout, but the options for Tabata are almost endless – it’s a really flexible way of exercising. Whatever you enjoy doing, you can make up the workout from that – from push-ups to swimming, the intervals can be created from anything. These are some of the best ones to really get your heart rate up and improve your muscle tone.

Burpees

Start standing, then crouch to a low squat with your hands on the floor. Kick your feet back to a plank, then down into the bottom of a push-up. Push off the ground and quickly return to the squat position, then jump as high as possible before squatting down again and jumping back into the next push-up.

Jump Squat

Begin with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward, then sit back into a squat. Drive your whole body up through the heels, shifting your weight onto the balls of your feet as you lift off. Make sure that you land on the balls of the feet and immediately bend your knees into a full squat.

Lunge Jump

Start by standing with your feet together and then lunge the right foot forward, bending the knee about 90 degrees and keeping your torso vertical. Jump straight up and then switch legs while you’re in the air, ensuring that you lunge with the left foot forward.

Dumbbell Front Squat

Hold a dumbbell at the centre of your chest and do a basic front squat. Place your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, with your hips stacked over your knees, knees over ankles. Inhale and unlock your hips, bringing them back as the knees begin to bend, keeping your chest and shoulders upright. Continue until your hips are slightly less than 90 degrees from the ground, and then on the way back up, engage the core and drive through the heels until you’ve returned to standing.

Kettlebell Swing

Standing up straight with your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart, then grab hold of the kettlebell with both hands – keep your palms face down and your arms in front of your body. Keep your knees slightly bent and drive the hips and bell back, but remember that it’s not a squat so the knees shouldn’t bend that much. In one fluid motion, explosively drive the hips forward while swinging the kettlebell, engaging the glutes and core.

Categories: body, Feet, fitness, hips, Interval Training, Knees, Squat, tabata

Have You Tried the Fifteen Minute Resistance Workout?

Have you heard of a mini resistance band? This is a weight and fitness related gadget that is only the size of an iPhone and costs mere pennies to get hold of. It can do a fantastic job for your wellness and wellbeing, by sculpting you a taught bum and lovely legs.

 

If you have never used one of these before, then rest assured that you are not alone. Resistance bands are gaining popularity and they are affordable, portable and super efficient, and the mini versions are even better (but get less attention).

 

Using this sort of tool can increase the impact of any lower body strength moves that you do as well. It can also really help you to avoid injuries. A recent study into the use of mini resistance bands actually showed that using them during squats helps to remind you to push your knees out, and this can help prevent typical injuries such as tears and strains to the ligaments in your knees.

 

There are workouts that you can do with your resistance band too – certain exercises that help you get the most out of your device. One of these is something called a Glute Bridge. To do this, loop the mini band above your knees and then lie down (face up) on the floor with your knees bent and the soles of your feet turned in and pointing towards one another. Raise your hips up to make your body form a straight line right from your shoulders to your knees, and then push your knees outwards. Hold that pause for three seconds and then return to the start. This counts as one rep and you should do around eight to twelve reps to complete a full set.

Categories: band, fifteen, fitness, Knees, mini, mini resistance, nbsp, Resistance, resistance band, resistance bands, Workout

Stubborn Cellulite? Target Problem Areas with Yoga

When there’s something you don’t like about your body, there’s often a simple – if not easy – way to solve it. Weight wellness not what it should be? Change your exercise and eating habits. Stress making your skin sag? Take care of your wellbeing with better relaxation strategies. However, there’s one nasty little beauty problem that’s an absolute nightmare to get rid of; cellulite. One day you look in the mirror and those tiny bumps and lumps are creeping all over your legs and bum, and nothing you do seems to work. However, there is now a somewhat surprising solution to your cellulite problem; yoga. It may not seem like the obvious choice, but the right routine – and a bit of cardio – can target the areas most prone to dimpling, and free your bum and thighs from cellulite.

 

1. The standing forward bend: With your feet hip-distance apart, stand and hinge forward at your hips, making sure there’s a slight bend in your knees. As you let your head fall towards the ground, lay your chest on your upper thighs, engage your quadriceps muscles and slowly straighten your legs. Be sure that your knees don’t lock and your hips stay over the centre of your feet. Hold this pose for five to eight slow, deep breaths.

 

2. The chair pose: Standing with your feet together, big toes touching, and ankles slightly apart, bend your knees and set your hips back as if you’re sitting in a chair. At the same time, lift your chest up to the sky, reach your arms up by your ears and lengthen through the fingertips, keeping your shoulders relaxed and ab muscles held in. You should aim to make a 90-degree angle with your legs in the long run, but just sit back as far as you can until your flexibility improves. You back should be straight and your knees shouldn’t go past your toes. Before you stand up, hold this pose for five to eight breaths. Return to the starting position, and repeat another three times.

 

3. The eagle pose: Standing up, bend your knees slightly. Cross your right leg over your left leg high at the thigh, and then try to double cross it behind your left calf or ankle. Wrapping your right arm under your left and back over top, press your palms together. Then, sink lower while you squeeze your thighs tight and pull your belly to your spine, bending slightly at the knee and a bit forward at the waist. Hold this for five breaths, reverse your arms and legs, and repeat. If you’re finding the eagle pose too tricky, there are easier versions you can try. If the double leg cross is giving you trouble, just cross your legs once at the thigh and rest your top foot’s toes on the ground for balance. If you find double-crossing your arms too challenging, wrap under only and press the backs of your hands together, until your shoulders loosen up enough to do the full pose.

 

4. The warrior III pose: Stand with your feet together, point your left toe behind you, and tip your weight forward onto your right leg. Keeping your hands at your sides, continue to lift your left leg and drop your head and torso until you are in a straight horizontal line from head to toe. To ensure that your left thigh, hip, and toes (pointed or flexed) stay facing downward, many posers find it helpful to imagine balancing a tea cup on your lower back. Make sure that your right kneecap is lifted, but not locked, and your balance is centred mid-foot. Hold this pose for give breaths, slowly return to the standing position, then switch legs and repeat.

Categories: Cellulite, eagle pose, hold, Knees, left, left leg, legs, pose, pose standing, warrior iii

How to Achieve Tighter Abs in Just Ten Minutes

Everyone wants to be leaner and more toned, but when you’re battling a busy schedule it can be tough fitting it all in. How can you achieve a toned body in a shorter space of time, as well as fitting in cardio, weights and stretching into your routine? Fitness trainer Angie Miller shares her secrets for a sculpted stomach that even the busiest woman can fit into her schedule.

 
Side-lying oblique crunch with clam-shell legs

This exercise works the oblique muscles, glutes, inner thighs and the deep abdominal muscles known as transverse abdominis. You begin by laying on your side on a mat with your knees bent and placed slightly in front of your body. Keep your torso long and extended, bending your bottom arm for support and your elbow directly below your shoulder to avoid injury. Separate your knees into a clamshell position and place the inner soles of your feet together.  Bend your top arm at the elbow and rest your fingertips just behind your ear, before engaging your abs and lower back muscles. With your first movement, inhale first then as you exhale you should lift your hips and bring your upper knee to your elbow. Essentially you want to be performing a side crunch movement. Keep your torso strong and stable to avoid putting too much strain on your upper body. You need to perform one set of 16 repetitions, single counts, then perform one set of eight repetitions with pulses (up and pulse for three, lower down on four). After you’ve done this, switch sides and repeat. If you find the move too challenging, keep your knees together instead of separating them.

 

Seated clam-shell crunch

This movement works the six pack muscles, inner thighs and the lower back. Begin in the seated position on your mat facing front, with your knees bent and your hands on the floor behind your hips to support your weight. Sit up tall so that your torso is extended and your chest is open. Keep the soles of your feet together and separate your knees, lifting your feet a few inches off the floor. Inhale, then as you exhale bring your legs off the floor and your knees towards your chest – this should mean that you’re performing an abdominal crunch from your starting position. Keep your core strong and try not to hike up your shoulders. You need to perform one set of single repetitions of single counts and hen one set of eight repetitions with pulses – up and pulse for three, then lower down on four. You need to keep this movement controlled and stable so as to really strengthen your core and lower back.

 

Side plank with arm extension

The side plank works the obliques, transverse abdominis, gluteus medius and the inner thighs. Begin on your side with your torso long and your legs straight, stacked on top of each other. Bend your bottom elbow and place it directly beneath your shoulder for support. Keep your abs and lower back engaged as you lift your hips and knees off the floor, extending yout upper arm above your head. Your bottom foot needs to stay in contact with the floor as your lift, and you need to keep your head in line with your spine. Pause at the top for a few seconds then gently lower yourself back down, keeping your core strong at all times. This is a fantastic exercise for toning the abdominal muscles and for strengthening the lower back.

Categories: abdominal muscles, clam-shell, core strong, floor, Knees, muscles, oblique crunch, single counts, tighter abs, torso long, transverse abdominis

The Sex Kitten: How Animal Yoga Poses Can Help Your Sex Life

Sexual health and yoga have something in common; they’re ultimate mind-body experiences. Ellen Barrett, author of the book Sexy Yoga, explains, ‘Not only is yoga an amazing stress reliever, but certain postures improve flexibility, increase blood flow, and open your heart—all of which are necessary for a hot sex life.’ Another way yoga amps up your sex life is – according to a recent Journal of Sexual Medicine study – through teaching mindfulness, as most of us complain that troubles remaining focused makes sex boring or unemotional. Barrett notes, ‘The mindfulness you learn during yoga can translate to other parts of your life, so you can enjoy lovemaking entirely for what it is, and not think or worry about anything else.’ So, which yoga poses give your sexual wellbeing a boost?

 

 

1. The sex kitten: Also known as the cat/cow stretch (although being called a cow isn’t great for your sense of sexual wellness), this pose works your Kegel muscles, which are the same ones that contract during orgasm. You start on your hands and knees with your shoulders directly over your wrists and your hips directly over your knees. Breathing in, slowly arch your back and lift your chest up and away from the belly, extending tailbone toward ceiling. This is known as the cow position. Then, release your feet so the tops are resting on the floor, exhale and round your lower back up into the cat position. You should gently contract your belly as you do this. Repeat this six times and increase range of motion with each repetition.

 

 

2. The cobra: Lying with your belly and forehead touching the floor, place your palms face-down by the middle of your ribs. Then, draw your legs together and stretch them out, pressing the tops of your feet into floor. As you draw your elbows close to sides of your body, press your hands down evenly. However, when you next slowly lift your chest off the floor and roll your shoulders down your back, you should do this using the strength of your back – not the force of your hands. Hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds, breathing evenly, and then gently release to the floor. Barrett comments, ‘This is a heart opener pose. Love, energy, and breath come from your heart chakra, and this pose indirectly connects to sexual intimacy.’ It’s also very energising for those tiring days when sex is the last thing on your mind.

 

 

3. The downward-facing dog: This is definitely the most famous of all the yoga poses, and with good reason; it relaxes you and helps get your body ready for a night of passion. Barrett asserts, ‘This is a great pre-sex pose; it slowly warms up your body and helps you tune into the moment.’ On all fours, make sure your wrists are six to 12 inches in front of your shoulders, your knees are hip-width apart and your toes are curled under. Then, pushing evenly into your palms, lift your knees off the floor and raise your tailbone towards the ceiling, pushing the top of your thighs back so that your body looks like an inverted V. Hold this position for a minute and then slowly start to your straighten knees, without locking them. Finally, gently move your chest back towards your thighs until your ears are in line with your upper arms, but don’t let your head dangle. Barrett adds, ‘In this posture, your gaze goes nowhere; you should be looking inward, as though you’re closing your eyes, but not.’

Categories: barrett, better sex, Downward Dog, floor, Knees, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, sex kitten, sex life, yoga, yoga poses

How to Get Tight and Toned Abs in Three Exercises

Whatever your fitness and wellbeing goals are, everyone wants better abs. A tight toned tummy is the end goal of many weight loss programmes, but miracle pills and fad exercise products won’t help you achieve this (and won’t do your wellness any good). You need to partake in good old fashioned tummy toning exercises and, luckily, we’ve found three that will work wonders.

 

Seated Clam-shell Crunch

For this first exercise you need to sit on the mat, face forward, bend your knees and place your hands on the floor behind your hips. Your chest should be open and your torso needs to be long and extended. You also need to keep the inside soles of your feet together and knees separate, and then lift your feet a few inches off the floor.

 

Breathe in and then, as you exhale, lift the legs and bring your knees toward your chest, so as to complete an abdominal crunch. Don’t collapse your torso or hike up your shoulders; focus on keeping your core strong. When breathing out, drive your ribs into your hips, as this will engage your deep abdominal and lower back. Remember to maintain control and do this movement slowly, isolating it to your core. It’s good to do this for a set of 16 repetitions, single counts, followed by eight repetitions, with pulses. This means going up and pulsing for three and then lowering down on four.

 

Side Plank with Arm Extension

Lie on your side, extend your torso and keep your legs straight and stacked on top of each other. Make sure your bottom elbow is bent and placed directly behind your shoulder, with your neck long and a space between your shoulder and ear. Your shoulders and hips should be facing forward, stacked on top of one another, and your upper arm should be bent with the elbow by your waist.

 

From this starting position, engage your lower back and abdominal as you raise your hips and knees from the ground and extend your upper arm above you head. Make sure your bottom foot is still touching the floor and your head is in line with your spine. At the top, pause for a moment and then slowly lower yourself down to the starting position, maintaining control of your body at all times. Remember to focus on lifting and engaging through your centre, and keeping your neck long, or you could overload your shoulder. You should perform 8 to 12 repetitions on each side but if this is too tricky you can try the exercise with your knees bent, or with your upper arm placed on the floor in front of you for additional support.

 

Hip Lifts with Torso Rotation

This exercise engages your centre and spine to balance and control your body. To start, sit on the mat with your knees bent and your feet hip-distance apart. Put your hands behind your hips and place them down flat on the mat for support. Extend your torso and keep your head in line with your spine.

 

Once you’ve got this starting position, take a deep breath and, as you exhale, lift your hips off the floor while rotating your torso and extending your right arm to your left leg. You should only be supported by your left hand and right foot in this upper extended position. Then simply lower your body and repeat the movement with the other side. You should aim to do a set of 16 repetitions, alternating sides, and try to hold the upper position for a few seconds to challenge your body. However, if this is too much to tackle at first, you can remove the balance element and still engage your core by keeping your hips on the floor while you rotate your torso and extend your fingertips to your toes.

Categories: exhale lift, floor, Hip Lifts with Torso Rotation, hips, Knees, nbsp, neck long, Seated Clamshell Crunch, Side Plank with Arm Extension, starting position, torso, upper arm