Pilates and Yoga: Are They Good Exercise for Losing Weight?
Many experts like low impact exercise as a way to strengthen your body. Building your muscle mass will only help you lose weight. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn just doing normal activity. And that's the best way to maintain weight loss and lose body fat. Read the following, straight from the experts and learn why low-impact might be the best way for you to exercise. Personally, most of my workouts at the gym were high-impact. In those days I thought you needed to sweat off the pounds. Then I realized that sweating it off might be good for the under 40 crowd, but I was spending too much time recouping from injury's. I remember hurting my shoulder one summer and I couldn't to any upper body until after Christmas. I put on most of the body fat I worked so hard to lose.
Ask Julie Rudiger about her fitness regime and she'll talk about downward dog, triangle pose, and warrior III. Tired of counting repetitions and pedaling a stationary bike to nowhere, Rudiger was initially drawn to yoga because she wanted an activity that stretched her muscles as well as her mind. Eventually, it became her workout of choice.
"A lot of people seem to underestimate the physical benefits of yoga," says Rudiger, 47, a therapist in Denver. "But the practice has made me stronger and more flexible, physically and emotionally." Tai Chi and Yoga can be done at any age, matter a fact classes are being taught today in senior living homes.
Mind Body Fitness
Activities such as tai chi (a martial art performed in a series of slow, choreographed movements), Pilates (low-impact exercises that build core strength), and yoga are called mind/body fitness because they emphasize physical and mental strength. When we talk about building mind and body, by building strength and balance you will build your confidence to be able to do more. Also low-impact exercise is a great way to improve your circulation.
"The movements [also referred to as poses or postures] strengthen your body and improve your flexibility by teaching you how to move your body and focus your mind," says Kevin W. Chen, PhD, MPH, associate professor in the Center of Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Yoga and Pilates: Going for the Burn
If you're interested in burning more calories, some advanced yoga and Pilates sessions move at a faster pace. For instance, a 155-pound person can burn about 298 calories in a regular one-hour yoga class. But doing Bikram or power yoga will burn even more calories. These classes require students to hold complex poses for longer periods, offering a more intense workout. But beginning classes that teach you how to perfect a plank pose and other mind/body postures provide significant health and fitness benefits beyond a high-calorie burn.
Plus, learning the basics helps prevent injury when you move on to more advanced classes.
For example, doing tai chi's series of graceful movements engages all of the major muscle groups and joints, improving balance and strength. Pilates' emphasis on movements that strengthen the body's core helps build muscular endurance and flexibility. In general, mind/body practices help control weight, reduce blood pressure, ease stress, and improve sleep. In one study, people doing yoga lowered both their LDL (bad) cholesterol and their triglycerides more than 12 points during a three-month study.
If you have been thinking about joining a health club or the "Y"see if they offer beginner classes for your age group.
Don't think that's too hard. People all over the world do Tai-Chi and Yoga. I don't have injuries anymore.
Ask Julie Rudiger about her fitness regime and she'll talk about downward dog, triangle pose, and warrior III. Tired of counting repetitions and pedaling a stationary bike to nowhere, Rudiger was initially drawn to yoga because she wanted an activity that stretched her muscles as well as her mind. Eventually, it became her workout of choice.
"A lot of people seem to underestimate the physical benefits of yoga," says Rudiger, 47, a therapist in Denver. "But the practice has made me stronger and more flexible, physically and emotionally." Tai Chi and Yoga can be done at any age, matter a fact classes are being taught today in senior living homes.
Mind Body Fitness
Activities such as tai chi (a martial art performed in a series of slow, choreographed movements), Pilates (low-impact exercises that build core strength), and yoga are called mind/body fitness because they emphasize physical and mental strength. When we talk about building mind and body, by building strength and balance you will build your confidence to be able to do more. Also low-impact exercise is a great way to improve your circulation.
"The movements [also referred to as poses or postures] strengthen your body and improve your flexibility by teaching you how to move your body and focus your mind," says Kevin W. Chen, PhD, MPH, associate professor in the Center of Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Yoga and Pilates: Going for the Burn
If you're interested in burning more calories, some advanced yoga and Pilates sessions move at a faster pace. For instance, a 155-pound person can burn about 298 calories in a regular one-hour yoga class. But doing Bikram or power yoga will burn even more calories. These classes require students to hold complex poses for longer periods, offering a more intense workout. But beginning classes that teach you how to perfect a plank pose and other mind/body postures provide significant health and fitness benefits beyond a high-calorie burn.
Plus, learning the basics helps prevent injury when you move on to more advanced classes.
For example, doing tai chi's series of graceful movements engages all of the major muscle groups and joints, improving balance and strength. Pilates' emphasis on movements that strengthen the body's core helps build muscular endurance and flexibility. In general, mind/body practices help control weight, reduce blood pressure, ease stress, and improve sleep. In one study, people doing yoga lowered both their LDL (bad) cholesterol and their triglycerides more than 12 points during a three-month study.
If you have been thinking about joining a health club or the "Y"see if they offer beginner classes for your age group.
Don't think that's too hard. People all over the world do Tai-Chi and Yoga. I don't have injuries anymore.
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