Cari Fit
Fitness Advice, Workout Tips, and Inspiration
I’m so excited to be featured in this month’s OM Yoga Magazine! This UK based magazine has always been a favorite of mine and I was flattered when they asked me to be in one of their issues. Special thanks to my photographer Jill Hunter, who took some amazing shots!
You can get your copy at Barnes and Noble in stores nationwide, or you can dowload the OM Yoga app for your iPod/iPhone!
For more details about my Balance & Hip Opener Sequence, please see below.
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How you breathe during your workouts can really effect your energy, form and the results you get. Breathing normally isn’t something we think about too much and it should be effortless. But, if you put a little thought and mindfulness into your breaths during your workout, you will get better results all the way around.
I started focusing more on my breathing a few years ago when I started doing more yoga. In yoga (especially hatha,ashtanga and vinyasa classes) each pose is done with a breath (either inhale or exhale or both). I started to realize why it was important to inhale and exhale during certain moves and began to see the benefits of each breath. Above all, just the fact that I was focusing more on my breath and less on the difficulty and uncomfortableness of each pose helped me push through the workout and get more out of it. So, I translated this focus onto my running workouts and also weight training. Below is my cheat sheet for when to inhale/exhale during certain workouts…
A good rule to follow in yoga is you inhale whenever your body or eyes are going up (ie upward dog, or coming into Warrior I) and exhale whenever you are going down (ie down dog, forward bend,etc). Also, in yoga we do “nostril breathing” – breathing just through the nose and this takes some practice. Just be very “mindful” of each breath you take because it will help your body relax (especially the exhales) and clear your mind.
When you run, your breath should be pretty effortless and relaxed. However, when you start to pickup the speed or feel yourself getting tired, shift your focus on to your breathing. When your heart rate starts to elevate, your natural reaction is to probably take a bunch of short breaths. Try not to do that and instead, deepen your breathing. Take a long inhale through your nose and long exhale through your mouth. The bigger the breaths you can take – the faster your heart rate will drop and your muscles will relax. When you are sprinting or going super fast, it may help you to take in one deep inhale and then 3-5 mini exhales. Each little exhale will help you relax more. These tips can also be applied towards other cardio.
In weight training you want to exhale on the concentric (when the muscle shortens) part of the movement. This is usually the “hard” part of the exercise, like when you are lifting the weights up when you do bicep curl or when you push your heels in the ground to stand up from a squat. By exhaling, you give your core more stabilization and you give your body more power and focus to lift/push/pull a heavy weight (or your bodyweight).
*You can also ready this post and view comments/ questions on my “Ask The Expert” blog on ExerciseTV’s blog HERE.
Today I was back on Fox Morning News Extra to talk about how yoga can reduce stress and even improve sleep. I demonstrated crescent moon (low lunge) and also child’s pose, which are both great at reducing stress in your muscles and joints and relieve tension in your lower back. Instead of reaching for food or alcohol to relax after work, try some of the moves below. Or, if your energy is fading and you are about to make another run to Starbucks, try a forward bend instead!
Unfortunately the Fox video is no longer available.Â
For Relaxation:
Try some seated twists (left) or stretches where you are lying down. Just be careful not to stretch your muscles too much unless you are already warm (from cardio, etc) or a yoga warmup like vinyasa flow or sun salutations. For breathing, focus on taking deep exhales. Look for yoga classes such as “gentle yoga”, “yoga for beginners” or even “meditation” to relieve stress and help you to relax.
For Energy:
Inversions such as Forward Bend (right), Headstand or even Downward Dog are great for energy. Any time your heart is above your head, you will have increased circulation to the brain and get a surge of energy. With breathing, focus more on taking deeper inhales. Look for “inversion” classes, “sun salutation” classes or “vinyasa flow” classes to give you a boost of energy.
I was back on last week to give some tips on how to get Madonna’s arms and Beyonce’s booty! To read more about Madonna’s arms and yoga…checkout my post “Can I really lose weight or get arms like Madonna just from doing yoga?”.
Also, check back next week for a new celebrity workout!
I just wanted to follow up with my last post about Giada’s book signing here in Houston. Her publicist told me she was too busy to fit in an interview : ( BUT, I was able to ask her about yoga when I went to the book signing yesterday. Of course, I didn’t get to chat for very long, but I told her I’m a trainer here in Houston and was wondering if she still does yoga. She said that she actually does yoga quite a bit and she loves it! I think she even had her yoga instructor do an episode of “Giada at Home” with her one time and I read that she does regular sessions. I had a blast at the signing and it was so cool to chat with her, even just for a second.
By the way…I made her Pea Pesto Crostini (from the book) when I got home and it was amazing!
For the recipe see below…
“Can I lose weight with yoga?â€. “Will yoga give me arms like Madonna?â€. I get asked these questions all the time. Although I am a yoga instructor, the personal trainer inside of me is thinking…â€Uh, Noâ€! But, the truth is…it CAN help.
The fact is, that in order to really lose weight, you must burn calories through exercise and/or reduce calories you consume. To loose 1lb, you have to shave off 3,500 calories! Depending on what type of yoga class you are taking (and your size), you would typically burn about 150-200 calories in an hour class. This seems significant, but brisk walking would burn double that amount! But, don’t throw your mat out just yet. Keep reading to find out why yoga can get you closer to your goals.
Being Mindful and Body Awareness
Yoga helps you to become more “mindful†which just means that you are thinking about each movement you make and also how your body is involved (body awareness). You will start to pay attention to your breathing and you are suddenly aware of your body, its posture and alignment. Who knew you had such tight hip flexors? Increased body awareness means you are more likely to treat your body right and maybe that means losing weight.
Reducing Stress
High levels of stress and cortisol (stress hormone) cause us to eat more and gain weight. Well, yoga is proven to reduce stress. The more you focus on your breathing and get your body moving, the less stress you will have.
Dealing with Discomfort
We sometimes feel discomfort during an awkward pose or trying to find our balance. But, that’s when you will feel like a warrior and fight through it. When you regularly go through discomfort and your senses are on the edge…it gives you strength to deal with other difficult situations and courage in other areas of our lives. This might be in the form of saying “No†to those Krispy Kremes at the office or not making eye contact with the cupcakes at your next party.
Yoga CAN Make You Stronger, But You Won’t Look Like Madonna
Yes…Madonna has awesome arms, but she is doing way more than yoga to get those guns. You need to shed body fat and to do this you must alter your diet, increase cardio and lift heavy weights. However, with regular yoga sessions you may start to notice stronger muscles especially your shoulders and triceps. Repeating moves like chaturanga and dolphin each week will definitely make you a little more sculpted!
If you are trying to lose weight, you should start by making healthy changes to your diet and adding regular cardio sessions. But, if you are eager to try yoga, don’t let extra pounds stop you! Give it a try and make it part of your regular exercise routine. You will end up more mindful, reduce stress, increase flexibility and be one step closer to getting Madonna’s arms!
