Power Yoga + Workout Clothes + Interval Playlist

I love practicing yoga - love how I feel when I come out of a class, newly refreshed, stretched out, and stress free.  I really enjoy how it strengthens my body, helping me with my posture and lengthening my muscles.

But going to yoga classes can get expensive and also finding the time to squeeze in a class more than once a week can get tricky with my schedule.  As a result I have taken to the web to find some great yoga work-outs that really make me feel the burn but I can do in the convenience of my own home.

Below is a work out that I found at Women's Health Magazine, that combines strength training with yoga. What I liked about doing this routine was that it was more focused on body balance - "Yoga tends to emphasize pressing movements, like chaturanga, that work the muscles in the front of your body, but these combinations strengthen your back with rowing movements."

Women's Health Magazine Yoga Workout:

1.) Stand with your feet together and hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Keeping your chest lifted, shoulders back, and core tight, sit your hips back and bend your knees (as if you were sitting back into a chair) while raising your arms overhead in line with your ears. Hold for a breath, then squeeze your glutes to stand and lower your arms to your sides. That's one rep. Do 20.


2.) Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of you at shoulder height, palms facing in. Cross your right leg over your left, loop your right foot behind your left ankle, and bend your left knee to squat as low as you can. Squeeze your shoulder blades and open your arms out to the sides, elbows slightly bent. Return to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 12, then switch legs and repeat.


3.) Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides, put your left foot flat on the floor about three feet behind your right with your toes pointed out, and bend your right knee into a lunge (Warrior 1). With your back flat, lower your torso toward your front knee, keeping your arms straight. From this position, pull your shoulder blades together and bend your elbows to lift the weights to the sides of your chest. Slowly lower back to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 12, then switch legs and repeat.


4.) Starting in Warrior 1, lower your torso toward the floor, arms extended straight down from your shoulders. Straighten your front leg and raise your back leg behind you as high as you can, keeping your core tight and back flat (Warrior 3). Squeeze your shoulder blades and lift the weights to chest height, then straighten your arms and raise them toward the ceiling. Slowly return to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 12. Switch legs, and repeat.

While going through Women's Health, I also found an article about work-out clothes for a bargain.  One of my resolutions for this year was to be more conscious with how I spend my money.  But I also find that there is some motivation to work-out when you buy some new work-out gear - all the extra motivation I can get is appreciated hehe.  So when I hear work-out clothes for a bargain I jump on that bandwagon!  Below are some of the pieces featured in the Women's Health article:

1.) Under Armour Tech Tank, 2.) C9 Champion Running Bra, 3.) Nike Women's Tempo Track Running Shorts, 4.) Reebok Core Running T-Shit

I leave you with this week's work-out mix, which is a mix I saw on Shape Magazine that is for an interval work-out.  Interval training is supposed to burn fat faster than a steady paced routine, as you alternate between periods of high and low intensity.  This mix compiles a set of songs that "half clock in at 128 beats  per minute and the other half are at 142."


Interval Work-Out Playlist from Shape Magazine:

What music do you listen when working out?