Is Just Doing Yoga Enough? Maybe? Maybe not! It all depends on what your bodies need and what your goals are. Personally, I don't believe in "one size fits all." Doing just one type of exercise is not enough. Think about it this way. A healthy and well balanced nutritious diet includes six main food groups. We don't eat just one or two food groups, neither should we be doing one kind of workout. Runners and hikers have strong legs, but they tend to have tight hips and quads. Dancers and yogis are known for their flexibilities or excess range of motion, but they don't lift weight to strengthen muscles. Yoga is my main exercise (asana portion of it), and I find cardio workouts and strength trainings compliment it well. Diversifying the workout gives me a more balanced fitness regimen. Top: Niyama Sol X-Back Bra, Black, S (true to size). Bottom: Niyama Sol Mocha Diamondback Barefoot Legging, S (runs small). I started dancing since I was eight till graduated from the college, so I have been flexible in my whole life. I didn't like weight lifting and strength training because I was worried about becoming muscular. I didn't even like Chaturanga in vinyasa classes because of the worry of getting "big." The "perfect" skinny body image took the lead in my early life. As I am more mature (don't want to admit that I am getting older), none of those matters. Happiness and health are more important than anything else in life. No one in the world is there to judge how I live my life and how my body looks. I started doing HIIT, Tabata and Cardio workouts four years ago after I hurt my shoulder from doing handstand. During my visit to the physical therapist, he told me that I had muscles imbalance. It wasn't simply the difference between sides. It was more front versus back muscles and strength versus flexibility imbalances. He suggested me to do some weight lifting and functional movements to ameliorate the problem. Ever since then, I alternate between yoga and strength training or cardio workout each day. I have seen a lot of changes in my body. Not only do I become more flexible, but I am also stronger, especially posterior chain muscles, including traps, rhomboid, glutes and hamstrings. These muscles tend to be weaker than the anterior chain for yogis due to lack of pulling movement in yoga. Today, my back muscles are more defined and the aerobic ability is higher than ever. Should I be bothered by toned muscles and broad shoulders? Absolutely not. After all, I enjoy everything I am doing and I feel great. I am not letting others to tell me what I should or shouldn't do. Live my own life! I recently got a 10lb kettlebell from Prosource Fit. Besides using it for the strength training, I like to integrate it to the yoga flow. You can be very creative with it. Today, I want to share some kettlebell exercises that can be added to the asana practice. In the instruction note, I will call out the side as shown in pictures to avoid confusion. Malasana - Squat Lift
This exercise is quite similar to Malasana in yoga, except you only squat as low as you can to keep the heels grounded. In Malasana, I advise students to go all the way down. If heels are off the ground, putting a blanket or rolling up the yoga mat under heels are recommended.
Step by step instructions:
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Lunge - Lunge with One Arm Kettlebell Row
There are so many things you can do in lunge position and back row is one of them. Lunges strengthen legs muscles. In order to be stable in the lunging position, inner thighs (aka adductors) are hugging in toward each other. I lean forward and create a diagonal line from the back heel to the crown of the head, which demands more core engagement.
Step by step instructions:
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Virabhadrasana III - Single Leg Deadlift
Single leg deadlift is pretty much the same as Virabhadrasana III (warrior 3) in yoga. Both help improve the balancing skill. Adding a kettlebell (deadlift) makes is even more challenging than Virabhadrasans III as you work your core, glutes and legs muscles harder. In addition to that, back muscles are also activated to prevent rounding and to provide the support in the movement.
Instruction:
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Kumbhakasana - Plank Hold
Plank is a great pose to strengthen the core. It also targets back muscles, trapezius and rhomboid, as well as pectorals and serratus anterior muscles. Chaturanga is out of the equation if you can't hold plank with a proper alignment.
Instruction:
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Kumbhakasana - Plank Row
The movement of the arm and shoulder is the same as the lunge with one arm back row but in plank position. This variation is more challenging as it works harder for the core and back muscles (muscles mentioned in plank).
Instruction:
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Vasisthasana - Side Plank with Arm Raise
In the fitness world, the side body is supposed to be in a straight diagonal line in side plank; while in yoga, the lower side body is in a crescent shape, which means you lift up as much as possible. Either way is fine and I practice both. Side plank with arm raise can be tricky. The prerequisite is to have a strong foundation, side plank. Once you get that, you can consider lifting the weight with the upper arm to strengthening the shoulder and tone the arm.
Instruction:
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Navasana - Russian Twist
I like to joke of Navasana being Ashtangis's favorite. If you practice Ashtanga yoga, you know exactly what I mean. About half way into the primary series when you are exhausted, Navasa is coming up next. It leaves no time to catch the breath. Holding in the pose for five breaths and repeat for five times. If that's not painful enough, there is a lift between each round. Thanks to the practice, Russian twist becomes quite easy for Ashtangis because we have been doing it repeatedly. Our core and hip flexors are strong for this exercise.
Instruction:
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Kneeling Toe Stretch - Kneeling Overhead Tricep Extension
I love kneeling toe stretch. How often do we give attention to our toes and feet? We wear shoes all day long. For women, we even wear the most uncomfortable and excruciating pointy toe heels. After wearing modern shoes day in and day out, toes are either side bent or scrunched together. It is necessary to stretch them out regularly. You can do tricep overhead extension in standing or in lunge, which can be more accessible for some people. I like the kneeling variation just so I can have my toes stretched at the same time.
Instruction:
Kneeling Toe Stretch - Kneeling Kettlebell Halo
Kettlebell halo is a great exercise to improve rotation and stability of the shoulders. Again, I like to do it in kneeling position for toe stretch. This exercise is normally done in standing.
Instruction:
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These are exercises I often do on the days I am not practicing Ashtanga. These movements are relatively easy to understand. If you don't have any dumbbell or kettlebell at home, grab a block instead. I hope you find the information useful and consider to diversify your workouts. Comments are closed.
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