All posts by roger

How can Yoga be a cardio workout? Here’s how.

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , , , ,

Yoga isn’t a cardio workout is it? Holding a pose for ages, breathing deeply or lying on your back isn’t going to make you burn calories or break into a sweat is it? You need spinning, aerobics, Body Attack or Body Combat for that don’t you?

Well you might be surprised. There are so many different styles of yoga. Some are gentle and controlled and do focus more on breathing and relaxation. But if you want sweat, aching arms and legs, and a faster heart rate you can find a yoga class that will deliver that for you.

Getting a cardio work out is important for health and weight-loss goals. So look out for the following types of yoga:

Ashtanga
Bikram
Power

These are much more rigorous styles of yoga and bring much more cardio to the practice than a gentle Hatha yoga class.

How can Yoga be a cardio workout?
photo credit: lululemon athletica via photopin cc

The heated room in Bikram yoga will certainly raise your heart rate a bit.

But the real cardio work in a yoga class, especially an Ashtanga or Power yoga class is the Vinyasa.

It’s a little sequence that you perform between each pose. You jump back into a plank position with straight arms and a flat back and immediately lower yourself down into a tricep dip (the pose has a fabulous name – Chaturanga Dandasana – four limbed staff pose in English).

From there you move into upward facing dog pose and then push back into downward facing dog pose.

You are then ready to step into the next set of moves.

In a class you might perform that Vinyasa up to 50 times. That’s 50 planks, 50 tricep low push ups. It’s going to get the heart rate up and it’s going to help you burn calories.

Some people miss out the Vinyasa. But If you want cardio then do them all.

So yoga can be a cardio workout if you want it to be. And it will strengthen and tone your body too.

I’ve delighted in seeing people breathless and sweating in a good intense power yoga class. It works. And it makes you look forward to that relaxation bit at the end.

Over to you: What’s for favourite type of yoga for getting a good cardio workout? What extra steps do you take to increase the intensity? Please share your thoughts. Leave a comment.

Please tweet how can yoga be a cardio workout? if you enjoyed the read.

Review of Jamie’s Italian Restaurant in York

Entertainment, , , ,

I find this Michelin Star restaurant thing a bit pretentious? Obviously they are fabulous accolades to win but as well as good tasty food it seems chefs need to obsess about minute fiddling details. Every cube of carrot is the same size. Plates of the same food must look identical. And they only put a few dribbles of sauce or jus on the dish to complete a pretty picture.

It all gets a bit fussy.

That’s why I find Jamie Oliver so refreshing. He just chucks food on a plate and whilst it looks beautiful it also looks individual. He won’t cut a carrot into identical cubes he’ll rip them into pieces with his hands. You won’t find a dribble of sauce but a great big dollop.

Review of Jamie's Italian Restaurant in York

So it was good to go to lunch at Jamie’s Italian in York recently. They have converted an old wine merchants building and created an authentic rustic atmosphere inside. You’ll find cured meats hanging from hooks and the walls adorned with wooden serving platters. The chefs work in full view surrounded by fresh produce.

Review of Jamie's Italian Restaurant in York

I started with Posh Garlic Mushrooms on Toast: Charred wholemeal levain rubbed with garlic & olive oil, topped with pan-fried wild mushrooms, chilli & flat-leaf parsley.

This was delicious and packed a hidden punch because they had hidden some quite vicious chilli peppers among the mushrooms.

Review of Jamie's Italian Restaurant in York

I followed this with Free Range Chicken: Grilled garlic & rosemary chicken with a tomato, olive, chilli & caper sauce.

With a tasty crispy skin the chicken was moist, succulent and floated on top of a very generous Italian sauce.

My sides were – Flash Cooked Greens: With lemon, garlic & olive oil and Funky Chips: With fresh garlic & parsley. I realised I was close to over-dosing on garlic but didn’t care because it tasted so good.

It was a great lunch and came in at a reasonable £25 per head including drinks.

Here’s the thing though.

Jamie’s Italian is a brand. They use the same menu in all 20 or so of their restaurants. So it’s formulaic. A franchise like KFC but obviously posher and backed by a well-known celebrity chef. For me though it is gloriously free from the fiddling detail associated with other famous faces and it is outstanding for it.

Over to you: Have you eaten in a Jamie’s Italian? Let me know what you thought of the food and the atmosphere – please share your thoughts by leaving a comment. If you enjoyed this review of Jamie’s Italian restaurant in York, please tweet it by clicking here.

Worth sharing – infographic on why HR must embrace and not hate social media

Marketing, , ,

A while back I wrote a post asking why do some IT and HR departments hate social media marketing?

I wrote it because I believe that social media marketing should form a strong part of a company’s business strategy. Engaging the staff in this process creates an army of brand ambassadors. But in many businesses they block social media from the staff.

Why is this?

Because HR departments hate social media. They don’t want their staff on Facebook and Twitter and not working now do they?

But people not doing their jobs is not a social media issue. It’s about good management.

Remember about 20 years ago when phones appeared on people’s desks. In those days, HR said that staff would spend all their time on the phone talking to friends. They didn’t of course.

Anyway the guys at Compliance and Safety sent me this great infographic which sets out why HR must embrace and not hate social media.

Click here to Tweet this infographic to your followers.

So let’s be clear. It’s never about the technology? It wasn’t back when phones first appeared on desks and it isn’t now. It’s always been about managing the staff.

Don’t block social media, because in reality your staff might be able to help promote the company or create good content for you.

Over to you: What do you think about this infographic on why HR must embrace and not hate social media? Have you seen resistance to social media from your HR people? How have you addressed their concerns. Have you got them on board? Please leave a comment by clicking on “leave a reply” below here.

Will you lose weight by doing yoga?

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , , , ,

There are hundreds of diet books out there. Some suggest certain types of food, others talk about the size of plates and portions. You can find weight loss plans in most daily newspapers and men’s and women’s magazines.

lose weight by doing yoga?
photo credit: Alan Cleaver via photopin cc

Let’s face it some are fads.  There really is no magic bullet. You have to burn more calories than you eat. That’s it. The type of food and the size of portions can help, but for most people exercise is by far the best long-term.

Yoga isn’t as aerobically intense as some other types of exercise, like running, but it can help you lose weight especially if you combine it with a few lifestyle changes.

It has many physical benefits. Regular yoga can help keep your spine supple and your core strong. It will help you keep good balance and poise. It also tones and strengthens your muscles, helps boost your immune system and metabolism.

I find that Yoga makes you feel better about yourself and builds confidence. Like any exercise using yoga to lose weight all depends on the style you do and how often.

Try an hour and a half of a more aerobic style of yoga 3 times per week. Or more. Something like Ashtanga, Power, or Bikram yoga

To lose weight by doing yoga you need to think about other changes to your lifestyle. This includes getting enough rest and relaxation, drinking plenty of water, eating a balanced diet, and looking after yourself emotionally. Yoga will help with the exercise and emotional elements.

photo credit: Santa Catalina School via photopin cc

So we’re talking good exercise, good breathing, good relaxation and good diet. Take breathing. Before I started doing yoga I didn’t realise how shallow my breathing was. Now it is deeper. Slower. You really notice the difference.

Along with your aerobic yoga 3 or more times per week, also try to mix it with a more gentle yoga style like Hatha yoga so that it is not all about intensity. Then the key is to stick with it and make a really consistent effort.

Over to you: I’d love to hear about how yoga has helped to change your life. Whether you have tried to lose weight by doing yoga or just got fitter. Leave a message and share your stories. And please tweet this article to your followers.