All posts by roger

Eleven ways to strengthen, stretch and flex – what is a Body Balance Class?

Fitness and Yoga, , , , ,

I’ve been blogging a lot about Yoga recently but here’s a post that answers the question, “What is a Body Balance class?” It’s an hour long exercise to music class from international, New Zealand based, fitness giant Les Mills. It is also ten or eleven ways to strengthen, stretch and flex your body.

What is a Body Balance class?

The Les Mills format is straight forward. They release a new class every 3 months. We are up to release number 56 in Body Balance. Where ever you take part in a class, anywhere in the world , it will be the same moves and the same music. That’s great for continuity.You can get comfortable with the moves over a few weeks and then really get into developing your technique.

Body Balance itself is a lovely combination of moves and exercises from Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates choreographed to great mood music. One of the best things about teaching this class for the last seven years is the great new artists I have discovered and fallen in love with. Great groups like Sleepthief, Conjure One, and Delerium that you have probably never heard of. And then some that you will have like Sting, Annie Lennox, The Script and Leona Lewis.

A Body Balance class usually consists of ten or eleven pieces of music with associated exercises as follows:

What is a Body Balance class?

Tai Chi Warm Up: A beautiful flowing way to start. Arm circles, waist rotations, and shifting the weight from side to side. I like to describe this track as flowing like water, with no beginning to the moves and no ending. They merge into one sequence effortlessly and seamlessly. It warms up the body and clears the mind ready for some harder work later.

Sun salutations: Most yoga classes contain a sun salutation to warm up the body and Body Balance uses those yoga moves to the same effect, often adding a few surprise exercises into the sequence to maintain variety. The sequence is quite quick, often containing up to 16 different positions that flow from one to the next.

Standing strength: Now the class gets harder. Expect standing yoga poses like the warriors, triangle and standing lunges, design to strengthen the thighs and the gluteals. These tracks can be quite tough and they are meant to be. You will start to tremble and will notice a difference in your strength after only a few classes.

Balance: The pace slows down a little with exercises to test two things. Your balance – as most of the poses involve being on one leg. And strengthening the lower legs – your calves and ankles. These tracks are beautiful and challenging at the same time.

Hip openers: Anyone who runs or walks frequently, and definitely anyone who takes part in cardio classes will find their hips become tight. Body Balance gives you exercises to open up and stretch the hips. Expect to feel on the borderline between pleasure and pain in this track. The moves offer sweet release from tightness.

Core abdominals: Now we move into a more Pilates based environment with a track designed to sculpt the core of the body and the abs in particular. You might combine crunches, planks, side planks, leg raises and extensions. You will definitely feel a fire start to burn in your tummy.

Core Back: This second Pilates based track works the lower back and gluteals. You might be on your tummy lifting your legs up behind and your arms and chest up, or on hands and knees lifting into a cat stretch. When these two tracks are done you might feel really tired and there is often a natural short break here in child pose to allow you to recover.

What is a Body Balance class?

Twists: By now the hardest part of the class is over. Gentle abdominal twists, either seated or lying down allow gravity to massage your inner organs. There might be some harder exercises like twisting lunges but on the whole the emphasis is calmer. The relaxing ending is in site.

Forward Bends: Many of us have tight hamstrings, particularly men who run and don’t stretch (which is most of them). This final working track is designed to stretch the hamstrings and the inner thigh muscles and sometimes the IT bands. The moves are slow, the stretches can be intense, the rewards don’t take long to show up. You will notice more flexibility here after a month or two of classes.

Relaxation: Sometimes one, maybe two pieces of music designed to relax the body. So on with a jacket and some socks. Lie down in a comfortable position, breathe deeply and let the oxygen re-energise your tired muscles and slow your heart rate done. Some people leave the class before this last section. I think that is a shame. We live such busy lives that we owe ourselves a few moments to chill. It might only be 6 or 8 minutes but it really finishes the class nicely. You’ll have combined the physical exercise earlier with a great relaxing calmness.

So that’s what to expect from a body balance class. Ten or eleven pieces of amazing music to strengthen, stretch and flex your body and to finally unwind the mind.

Over to you: Please tell me your experiences with Body Balance either as a teacher or a participant. What to you enjoy? What do you find most challenging? Please leave comment by clicking on “leave a reply” below.

If you liked this post you might like these reviews of past Body Balance releases:

Are you wondering which designer clothes to wear for a yoga class?

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

Some people agonise every morning about which outfit to wear for work. They may have laid awake for part of the night juggling outfits, colours, shoes, fabrics and accessories into the best combination. Then during the day at work their concern switches to what to put on for the night out. A dilemma which might occupy their attention throughout an afternoon of meetings.

But surely these deliberations do not extend to what to wear in a yoga class? Well apparently so.

which designer clothes to wear for a yoga class?

I’ve never been that fashion conscious. I knock about in jeans and a T-Shirt. I’ll dress smart for nights out and reluctantly don “black tie” for a posh do (actually the tie is usually bright magenta – but that’s another story). But I never spend long wondering what to wear in class – whether as a participant or as the instructor. I’m comfy in shorts and a sleeveless T-Shirt. If it has a Nike “swoosh” on it, fine. If it doesn’t I don’t lose sleep over it. On the whole comfy is more important than whether it has a Puma or an Adidas logo on it.

Occasionally I’ve bought branded Body Combat or Body Balance gear. I’ve found it over-priced and in some cases poorly made and unable to stand up to repeat washing. It may make me look the part but it doesn’t improve my skills as an instructor.

which designer clothes to wear for a yoga class?

So when I get asked what you should wear in a yoga class I give a practical answer. Tops and pants or shorts should be comfortable and allow a fairly wide range of motion. So not too tight. Sports bras for women (or tops that incorporate equivalent support). And sensible thigh or knee length shorts for the men because we don’t want it to all hanging out do we?

which designer clothes to wear for a yoga class?

Then I hear people wondering which designer clothes to wear for a yoga class? And when the conversation strays into brands like Fit Couture, Rogiani, Lululemon and New Balance I get quickly out of my comfort zone. Having looked at some of these websites though, I do like the look of the clothes on display. Some of it is ethically produced which fits with the yoga ethos. And I would never discourage anyone from buying something they look and feel good in.

But here’s the thing.

Wear what you want in a yoga class as long as it ticks the practical boxes. But don’t make wondering what to wear in class a reason to not to practice.

Because a logo won’t make you more flexible than you are now. Expensive hallmarks will not increase your range of movement and improve your strength and posture. Designer labels might dress you up well but they won’t improve you physically.

Yoga can do all of these things.

If you work hard (especially if it’s Power yoga, or Ashtanga yoga, or Bikram yoga), you’ll sweat just as much in a £80 top as you would in a £10 top. Put the practice first and maybe make the designer gear your reward later.

Over to you: What do you wear to your yoga classes? There are some great clothes out there. Which are your favourite brands? Please share your thoughts and comments by leaving a reply.

A few things you should expect from a Hatha Yoga class

Fitness and Yoga, , , , ,

If you are looking to give yoga a try, a hatha yoga class is a good place to start.

Look for the hatha yoga classes on the timetable in fitness clubs like David Lloyd’s and Bannatyne’s. Or you might see adverts for hatha sessions in local community centres and church halls.

you should expect from a Hatha Yoga class

In the UK, hatha yoga is seen as a gentle form of practice, compared to the more demanding ashtanga or power yoga. In actual fact hatha yoga is the oldest type of yoga practiced by people all over the world. It is a common framework from which all the more modern interpretations have evolved.

So ashtanga yoga, which is a set series of poses performed in the same order ever time, owes as much of its roots to hatha, as power yoga (a faster series of moves which are more aerobically challenging), bikram yoga (practiced in a very hot room), and freestyle fitness yoga (taught without reference to any traditional pose names). All of them have been developed from the same starting point.

Nevertheless, hatha yoga is now often synonymous with a gentler form of practice suitable for beginners.  If you like it you can progress to a more challenging form later, but wherever you end up you will still see some common features.

Hatha yoga embraces “8 limbs”, or foundations. of which those relating to poses/exercises (asanas), breathing (pranayama), meditation and concentration are most prevalent. Sometimes the more spiritual elements are also represented but many people just seeking the physical side choose not to focus on these.

You can expect doing hatha yoga to improve your flexibility and joint range of motion, but this just one of the physical benefits. Others include:

  • Better cardiovascular efficiency
  • Better respiratory efficiency
  • Increase in breath-holding time
  • A calmer an more relaxed body
  • Better dexterity skills
  • Better posture
  • Better strength and resiliency
  • Higher energy levels

Overall it can just help improve your feeling of well being.

So what you should expect from a hatha yoga class?

Usually the class begins in a seated position with an introduction to deep breathing. Then  some seating poses, perhaps a few twists. Some classes will offer a “sun salutation” which is a sequence of exercises to warm up the body. There will be core strengthening work. You’ll try some forward and side bending poses and hip and chest opening moves. And my favourite, the standing strength exercises. You might break a sweat but this is not an aerobically challenging class.

Throughout the class you might hear names given to the exercises, “Warrior Two” for example (there are three kinds of warrior pose – and this is the second of three). Sometimes the teacher might use the ancient name for the pose (“Virabhadrasana 2“). It can be confusing but don’t let it put you off. Just concentrate on the position of your body rather than what the exercise is called.
you should expect from a Hatha Yoga class

At the end of the class you get the opportunity to lie still and return your attention to your deep breathing. This is a lovely, calming moment and allows you to reflect on what you have achieved.

So that’s what to expect from a hatha yoga class. Give it a try. It is great for your mind and for your body.

Over to you: Have you recently tried a hatha yoga class. What did you think? Have I described it well in general or did you feel differently? Are you thinking of giving it a go? Are there any other questions that you have? Please leave a comment below or send me a message.

If you want a more vigourous type of yoga, read my blog about power yoga and how challenging that can be.

One question I’d like an answer to after the Edinburgh trams disaster

The Crazy World in which we Live, , ,
Edinburgh is such a beautiful city. But every day as I walk up from Waverley Station I see the on-street building site that has tainted that beauty for so many years. The council started tearing the roads up in 2008. They erected signs telling us that the trams would be “taking us to the shops in 2011”.
Edinburgh Trams Disaster

Well here we are in 2012 and there are two more years of construction pain before the trams start running. The tram units themselves wait sadly unloved and without passengers in their little play pen at the Gogarburn Depot.

This has been a vanity project. Nothing more. The route is well served by buses already.

Here are some of the highlights of the Edinburgh Trams disaster:

  • Original plans were for three lines. One serving the airport to the city centre; a second loop down through Leith and back to the city centre through Granton; and a third out to Musselburgh in the east. Only the first line is actually being built.
  • The cost estimate was £498m. The final bill will be just short of £1 billion. And that’s for 1 line not three remember.
  • The trams were to be running by summer 2011. July 2014 is now what we are promised.
  • The tracks on Princes Street have been laid three times necessitating the closure of this famous thoroughfare. The tarmac was already crumbling and dangerous before a single tram had ever run on them.

The green agenda is often used to justify building the trams. I wonder how much extra pollution has been created by the building work, the delays, the re-routing of traffic and the heavy machinery. How long will the trams have to operate in order to pay back this carbon debt?

And when the construction is finally finished and Edinburgh cab drivers will have to find a different topic to talk about, there is one question which I would love to know the answer to.

Given that the tram units themselves will each carry 250 passengers. That’s 78 seated and 172 standing. If you were a passenger arriving at Edinburgh Airport after a long journey, would you choose to stand up for the ride into town, or would you select the guarantee of a seat in one of the superb airport buses, or the privacy of a cab direct to your destination?

Over to you: Are you looking forward to the completion of the Edinburgh Trams? What do you think of the scheme? Would you choose to travel to the airport in a car, a cab, a bus or would you take the tram? Please leave a comment and let me know.