Tag Archives: body balance

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.

CXWorx core fitness class gaining ground in Edinburgh

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , ,

CXWorx is a slightly odd name for a fitness class. But don’t let that put you off because for a 30 minute class which focusses on core training exercises, CXWorx really does work. I can testify to the tightness in the tummy muscles it brings and the fires it ignites in the gluteals. Half an hour of torture, great music, weight plates and stretchy bands will leave you exhausted but elated.

CXWorx core fitness class

Les Mills the creators of Body Pump brought this revolutionary fitness class to the UK at the start of 2012. I wondered if it would be a little slow to take off. Not because of any flaws in the workout, CXWorx works as I said, but because some clubs appear reluctant to pay for another licence. Maybe they think their PTs can put something similar together.

Whilst take up as been slow down south, CXWorx is starting to gain a strong foothold in Edinburgh. Blazing the trail has been Edinburgh Leisure who have introduced many classes across the city. David Lloyd have followed and I hope others are interested. Les Mills have held 2 instructor training modules already and more are to follow.

One of my fitness instructor friends has already trained in CXWorx and Karl Fitzpatrick on his Group X site comments as follows:

“30 minutes passed. And job done. Ouch. But you love it. Get the lovely feeling of ache. Knowing you’ve earned it.”

And another is about to take the plunge and do the training – in his CXWorx Blog, Simon Philp reminds us about the benefits of the class:

“Formulated with a carefully structured, scientific approach and unforgiving intensity, Les Mills CXWORX tightens and tones, improves functional strength and assists injury prevention like nothing else.”

So should I consider doing the CXWorx training module?

After I qualified as a yoga teacher in 2010, and as I now teach Body Combat, Body Balance, Power Yoga and Hatha Yoga, I said no more. But there is something about CXWorx. It’s chipping away at my resolve. And as the class gains ground in Edinburgh so too does the feeling that my portfolio might not yet be complete.

Over to you: Have you trained on CXWorx? What did you think of the training module course?Are you a participant? What do you think about the CXWorx core fitness class? Have they made any noticeable difference to your core strength? Please post a comment below and let me know.

If you enjoyed this blog you might like to try this one as well:

“Should I try Yoga?” – I always say, “Absolutely, yes you should.”

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , ,

People who come to my Body Combat and Body Balance classes know that I am also a yoga teacher and often ask,“Should I try yoga?”. My answer is always a resounding yes. Of course you should. But many then qualify their question with, “But I really don’t fancy all that chanting and mystical mumbo jumbo.”

I am often saddened by this because people obviously have the wrong impression of yoga. Some think that it is some sort of religion. Others fear that they will be instructed in an obscure ancient language. Or that they will have to contort their body into impossible bendy shapes. Or that it is too easy and that a good session pumping weights will do them more good. It’s true that these perceptions have been created to an extent by the reality. But let’s consider the truth.

should i try yoga

Yoga is definitely not a religion. Admittedly, for some practitioners, it is a way of life, and it can be quite a spiritual one at that. But modern styles of yoga have evolved to focus on just three elements of the so called “8 limbs of yoga”; The asanas or poses (exercises between you and me), breathing (well more like controlling the breath and integrating it into the exercise), and meditation (and if that still sounds too “mystical” you can change this to simple relaxation if you want to).

People who do like more traditional spiritual styles might be critical of these modern approaches and they are entitled to their opinion and to practice what they like. The truth is if you want a yoga class that is just about the exercise you can find one.

Certainly the language used probably hasn’t helped either. If you are asked to move into Prasarita Padottanasana it genuinely sounds almost frightening. In English all you are being asked to do is to perform a wide leg forward bend. Or in even simpler terms a very intense hamstring stretch.

It’s true that very advanced Yoga poses need high degrees of skill and flexibility but no one is going to shoe-horn you into something your body can’t cope with. But the same is true in any sport. A novice skier would never tackle the most challenging run without years on the nursery slopes or easier descents.

should i try yoga

There are many levels to suit all ages, skills and body shapes. For those who think it will be too easy, I have seen men who can pump weights for hours on end reduced to gasping in pools of sweat in a power yoga session. Whilst in gentler classes not a bead of sweat will break onto the skin. The bottom line is that everyone can be catered for, you just need to find a class that suites your needs, desires and goals.

So what’s available?

Hatha Yoga – a calmer class, less energetic style, more emphasis on breath and less complex exercises.

Ashtanga Yoga – very traditional, quite physically challenging, the same exercises every class always in the same order

Power Yoga – a more modern version of Ashtanga, less traditional, still challenging, but the exercises will change from class to class. (Often called Dynamic Yoga, Freestyle Fitness Yoga, Baptiste Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga)

Bikram Yoga – the same 26 exercises every class, performed in a hot room to encourage sweating and cleansing.

Hot Yoga – same as Bikram but without the adherence to the 26 pose class structure.

Body Balance – yes I’m going to include this as it is Yoga based. Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates moves choreographed to music.

Should you try yoga? Absolutely of course you should. There is a style out there for you just waiting to be discovered.

Over to you: Do you want to try yoga but haven’t tried it yet? What more could I do to convince you? Have you recently taken it up? What do you think? I would love it if you would post your thoughts and experiences in the comments box.

Love your DOMS – it shows that your exercise is working

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , ,

On Sunday I had a severe case of DOMS. I’m sure you have had that too at some point?

What is DOMS?

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. When you do a new exercise, or change your routine to target a different muscle group, the muscles involved will hurt between 24 and 48 hours later. It can provide some unintentionally hilarious results. You might find that you have to crawl out of bed sideways or that sitting down becomes a slow and delicate procedure, or that walking becomes a noticeable hobble.

what is DOMS exercise that works

It’s the body’s way of adapting to a new exercise and the ache is caused by micro-tears in the muscle fibres. The next time you do the new exercise the effect won’t be as bad. So as long as you don’t over exert yourself, and keep stretching and maintaining good blood flow to the affected muscles, DOMS is not a bad thing. It shows the body is responding to new stuff.

DOMS also highlights the need to change your exercise routines frequently otherwise the body becomes used to the movement and any training effect is reduced.

The first time I experienced DOMS was after my first Body Pump class. This was long before fitness bug consumed me and decided to train to be an instructor – I had to be dragged along to the class against my will. Once there I did not want to look “weak in front of the other guys”. I used weights that were really too heavy for a first timer. I got through the class with it’s hundreds of squats, lunges and bicep curls and admitted to the person who dragged me along that I had really enjoyed it. But the following day my quads were burning with a high intensity of pain. I couldn’t walk but I couldn’t sit down either. I had to put hot water bottles on my legs to soothe the pain.

what is doms exercise that works

This week I launched the new releases of Body Combat and Body Balance to my class participants (read about the new music and moves here). The former contains martial arts routines with over 100 powerful side kicks. The later has a standing strength routine of deep Yoga Warrior poses that lasts nearly 10 minutes. The combined effect of this has been DOMS worse than I have experienced in a long while.

I know my participants have felt it too. I’ve seen them post comments on twitter. They feel the aches and pain, but soon they’ll see the gain, and that makes it so worthwhile.

So be proud of your DOMS. Love your DOMS because it is your body telling you that the effort you are putting into your exercise is working.

Over to you: I’d love to hear your stories about how you have experienced change from your exercise. From really bad DOMS, to a visible tightening of the tummy muscles, please post a comment and share.