tuesday trainer – yoga

Hey, hey, hey!!  It’s Tuesday.  That means it’s not Monday anymore.  #praisethelord

Actually, my Monday wasn’t all that bad.  I got to catch up with a girlfriend over a long walk, drank Pumpkin Spice coffee, taught Step Aerobics and had Oz practice.  It was a long, but not overly full day.  Plus, I only said f*ck once while mic’d at rehearsal.  Lots of splainin’ to do to some Munchkin parents.

I never said I was perfect.

Just beautiful.

I digress.

Last week, we worked our upper bodies, doing an awesome Chest, Shoulder’s and Triceps regime!!  The lovely Mrs. Katie had this to say about it:

I really like her.

Why do I like it when people get sore??  Must be the trainer in me.  If you’re in need of a good upper body workout, go check this out!  Well, actually, we’ve now covered the whole body, so that Tuesday Trainer page should have something for all your weightlifting needs!

This week’s Tuesday Trainer theme is YOGA!!

After watching all of this week’s submissions, I realized something – I need to be doing more yoga!!  It really is a wonderful exercise that always makes me feel limber and more fluid afterwards.  Yoga is something my body CRAVES after a week of lifting or a long run!

The health benefits associated with performing yoga are vast!  According to HealthMad, an online health resource, the top reasons WHY we should do yoga are:

1. Increased Flexibility: Yoga helps to improve flexibility and mobility. Each yoga pose targets specific muscles while also keeping them warm and flexible, thus reduces the chances of injury. Yoga also helps to improve body alignment resulting in better posture. Back, neck, joint problems can be solved by doing Yoga properly.
2. Increased Strength and Stamina: Yoga postures use all the muscle in the body. This helps to increase strength of every muscle from head to toe. Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation of the organs benefits us by keeping away disease too.
3. Greater Body Awareness: Yoga requires you to contract or relax specific muscles as you stretch in to each pose, thereby increasing awareness of the body’s weaknesses and strengths.
4. Weight Control: Yoga is a very good medium to control and manage your weight. By doing yoga you can reduce carbohydrate level as well as burn excess calories. Most importantly, this can be done much less vigorously.
5. Stress Reduction: Yoga helps to soothe and control the mind and lower stress level. Yoga helps us to focus on the present; it increases the concentration and improves our memory.
6. Better Breathing: Yoga teaches you to take slow and deeper breaths, this helps lung function; increase the amount of oxygen available in the body. Yoga is a very good practice for those who suffer from Asthma or any kind of breathing trouble.
7. Increases Energy: Yoga exercises work to activate and balance your energy pathways, gives you the vitality and power you need to maximize your potential.
8. Better Circulation: Yoga poses are excellent for improving blood circulation to your legs, arms and the entire body. Yoga also helps in problems related to the brain. It increases the blood and oxygen flow to your brain thus making it function in a healthy manner along with the rest of your body.

Nice!  And I don’t think it’s an all or nothing thing.  I think that we should do as much yoga as we can fit into our workout schedules!  Aim for something that you can handle and even if you only have time to do a couple of poses a day (or every other day), you’ll still benefit greatly!!

Instead of creating a full yoga workout, I thought we’d just do more of a “video showcase” this week.  Mostly because I have no idea what I’m doing as far as yoga is concerned.

My trainer’s, however…they DO know what they’re doing!  I was pretty darn happy with how this week turned out.  I’ll be honest and say that I was freaking out a bit early Monday because I only had one video (thanks, Kirsten).  But my trainers pulled through, like always, and I was left speechless again by their abilities!

Take it away, girls…

The Moves

**Disclaimer – As with any exercise plan, you should consult a physician before performing any new moves.**

How to fold a yoga mat – Deb, smoothiegirleatstoo

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Tree Pose – Bonnie, lifetothefull

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Boat Pose – Kristin, STUFTmama

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Downward Dog Flip Thingymajig – Katie, yesiwantcake

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Chair Pose – Christin, christinjoyful

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Standing Head to Knee – Me

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Tree Pose – Lindsay, cottercrunch

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Triangle pose and Wide-legged forward bend – Kirsten, kcaptures

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Over and Unders – Paige, runningaroundnormal

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Dancer Pose – Allie, colourmehappy

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Camel Pose – Allie, colourmehappy

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Yoga Combo – Kristin, eathealthybehappylivewell

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Chair Pose with Twist (for digestion) – Kristin, eathealthybehappylivewell

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Awesome, right?!?!  Thanks, ladies!  Namaste.  Or something.

You readers want to join in on this fun next week?  Of course you do.  Come back Thursday when I’ll announce the theme for next week!  That is, if a Munchkin momma hasn’t threatened my life or dropped a house on my head.

OH!  And go enter my Erin Baker’s GIVEAWAY!!

splendid…lindsay