Try PiYo to Get in Shape

It’s the new year and time to try out fresh ways to live a better life. If you’re bored with your current workout where you endlessly walk on a treadmill to nowhere or hoist the same weights the same way every day, then PiYo might be a fun change of pace.

Never heard of PiYo? Most people haven’t. But chances are, you’ve heard of Pilates and yoga. Now the word PiYo – pronounced pie-yo – probably makes a little more sense. PiYo combines the mind and body practices of yoga and Pilates, as well as stretch, strength training and conditioning.

Pilates, which has its roots in gymnastics, focuses more on the body’s core muscles – legs, abdominals, arms, hips and back. Although yoga does build muscle and flexibility, it is serene and introspective. But if you’re like some, you may not enjoy the traditionally gentle tempo of yoga. If you’re looking for more action and activity in a workout, then this fusion of Pilates and yoga has it.

Each ‘lesson’ – as sessions are called in PiYo – integrates strength, flexibility and balance training. Certified instructors follow choreographed routines, including the music selections. And one of the best parts, that choreographed workout constantly changes, along with the upbeat contemporary music that accompanies each lesson.

As a hybrid activity, one second you’ll be doing a specific yoga pose, then morph into a Pilates pose, then do a few 3-point pushups and then on to more poses – in a non-stop fluid motion for an entire hour. If you’re having trouble visualizing it, think back to the yesteryear game of Twister, but on a yoga mat – all to exhilarating music.

So, if you’re searching for a fun way to burn calories, tone muscles and work out your entire body, look for a PiYo class at a fitness center in your area.

Sources

http://www.sideofsneakers.com/2010/08/23/piyo/

http://fitnessista.com/2011/06/focus-on-piyo/

Midlife Exercising Builds a Stronger You

Your knees may creak and your back may ache, but you still want to exercise. You know it’s good for your health, but your body just doesn’t respond the way it used to.

But exercising after you hit the big 5-0 is even more important than you might think. Regular exercise boosts your energy and can even reverse some signs of aging. It’s good for your mood, mind and memory.

Regular exercise also helps reduce heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure and obesity. For those over 50, it also increases mobility, flexibility and balance.

With regular exercise benefitting basically every aspect of your health, there are special considerations if you can claim you’re a member of the baby boom generation. All you need to do is opt out of the extremes and exercise in a smarter way. And have fun doing it.

Here are 10 forms of exercise perfect for those who were born before the Beatles came to the USA.

Yoga – Yoga increases flexibility, balance, strength and mindfulness. With its postures and poses ranging from gentle to intense, you have better control over your workout. To get a more in-depth look, read our previous article featuring yoga.

Stretching – While stretching is important before any exercise, it’s a valuable activity on its own. Stretching can help relieve back pain, while boosting energy, and promoting flexibility and overall health.

Biking – Whether you’re taking in a scenic view outdoors or riding a stationery bike, biking is an all-around beneficial workout. Biking is a great low-impact cardiovascular exercise that also helps maintain muscle mass and bone strength.

Walking – Just going for a simple walk has a load of benefits. It elevates mood and builds a stronger heart. Simple ways to walk more – park farther away from your destination or stroll around the mall. For more reasons why walking is good, read our recent article featuring walking.

Pilates – This is another great low-impact, strength-building exercise that’s perfect for those in their middle years. Although similar to yoga, pilates focuses on the core muscles of the abdomen and lower back. Here’s a link to our recent article about the benefits of pilates.

Tennis – The all-around classic sport is not only fun, it’s great for your body and your mind. It helps keep you agile and alert while you quickly respond to the position of the tennis ball. It’s enjoyable to play indoors or out, on teams or with a friend.

Swimming – Swimming boasts countless benefits – from being low impact, to boosting your mood, to offering a great cardio workout. Water’s natural buoyancy allows you to target every major muscle group – back, shoulders, abdominals, legs, hips and glutes. Discover more benefits of swimming by reading our recent article.

Dance – Hard to believe that something so fun can actually be considered a workout. No matter if you like country or disco, salsa or hip hop, dancing is an enjoyable exercise that offers great aerobic benefits, along with elevating your mood.

Elliptical – Although it’s similar to running, an elliptical machine is a wonderful cross-training exercise that’s much lower impact than a treadmill. Most gyms have rows of them or consider investing in your own to use at home.

Strength Training – This is one of the most versatile ways to stay in shape. You can either use small free weights or barbells to perform a variety of lifts. Plus, small weights that can either be held or worn during any of these other activities helps build even stronger muscles.

No matter what you like doing to stay in shape, remember that any type of low-impact exercise that you enjoy will keep you staying healthy and happy for many years to come.

Source

http://www.helpguide.org/life/senior_fitness_sports.htm

Working Out With Pilates

Originally called ‘contrology’ by German founder Joseph Pilates, this so-called ‘trendy’ exercise of twisting and balancing has actually been around for nearly 100 years. To stay in shape, Pilates had modified his gymnastics training to a small mat while held in an interment camp in England during WWI.

His unfortunate time of detainment turned into a positive as he helped others there maintain their strength and positive attitude. His methods inspired people to stay in shape then, and nearly a century later, they still do.

Pilates is a little bit like yoga, but concentrates more on building your core muscles – abdomen, obliques, lower back, ‘glutes’ and thighs. Besides building strength, Pilates also helps develop flexibility, endurance, coordination and balance.

Sounds like it’s an all around awesome exercise. In fact, it is.

One of the greatest things about Pilates – each move engages your entire body. And each move has a dual purpose, as well. While strengthening one muscle, you are always stretching an opposing one.

And with its many levels, once you think you’ve mastered a particular Pilates move, there’s always a more difficult way to do it. So you never get bored.

Here are 5 benefits of doing Pilates:

Long & lean muscles – You don’t have to hoist heavy weights and bulk up to be strong. Pilates moves actually accentuate the length of your muscles, making bulky biceps look long and lean.

Better posture – With Pilates, you can bet your posture will improve. Centering on muscles that build a strong core, you will look more statuesque when you stand and even sit.

Stronger back – By strengthening abdominals and glutes, you’ll also be building a stronger back. Besides strength, you’ll also be stretching tight back muscles and learning to properly align your spine – alleviating back pain.

Awesome abs – Pilates is a wonderful way to have a flatter stomach. With the basic concept of pulling your navel to your spine, your abs will be tighter when standing and walking.

Flexibility – With a combination of stretching and strengthening your muscles, Pilates helps increase your range of motion and flexibility. By learning how to carefully stretch and build muscles, you will discover your movements are more controlled and fluid.

One of the most important things to remember about Pilates is that in any class there are people of all levels. You never have to feel intimidated that as a beginner or novice, others in the class will stare at you and wonder why you’re there.

Pilates is not a competition to see who can perform the best. It’s about working at your own pace and getting your own best personal results. Look into where you can take a Pilates class and book one as a New Year’s resolution. Your body will thank you.

Sources

http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesmat/ss/Plank.htm

http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesexercises/tp/First-10-Classic-Exercises.htm