does anyone do primarily yoga?

R

rgi

Cathlete
Just curious, and looking for suggestions.

For the past two weeks I've done a circuit workout on Monday and then the rest of the week has been yoga alternated with running. The change has been wonderful, and I'm actually feeling way more relaxed, sleeping better, not yelling at my kids so much, etc.
I truly love Cathe, but there's a part of me that's starting to feel that there must be an easier way to stay fit!
 
Oh I am soooo with you! Some weeks I do this as well. Sometimes for weeks at a time. In fact - ready to be jealous? - I have a day long retreat Saurday with Baron Baptiste in NYC. Not a dumbbell in sight (just me with my dumbbell grin after corpse pose).

I always come back stronger from these jaunts. My experience. Enjoy!!

Julie


Fit Over 40
 
Julie -

What's the longest you've gone with a yoga focus?

I have to admit, Cathe's new batch of workouts led me to this point. I just wasn't "in the mood" to work that hard...not yet, at least!

And I'm very jealous of your Baron retreat. I once saw a PBS program with him and a retreat in Hawaii. It looked spectacular!!!
 
When I was trying to get pregnant and going through some infertility procedures, I did only power yoga. I did this for a year and had excellent results. I did one 45 minute session in the morning and one in the evening. I was lean and in excellent shape. I had always run and did step and everything else. I gave it up all for a year. I think about going back to it just to give my body a break for a while. I definitley found that I was not nearly as manic as I am when I do the hardcore workouts. Something to think about...

Susan
 
I feel like I could have written this post myself. I have only done the new series once. I'm really sick of lifting and sometimes I feel like i'm just beating my body into the ground and there is a gentler way of doing things. I've been doing some circuit training with lighter weights but also have been incorporating more power yoga. I want a long lean look. I feel like i've packed on too much muscle for my likeing over the years anyway. I would love to know if others have tried the yoga route as well.
 
One summer I did yoga classes three time a week, alternating that with hiking and jogging workouts. I remember that my arms and sholders became very sleek and defined, and even now looking back at pics from that summer, I can see the definition. I do remember that afterwards, in the fall, when I started lifting, my legs really toned up. So the non-weighted resistance did wonders for my upper body, but was less than stellar for my lower body. I was still trim and in good shape, but weighted workouts really gave my behind a lift that yoga did not.

I like the idea of including a circuit workout once a week, though. This approach sounds really nice to me, and I've been considering something similar since my sister and I decided to start training for a half-marathon together. Running is kind of hard on my body, and I thought that emphasizing something a little gentler/ more restorative than hard-core weights (such as yoga) might be a nice complement.
 
Ohhhhh----I've been feeling the same way lately. I've been lifting heavy (for me) since my mid twenties. Although when I went to acupuncture school, I only lifted moderately twice a week, and did Kundalini yoga almost daily. Then after I graduated, went back to lifting heavy with Cathe again. Now in my forties, I'm feeling depleted. Today I did gymstyles Chest and Tris and in the midst of lifting heavy Chest, I thought to myself, this is torture, this is so hard on my body and my joints.

I already started to add more Power Yoga sessions to my regimen, but I'm afraid of losing muscle tone. I've worked hard for muscle, yet I'm tired of working so hard all the time.

I'm thinking of just doing 2 circuits or full bodies and maybe 1 day of heavy legs a week and alternate with power yoga sessions 2 or 3 times a week and doing shorter power yoga or gentle yoga in the morning to wake me up (maybe 1/2 hour's worth)

Chaz from Yoga zone (free video podcast) - there is a new 20 minute video yoga podcast session every week - Well anyway, he says that he chose yoga as his main form of exercise because with yoga, he can only get better and better at it as he grows older. With other forms of sports or exercise, you reach peak performance (at a certain age) and then as you grow older, you can no longer work at that intensity level. So, I'm really thinking about it.

Maybe, once in a while, I will do heavy weighted work outs, just to switch things up, and just for the fun of it.

But I think I'm going to try to be a little more gentle on my body. I'll still throw in some step, or kick boxing during the week, for cardio's sake (I like at least two sessions a week).

I've also added some Qigong in the morning for an extra energy boost before I do my yoga to prepare me for my work day.
 
How funny! This is what I'm doing at the moment. I just did the GS rotation which I really enjoyed and wanted to do something different for a few weeks. I'm doing circuits alternating with pilates and yoga and so far I've really liked it. I'll probably stick in a leg workout to balance things out. I'll do this for a few weeks and then go back to heavier weights again (I've got Amy Bento's Slo Mo on order).

I think it's good to just vary things and try different stuff.
 
I am planning on starting my 2nd round of P90X in the beginning of December and was lifting heavy with 4DS up until a week ago. This past week I've only done the following work outs:

R: 30 min run
F: 25 mins power yoga
S: Cardio X
S: 30 min run
M: 45 mins power yoga + abs
T: 30 mins of Plyo X
W: Core Synergistics
R: 40 min run

As you can see there is no heavy lifting in there at all. It feels good to get the break. I am considering taking the rest of this month "off" from lifting and just using work outs like Core Syn and BBC full body where you are not required to use any weights at all to maintain my muscle tone until I begin the X. I was going to do endurance work outs but I don't even think I want to do that. I think I just want my weights to "collect dust" for a few weeks! LOL
I too am afraid but am thinking the body weight training will help.

I LOVE weight training but I'm just so very tired.....:-(
 
Well, you know, it's kind of cool to hear that others are doing less intense workouts. Maybe we could start a check-in or something. I'm doing either very light work or none at all on doctor's orders. So I'd be interested to see the different types of schedules you all follow, and maybe steal some ideas!!!
 
To get ready for my half marathon, I stopped lifting and did only running and yoga. I tried to do yoga daily. It did wonders for me. I was more relaxed and happier, and more able to focus. I did that for about six weeks, ran my half and then got the new series, so now I'm heavy lifting (alternating the new series with S&H). I'm enjoying lifting again, and my body is really liking the shake-up. But oddly, I'm doing less yoga, but I'm still more relaxed.

Seriously, if you need a break from lifting, take one. Plan a rotation of pure yoga for a few weeks to see how you like it, and to see how you feel. After six weeks of yoga, I had a good case of DOMS after Leaner Legs (the plie squats especially! - no abductor work in running), but I had no trouble lifting upper body what I did before. I'm even heavier on legs now. It comes back very quickly.
 
A friend of mine has been doing Yoga for 10 years. She recommended Raquel Welch's book: " The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program", I got a used copy at amazon.com for around $6 shipped. Raquel looks great in her book, fit and healthy. Instructions are very well written and there are pictues for every pose. Raquel is very encouraging and inspiring in her book. It is worth it to have it if you are willing to do her routine.

My friend follows Raquel's book yoga routine, she does it everyday for about 1 hour, and does the shorter routine for 30 min if she doesn't have time to do the whole workout. My friend is 32 y/o, has four kids and looks great. from what I could see, her arms, back and tummy are toned. She also has very good posture.
HTH
Sarah
 
>To get ready for my half marathon, I stopped lifting and did
>only running and yoga.

When I was training for my marathon, I took hour-long Yoga classes twice a week. I credit the Yoga with getting me through training and the marathon injury-free. After the marathon was over, I stopped doing Yoga regularly, and now I'm paying for it (piriformis syndrome/sciatica). I definitely think Yoga keeps me balanced by strengthening and stretching muscles that I are not used as much in other activities I do. :)

Now I'm doing Cathe's new series, but incorporating Yoga once or twice a week to center myself. I really enjoy the variety.
 
yoga will compliment any form of training.......of course there ore TONS of different practice options, but its fairly easy to figure out what works for you and your body...

I have completely revised my planned rotation for November after doing Cathe's new series. I realized I needed to plan for yoga at least twice a week to get a good stretch and let my muscles relax and body de-stress....I will post my results at the end of the month.

But yoga is fantastic for balancing any rotation and believe it or not if you can handle your own body weight well you are probably in far better shape then someone who can bench press 80 pounds but cannot do 15 pushups, downward dogs, cobras, warriers, ect......

my new rotations looks like this..

Monday: HIC/Chest.Back
Tuesday: LIC/Shoulders
Wednesday: Yoga
Thursday: Bootcamp/Tris.Bis
Friday: Kickbox/Legs
Saturday: yoga
Sunday: freebie

My personal favorite yoga selections:

Brian Kest Power Yoga Dvd Set of Three ( energize, tone, sweat )
Rodney Yee (Burn and Power Yoga)
 
I am loving reading all this info. At one point I went years with no weight training, just run/yoga/kickbox and although I will say I was less defined in the arms, I was lean and pretty darn happy to boot. I am lucky now to have a personal trainer provided by my job, we have our own work out room - don't hate me!! :) All I ever ask him is, "how do you fit it all in - cardio, weights, yoga?" He says you don't, do what you can, what the body says. Luckily his girlfriend is a major Jivamutki yoga practitioner (the Sting yoga, very tough) so he says more and more do the yoga girl. In fact, he considers it a full body workout. Do we love him or what?

I am going to have a yoga/run week in FLA week of Thanksgiving, and now I have decided to do the same week after Christmas. You have all convinced me. One week a month. This heavy weight thing has me whipped. At 44 years old as of the 25th of this month, could it be I am at last giving up the no pain no gain ghost and really taking care of myself????

Namaste! I will report back on the Baptiste retreat after Saturday

Julie

Fit Over 40
 
Thanks, everyone, for all the feedback. I've really enjoyed reading all the responses and it's good to know that I'm not the only one feeling this way! I'm going to stick with this, for now, and when I feel like I'm missing my weight work, I'll start back up again. I'm thinking I'll try to do:

Day 1: Cardio, (Cardio Coach on the treadmill)
Day 2: Yoga/pilates
Day 3: Circuit/total body weights
Day 4: Yoga/pilates
Day 5: Cardio

That'll leave my weekend open for whatever, and also doesn't have me freaking out when I'm not getting in my six days a week! I thought today that I'd give this a try until the end of the year and then start the New Year fresh with Cathe's 4DS. At least I'll have plenty of time to preview all the workouts and get down the new moves.
 
The results of your experiments with scaling back on weight training and hard core cardio sound interesting.

The only thing I would say is: don't give up on heavy wights and weight-bearing exercise completely. Your bones will thank you, especially as you get older.

Clare
 
Hi all,

I herniated 2 discs last winter and have been doing yoga regularly, meaning 5-7 days per week, since February. Without the yoga, I am sure I would have had to have surgery. I still strength train and do cardio 3-4 times per week, but I honestly think that the yoga is responsible for changes in my body that I never saw before and I have been working out for over 20 years. I'm calmer, I have more definition than ever before, I'm more flexible, and I just overall feel better about everything. I commented recently that if I had to only choose one workout activity that I would be able to do for the rest of my life it would be yoga.

Dh does complain that I sometimes workout 2 hours per day, but I do not consider the yoga a workout. Other people read books, spend time on the computer sew, knit, etc., I just choose to do yoga.

Tracy
 
I don't do yoga as my main form of exercise, but while I've been unemployed over the last year, I've done yoga daily along with other workouts. I love yoga. Anyone who wants to join a check in, please feel free to join us over at "Trying To Fit Yoga In" which is a daily thread. We only have about 4 regular forum members participating right now and one of them does a lot of Pilates also. I'd love for anyone here to fee free to join! I have tons of yoga vids and I'm constantly doing something different from Eion Finn to Ravi & Ana's Kundalini to Shiva, etc and I'm always buying new stuff.........so we usually have lots to discuss over there.
 
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