Power Yoga - Perfect for Athletes

Some people who have tried yoga and are used to aerobic workouts find yoga to be too slow. This is why Power Yoga is getting to be so popular. Power yoga is based on Vinyasa Yoga, but is stripped down to fewer poses and performed more quickly. Power yoga is a style that appeals to many that are already fit and want to get a "workout" when going to the gym.

ower yoga originated in the United States in the 1990's and its birth is often credited to Beryl Bender Birch and Bryan Kest who were both studied yoga with Ashtanga master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. They named this yoga "Power Yoga" to differ itself from the slow moving styles that most people think of when they think about yoga. Since then this style of yoga has taken off in North America and many people prefer it to more traditional styles of yoga.

Benefits of Power Yoga

Power yoga works out your entire body building strength and toning while also improving your flexibility. Many athletes have started to include it in their training because it is such a great way to improve your performance in sports. Some of the benefits include:

1. Increase in metabolism
2. Increase in the amount of calories burned compared to other yoga styles
3. Strengthens your entire body, improves flexibility and increases stamina
4. Relieves stress, tension and improves your ability to focus
5. Uses muscles you don't use often in other exercise routines
6. It is a great way to flush out toxins in your body
7. Excellent way to improve performance in sports

Cardio exercise is obviously an excellent way to burn calories and one hour of cardio burns a lot more than doing one hour of yoga. However, yoga is better at building lean muscles while also working out your core. Lean muscles increase your metabolism and in turn, burn calories quicker. This is why, if you are looking to lose weight, it is a great option. Even better, pair cardio and running together in your workout schedule and you will see some amazing results. If cardio is done too often, you can actually lose muscle mass. This is why including other types or workouts in your routine is very beneficial.

Power yoga also helps you get in touch with your whole body. Even though it is at a faster pace, you are still encouraged to connect with your body, mind and spirit while doing this style of yoga. I highly encourage you to give it a try if you are an athlete or love to do cardio exercise.