Go BOTTOMS UP to Ramp it Up!

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of year and nowadays close to 11 million Americans are practicing on a regular basis! 

We all know that Yoga improves flexibility, but yoga also improves strength and posture. The breathing techniques involved in yoga has also shown to improve lung capacity which in turn improves athletic performance! 

In other words....Yoga ROCKS!

I have decided to add power yoga into my regular routine this training season. I want to go into Ironman training lean and strong! 

So I hit up my friend, Kelli, over at Sweat, Cycle, & Soul, to take her Friday morning Power Yoga class! 

We immediately began playing with balance poses. These poses not only required balance but also a lot of upper body strength!

We have begun to work in some inverted poses. I am L-O-V-I-N-G it!!

Thanks Kelli for taking these action shots during class!

So WHY do upside down??

Inverted poses benefit the cardiovascular, lymphatic, endocrine, and nervous systems!! Flipping upside   down brings fresh blood to your heart which improves circulation, fresh blood to your brain which lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Turning yourself upside down stimulates your lymphatic system which in turn strengthens your immune system. Inversions, especially shoulder stands, are actually recommended for perimenopausal and menopausal women because it is believed to stimulate the thyroid gland which regulates metabolism. 

Now that's alot of BANG for the BUCK!!

 For more info just click HERE

Probably the single most important benefit of yoga:

IT'S FUN!!

But don't take my word for it....

My little man Wes.....ROCKIN' a side plank!