Cardio Yoga

This week’s focus is incorporating a brief innovative yoga-inspired, cardio flow into your busy life. This sequence will utilize strength, mobility, flexibility, with a dash of spicy cardio.

Click here or on the video below to view one side of this week’s exercises. Remember, this video only features ONE side of the flow sequence, be sure to mirror the poses and cardio on both sides.

Total time: Approximately, 4:30-5:00 minutes of work with a 5 breath active recovery after completing one round of the flow on both the right and left sides. Your active recovery should be in downward facing dog* or you may amp this up by holding your plank.

*To find your downward facing dog, just pike your hips towards the sky from your plank pose and sink into your heels (don’t worry if your heels aren’t flat on the ground).

Repeat for 3 complete rounds.

Downward facing dog, active recovery

Flow

Start in a low lunge, with your front knee at a 90-degree angle and your hands framing your foot. Straighten the front leg 3-5x by lifting your hips towards the sky and pressing back into the heel of your back foot.

Then, walk both of your hands to the inside arch of your front leg so that they are parallel to your body. Inching the hands further away from the body will intensify this stretch so flirt with the intensity, but ultimately listen to your body. If you move the hands further away from your body ensure you are preserving the integrity of the pose—knee in line with the first two toes, 90-degree bend.

The hand closest to the arch extends up towards the sky as you lengthen. Keeping the bend in the front knee and back leg straight, lower the elbow to the inside of the arch, squaring the forearm so it’s parallel to your body. A yoga block is a great modification here as you work to achieve the flexibility and mobility to lower the elbow and forearm completely down to the earth. Pause here for a 3 count before extending your arm back up towards the sky for 3-5 cycles.

After your last cycle, frame the front foot and drop the back heel down to the earth, hips square forward and reach both arms up over head, continue pressing down through the outer edge of the back foot and lifting through the arms. Shoulders away from the ears and lower ribcage pulls back, navel drives into the spine, as your front belly gently tones. Pause here for a 3 count, then lower the hands the inside arch of the front foot and jump and switch your feet energetically for 6-8 cycles. Land softly and try your best to get each foot as close to your hand as possible.

Pause in your plank pose, then switch the front foot and repeat the flow on the other side.

After you have completed the sequence on both sides, arrive back in plank and recover actively in a downward facing dog or hold your plank for 5 breaths.

Repeat the entire flow 3x.