Hot Yoga?

Good morning :)

Right, so over the last number of years, I have developed a love for Hot Yoga. I have always loved Yoga and Pilates (which is what I first trained in, when I entered the fitness world), but doing them in heat is even better!

One of my goals (I write them down, it's always a good idea to put your goals on paper) was to actually own a hot yoga studio and this week, it opened! So they have started in our gym "The Gym Howth". www.facebook.com/hotyogahowth 

Why Hot Classes?

Well, firstly because they are just plain AMAZING!! They are amazing for your mind, your body and of course for fat loss! One of the main reasons I was attracted to hot classes in the first place was... because it was something different! It doesn't interfere with strength training, actually it'll enhance your weight training because hot classes are fantastic for increasing flexibility and mobility. Flexibility and suppleness helps ALL types of fitness and sport training.

If you love the heat, then you'll love hot yoga. It is challenging - but who doesn't love a challenge! These classes are hard, but you feel such a sense of accomplishment when it's over and as the weeks go on, you'll be impressed with how much you've improved.

Ps. Jen loves Yoga...We love Jen...

I mentioned fat loss... yes, it is superb for burning fat and losing weight. Why? Because your body temperature rises, increasing your metabolism which in turn helps you burn more fat. And eh, not to mention, you sweat like crazy (but everyone else in the room does too, so it's nothing to be ashamed of).



What is the difference between our studio and other one's?

The heaters. When I started researching hot studios I discovered something very important. The heaters. A lot (not all) of hot yoga/pilates studios in Ireland have blow heaters. The problem with blow heaters is that, it leaves the room patchy. This means that you could be somewhere in the room and you could be cooking with the heat and you could be somewhere else and you would be lukewarm.

We invested in inferred heaters (from Denmark). These are panels that are on the ceiling. They heat up and project the heat onto the floor which means that everywhere in the room is a certain temperature. No patchy-ness.

What I noticed was, that you are roasting, but you are just hot, you can't feel where the heat is coming from in comparasin to blow heaters where you can actually feel the hot air coming towards you!


Other things to know about Hot Yoga
Bring water. This is key. You need to stay hydrated. Also bring a big towel that you can lie out on your mat and bring a sweat towel (no explanation needed for this). You get all the mental and physical benefits from regular Yoga in Hot Yoga. So prepare for 60minutes of pure calmness.

www.facebook.com/hotyogahowth 


Namaste 

Pretty Pilates

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a pretty much full on abs session. Pilates is a mat based class that focuses on your core muscles - your abdominals.

3 Factors for Pilates Success

There are three REALLY important factors to Pilates;
1. Breathing
2. Core Contraction
3. Neutral Spine

1. Breathing is vital... thats a general statement. But it is vital for training Pilates properly. You need to slow your breathing down and visualise your breathing cycle.

Breath in (through your mouth) - 4 counts in
Breath out (through your mouth) - 4 counts out

Try this:
Slow your breathing down and start breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Four counts in, four counts out. Now imagine when you breath in that all the oxygen goes in through your nose, travels right down into the base of your lungs and your inhalation allows your rib cage to expand. When you exhale, slowly, allow all of the carbon dioxide to leave your body through your mouth, allowing your rib cage to knit back together. The technical term for this is:  breathing lateral thoracic.

2. To an onlooker, pilates can look really really easy, but if you're practicing it properly, then it can be quite challenging. There are two steps to engaging your core fully.
          Step One:
          Pull your belly button into your spine.
       
          Step Two:
          Pull your pelvic floor up an inch, so that you can hold onto it.

The result should be a tight feeling in your abs. If you're breathing properly you should be perfectly able to engage you core, perform the movements and breath all at once.

3. Finding you Neutral Spine is the final piece of the pie for Pilates. Neutral Spine is where you have a tiny gap under your lower back (where you could fit your finger tips under your lower back). It is vital to be performing exercises with proper posture, so being aware of your N Spine is very important.

Try this:
Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor, shoulder width apart. Check your head is on the floor, chin is into your chest, shoulders are shrugged back and flat on the floor, your abs are engaged and you're breathing properly.

     Breath in = prepare
     Breath out = push your lower back flat on the floor
     Breath in = release, arching your lower back  
     Breath out = push your lower back flat on the floor
     Repeat

N Spine is half way in between those points, where you could fit your finger tips under, it's as if you're standing tall with good posture.

These three factors are a great way to train yourself to exercise properly. I think that everyone should do Pilates, it teaches you the basics of how to create posture, breathing and core contraction to improve whatever training regime you like.


Whats the difference between yoga & pilates?

We love Yoga too :)

Ps: Home Workouts Coming Soon...