Article # 537. Cardio Yoga Poses

Cardio Yoga

Vinyasa flow is specifically designed to build heat and keep your heart rate up with a series of demanding standing poses, twists, and inversions held for long periods. I've burned up to 400 calories during a 90-minute class! And the breathing technique used in yoga—inhaling and exhaling fluidly and calmly through the nose—can improve your cardiovascular health. Try this routine three to six times a week: Warm up with Sun Salutation, then do each of the other four poses, separating each one with a flow sequence consisting of Plank, Chaturanga, Upward-Facing Dog, and Downward-Facing Dog. So do Warrior II, the sequence, Warrior III, the sequence, and so on.

1. Sun Salutation
Stand in Mountain pose with your back straight, legs and feet together, and arms to your sides (A). Inhale as you raise your arms straight up overhead and bring your palms together (B). Exhale as you extend from your hips to fold your torso forward and move your hands down to the floor (C). Inhale, keep your hands down, but raise your head and chest slightly and gaze forward (D). Exhale, and step back into Plank pose with your arms and legs straight, your hands on the floor beneath your shoulders, your core engaged, and your back straight (E). Bend your elbows and lower toward the floor into a pushup position, keeping your elbows tucked close to your body (F). Inhale as you roll over your toes and, using your arms, press away from the floor and lift your chest into Upward-Facing Dog (G). Exhale as you roll your toes back over and lift and press your hips back into Downward-Facing Dog (H). Take five breaths in Downward-Facing Dog. Inhale and gaze forward as you lengthen back into your legs and bend your knees. Exhale as you step or jump your feet forward to meet your hands. Inhale as you extend your gaze and chest (I). Exhale as you fold forward over your legs (J). Inhale as you extend your arms wide to the sides, lift your chest, come all the way up to standing, and press your palms overhead. Exhale as you release your arms and return to Mountain pose. Repeat two to five times.