My Favourite Way to Workout

I have tried a lot of different workout and fitness routines over the years.  I’ve done:

• Running clinics (turns out I actually hate running)
• Bootcamps (back when “sweating for the wedding” was a thing)
• Printed random workouts from Pinterest (no clue I had to repeat the set more than once.  Oops)
• Bought fitness routines created by my favourite Insta-famous ladies (still paying for that app, tho)

Some of these I have absolutely loved and some I have vowed to never do again.

In 2013 I took a yoga class for the very first time (see my post about it here) and I was instantly hooked.  It has become my absolute favourite way to get my sweat on.  Hear me out:

I absolutely love #fitspo.  I love searching on Instgram for super fit women, women who are killing it at the gym or with home workouts.  I get so much confidence and motivation from them.  Because of them, I’m able to get to the gym and do my workout while feeling so good about myself.  But we all have a favourite way to workout.  Some people absolutely love running; they’ll be on that treadmill or outside running a ridiculous amount of kilometers a week.  You’ve got people who swear by free weights and bands.  But for me, what I keep coming back to over and over again is yoga.  It is 100% without a doubt my absolute favourite way to workout, and when I say workout I do mean Work. Out!  I’m talking breaking a sweat, tearing down muscle fibers and building them back up.

I always find it funny when I hear people say that on their “rest day” they usually just do some yoga.  Yoga definitely elongates your muscles and allows for deeper stretches, it can activate your parasympathetic nervous system (aka the “rest and digest” system, but more on this in a later post) and bring you a sense of calmness.  Hatha, restorative and Yin yoga all allow for a slower-paced class with a focus on deeper stretches, but a power or Vinyasa-style class is the exact opposite, and those classes are my jam!

• They are super fast-paced; sometimes I struggle to keep up.
• Your heart rate goes up, like way up.  I’m pretty much always winded.
• They are challenging; the poses are intense and deep and you have to hold them… for what seems like forever.  Your body shakes as you try to put mind over matter.
• And then there’s the energy running through your body: it’s electric!  From the tips of your fingers to your toes, there’s so much at work going on inside you, but on the outside there’s a calmness.
• And if it happens to be heated, well then welcome to the sweat show

If you’ve never tried a power or vinyasa-style yoga class I suggest you try it at least once and you will find out what you’re missing 🙂