Why Yoga Part 3 of 4: Intense Workout
July 9, 2009 by dr. lam
I remember bringing a very fit friend of mine to yoga for the first time who is a self-proclaimed fitness fanatic. She said, “I hope this is real cardio.” I said, “Well, let’s see.” She finished the entire 1.5 hours (better than I did the first time) and said, “Wow, that was a workout.” Another friend that I brought (who is also intensely fit) declared, “This routine should be designed for only the military.” I brought another friend from Austin on Monday night who posted on her Facebook that she believes all other forms of yoga are for sissies after she tried the yoga I attend. Now, not all yoga is the same. I believe that some light stretching exercises can be good for some, but I crave intensity. I want it to tone my body, strengthen my muscles in ways that cardio and weights cannot accomplish, i.e., longer, leaner isometrically-toned body. I want a challenge for my cardio workout and also for testing me to advance in my poses.
The yoga that I attend is Suze Curtis’ Power Dynamic Yoga Plus (as if the word power was not enough she needed all the adjectives she could muster to differentiate this workout) in Addison, Texas. It is an hour and a half to 2 hours in 92 degree heated room. Trust me that this can be worse than Bikram because of the intensity of the constant flow of her movements and poses. It is intensely difficult. I love the challenge of trying to improve, a practice that I know will require years of effort to perfect.
Emina asked me if I was so fit why couldn’t I hold my poses so long, which after 4 months I am getting much better at it. I returned to her that if I took her to a spin class and had her go through 2 straight hours with me that it would not be easy for her. Our body gets used to certain prescribed movements and our heart gets lazy by focusing on the same redundant routines. What is great with yoga is that the routine constantly changes and there is such a huge room for advancing in your poses. I am at the bottom of the barrel for level 1 right now but love the idea that I can advance to level 2 someday and 3, etc. Given these constraints, I still believe very much that intense high-speed cardio (I do step and spin) are great ways to challenge your body in other ways like weights and swimming (both of which I do too). Whenever we get too comfortable in life, we should shake it up a bit. Yoga does that. Well, that is something I am concluding with as a subject tomorrow.
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12 Responses to “Why Yoga Part 3 of 4: Intense Workout”
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and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
FYI: based on michael’s request (and a good one), I have increased the font size to 14 point for easier readability. Also, I have added the share feature to facebook, etc. straight from the home page so you don’t have to click on to the blog to find those icons.
best,
sml
Hmmm, why do they heat the room? Just wondered…lol That’s cool that you can move up the latter to the next level in yoga. That is a good idea for extra motivators. Yes, I like the idea of switching exercise to keep the body challenged. I do weights three days a week, and cardio three…typically, and one day off. Great fitness advice, Dr. Lam!! You cover all grounds!…lol Love it! You are awesome!
Ladder* lol What’s with me today!..lol
the heat is there for several reasons. first, the muscles are totally warmed up and ready to go. also, like a sauna, you sweat profusely. when i do 3 hours on saturday morning with 30 minutes of weights, 30 minutes of spin, then 45 minutes of step, then 1 hour of spin, then 30 minutes of weights, i just have a half soaked shirt. in 30 minutes in yoga, my entire shirt, hair, face, legs, and shorts are thoroughly soaked. sorry to gross you out on that one. lol. third, it provides a cardiovascular challenge that a cool room just can’t deliver. heck, i’m a glutton for punishment!
Cool! I guess sweating is a good thing. That’s not gross…lol I’m soaked every time I exercise…lol Yeah, Dr. Lam, it sounds like you like to torture yourself! Whoa, you sure work out a lot in a row…lol
Hey, just looked at your beginning website thing with all the flowers. That is excellent!! I know I saw it before, but it is really really good! Wow!! You are the best plastic surgeon out there! Seriously!! I’m not biased.
I’m not!
Dr. Lam, do you know if it is possible to change our gravatars? I thought I changed mine, but somehow it didn’t. Just wondered…
thanks heather. when you first saw it i only had 12 branding messages. i have upped the ante to 25 now. wait until you see the ones that i have designed for the hair site. i hope they launch in a week or at most two. have worked hard on that for the past 2 weeks.
as far as the gravatar, i have no earthly idea. it is a miracle i even have one. i guess you are stuck with garfield! lol.
suze curtis, the owner of the yoga place i go to, posted this on facebook:
Suze Curtis at 9:28pm July 9
Hey Sam! I finally got a chance to read your YOGA BLOGS ~~
Very, very cool — wonderful insight, introspection, peppered with dry wit & humor
I’ve said it before – the reason you are a successful person is that you make a decision, you stick with it, you know it’ll be a process, and…. you KNOW (positive) results come from that ~~ I’ll post a LINK to your BLOG in my next Newsletter 
LOL Dr. Lam! Wow, I can’t wait to see your designs for your hair site!! Wow, that is a great comment from Suze!!! And SO true!!!!
i took a slightly related but different tack with the hair site plus pushed the site up to speed to the face site. that is going to take an entire month of work. GN,sml
Well, I know that your hair site will be really great too, Dr. Lam! Can’t wait to see it!
Hey, it looks like I am really stuck with Garfield…lol
that is funny.