Written By Heather Callahan, Associate Director of Fitness and Programming
Over the last few years, the handstand has become the quintessential pose for aspiring and active yoga practitioners. There are a few reasons for this shift – a primary reason is because of the rise in social media, many are seeing these advanced postures and admiring the strength, flexibility, and balance it takes to achieve them more often than they were seeing them in Yoga Journal magazine on the shelves in Barnes and Noble.
In my approaching decade of teaching yoga, I have had a love/hate relationship with this pose. It is a battle of fear and ego, of holding and letting go, of mental and physical harmony. The ability to do this pose correctly is entirely dependent upon your mental state and level of preparedness.
There are quite a few physical benefits to practicing handstand including:

Reverse the blood flow in the body and improve circulation:
Increase immunity and prevent illness
Improve balance
Increase core strength
Literally give us a new perspective on life

Now what are the tools you need in order to get started?
Have an established yoga practice with good body mechanics
The reason I suggest having an established yoga practice is that it creates good kinesthetic awareness – i.e., your ability to know where your body is in space at any given time.
Yoga helps establish that balance. … Read More

Written by Lindsey Johnson, Marketing Employee
It’s important to stay active; we all know that. But what happens when you’re busy and don’t have time to work out? If school or work is keeping you from staying active, here are some tips on how to fit exercise into your routine—no matter how busy you are.
Take the stairs
Instead of taking the elevator up to work, walk up the stairs. Walking, or running, up stairs is one of the best exercises that you can do to build muscle mass while also burning off the calories of that morning doughnut. Not to mention, more often than not, taking the stairs is actually faster than taking the elevator.

Wake up earlier
We know that this isn’t what you want to hear, especially when you’re not a morning person. However, it’s true that you get the most benefits from working out in the morning than any other time of the day. The most prominent benefits from working out in the morning are: it enhances your metabolism, it will help cultivate consistency, it improves your physical and mental energy, and it helps develop strong self-discipline.

Make it fun
If workouts always feel like a chore, you are not going to want to make time … Read More

Written by Hannah Gwaltney, Marketing Intern
The purpose of the physical practice of yoga is to build strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body [1]. When implementing yoga into your daily routine, you will see the harmony created both physical and mental health benefits. Listed below are some of the most important benefits of practicing yoga.
Physical Benefits

Flexibility
First and foremost, yoga is known to increase flexibility through the practice of different poses. In the beginning phases, you may have difficulty holding poses or touching their toes. However, after steady practice and determination, the poses that were once impossible become possible!

Muscle Strength and Tone
You will see a huge difference in the definition and tone of their muscles through yoga. Plus, it prevents bad health conditions or injuries.

Circulatory Health
Yoga gets blood flowing throughout the entire body. The relaxation ironically speeds up the circulation in your body, allowing blood to flow throughout the entire body, even to your hands and feet [2]. Different poses correlate to stronger circulation in specific areas. For example, inverted poses help blood flow from the legs and pelvis to the heart. T

Increase Heart Rate
Although yoga may seem as a low-heart rate, relaxing exercise, it is actually proven to regulate … Read More

Torrin Nelson- Marketing Manager
Whether you want to become a certified personal trainer or if you want to hire a personal trainer for yourself, there are so many benefits to consider. Personal Training makes a huge impact on the trainer and the client, and great relationships can be made. If you are considering training, here are some of the benefits that might sway you.

You receive a personal coach.The trainer is there to help you achieve your goals and cheer you along on the way. They will be supportive, helpful, and encouraging, which is something you might not benefit from by working out on your own.
You will achieve better and faster results.Your personal trainer will be able to assess your goals and body type and help you choose the workouts that are the most efficient. Your trainer will help you figure it all out, and you won’t feel alone on your fitness endeavor.
You will receive a personal workout specific to your goals.Your trainer will help you lose fat in the right areas and gain muscle in the right areas, leading you in the best direction to receive your desired results.
You will have reduced chance of injury.Let’s face it. Sometimes it is challenging to know how to … Read More

Alivia Chenoweth- Marketing Employee
This Saturday, we will be having our first ever 2.5 hour Cycling and Yoga Workshop! Instructor Morgan Staub will be leading this workshop, incorporating a full Cycling and Yoga Class. Normally, one would not pair these two activities together as one is fully aerobic and the other is more focused on muscular activity. However, there are many benefits to actively participating in both and here’s why this workshop is extremely beneficial for your body.

Yoga helps you create a body that is pain free
Cycling is about having your body in a linear motion where yoga is about twisting
Cycling uses “big” muscle and your sympathetic nervous system and yoga uses “small” muscle and your parasympathetic system
It helps soothe and stretch your muscles
Yoga calms your mind and washes away stress
There is improvement of core stability, strength, and lung capacity and endurance

If you are new to the world of cycling or yoga or both, don’t let this workshop scare you away. Morgan always makes sure to emphasize that you can go at your own pace. Someone’s workout may be different than yours and as long as you are pushing yourself to the hardest you can go, that’s what counts.
If you wish to pursue taking Yoga and Cycling classes, Rec Centers offers a wide-variety of Group Ex Classes to the student body for free every day! From Lunch Time … Read More

Karolina Gawlak- Marketing Intern/ Member Services Manager
Yoga trains the mind and body, but in order to maximize your practice and feed your mind, you have to fuel your body the right way. Your body needs to be properly hydrated and fueled in order to make the most of your mat time. Here are a couple tips to help ignite your metabolism, improve your digestion, and regulate your emotions.  

Drink Plenty Of Water

A few hours before your yoga class make sure you come well-hydrated and avoid caffeinated products. If you had an intense yoga workout, chances are that you were sweating quite a bit. It is extremely important to drink plenty of water after your workout. Not only does water refuel and replenish your body with plenty of essential vitamins and nutrients, but it also hydrates your skin and muscles. If you are looking to enhance your digestion and neutralize AMA toxins, try this recipe:

3 thin slices of fresh ginger
¼ tsp. fennel
½ tsp. cumin
2 black peppercorns
2 sprigs of mint

Boil 8 cups of water and add the herbs, allow it to steep. Enjoy.

Post-yoga Nutrition

To keep your soreness to a minimum after a yoga workout, try eating plenty of foods that have high levels of protein. While … Read More

Karolina Gawlak- Marketing Intern/ Member Services Manager
What is Tabata?
Tabata is a form of interval training that falls under the umbrella of HIIT exercise (high-intensity interval training). Tabata is normally a 20 minute workout, but the level of intensity means it pushes your body extremely hard. You’ll want to complete 4 minute circuits for 20 minutes—5 total rounds. Tabata uses a massive range of exercises, from running and cycling to squats or burpees.
History:
Tabata is one of the newer forms of exercise that was developed by a doctor from Japan, Dr. Izumi Tabata. He was studying the science behind exercise and decided to carry out a study, focusing on interval training. This program went on for 6 weeks with different routines each day.
Benefits:
Tabata improves your stamina, increases metabolic rate and fat loss, and muscle tissue retention. During your exercise, you’ll improve your aerobic and anaerobic threshold, by learning how to breathe correctly. Your body requires more oxygen when you work out, and the anaerobic capacity refers to the maximum amount of energy your body can produce without oxygen. Also, high-intensity interval training increases our metabolic rate by almost 15 times the basal metabolic rate (BMR). This allows you to burn calories a lot faster and your … Read More

Alivia Chenoweth- Marketing Intern
In the past 15 years, CrossFit has hit the fitness industry by storm. It emphasizes interval training and Olympic weightlifting, but CrossFit also includes modifications making it similar to normal exercises if you aren’t an Olympian. It’s a great way to stay fit with aerobic and strength-based routines.
CrossFit displays five characteristics and/or values:
Intensity: CrossFit is fast-paced that can take less than 15 minutes a day because it is nonstop movement. It normally consists of three to four routines with repetitions during a set time.
Motivation: Through all the intensity, keeping a strong mindset through it all is where you will start seeing results. Putting in the effort isn’t as easy as it seems, and it’s easy to cheat reps. However, CrossFit workouts are tailored to maxing out.
Improved Heart Health: In CrossFit, your heart rate is elevated throughout the entire routine, which leads to increased endurance. With improved heart health, CrossFit contributes to other aspects of your life while also helping with your endurance for other exercises.
Building Relationships: Going to the gym is often times intimidating especially when it comes to trying out new routines. CrossFit training with another person or group of people sets aside that awkwardness and helps build confidence in yourself and others. Working out with people helps you to push yourself to the finish line … Read More

Alivia Chenoweth – Marketing Intern
Keeping a workout routine is difficult, especially when you lose motivation easily or have a hard time making a routine schedule. Over the past few years, the trend of keeping a workout journal has popped up and it has a lot of beneficial qualities. Below are the steps of keeping a workout journal and the positive aspects that come from it.
Step 1: Buy the journal! It doesn’t have to be a paper copy. If you prefer to use an app that works perfectly too!
Step 2: Organize what you will put in it. This could include your routine, eating habits, mood, etc.
Step 3: Record your personal progress.
Step 4: Analyze patterns of what is beneficial and what isn’t. You don’t want to keep doing something if it isn’t helping.
Step 5: Update your routines at the end of the week and don’t be afraid to make them more difficult!
Always make sure that you keep your journal with you. You know what they always say, “Out of sight, out of mind” and with this you need to keep it as a top priority. Some of the benefits of keeping a journal are:

They help clarify and focus on your fitness goals.
They help track your progress.
They benefit in recording workouts and planning ahead to help you have a better understanding of your fitness habits.

Even though … Read More

John Pereira – Marketing Intern
1. Foam Rolling
Foam rolling is a great way to massage your sore muscles after an active day. It allows you to improve your range of motion as well as decrease the lactic acid. By decreasing the lactic acid, you may be able reduce muscle soreness.
2. Swimming
Swimming allows your body to be weightless while also stretching your body and relaxing your joints. The water can also help improve circulation in the muscles, blood vessels, and heart.
3. Hiking
Unlike walking on a flat surface, hiking on uneven terrain will work a wider variety of muscles. Hiking is also a way to exercise outside and be surrounded by nature and God’s beautiful creation. Enjoying the outdoors can positively affect one’s mind as well as their body.
4. Yoga
Yoga is known for increasing flexibility as well as teaching proper breathing techniques and body control. Yoga can also promote blood flow to help repair the broken-down muscle tissues. Check out our Group Exercise schedule if you are interested in attending a Yoga class.
5. Light Weight Training
Performing an exercise that made you sore but using a lighter weight can actually be beneficial. On your off days, doing the same exercises but with lighter weight, gets the blood pumping to those areas and helps repair the muscles. Using light weights and higher repetitions can help you work on your form and bring nutrients to the … Read More