ower walking, power lunches.... And now, Power Yoga.

It's the latest fitness buzzword.
 
To demystify power yoga, Get Ahead spoke with popular power yoga instructor Leena Mogre.

Mogre, M Sc in nutrition, is the COO of Gold's Gym, India.

This is what she has to say:

Power yoga deviates completely from the traditional form of yoga.

It is an East-meets-West routine, a fusion of yoga with functional and flexibility training, both of which train your body to perform better.

Power yoga involves bit of Surya Namaskar

Basically, power yoga involves the moves of the traditional yogic Surya Namaskar (or Sun salutation) mixed with flexibility training and strength training.

The Surya Namaskar consists of 12 exercises with specific breathing patterns done in a continuous graceful sequence.

What these exercises do: They counteract the effects of the previous exercise. They also expand and contract the muscles of the ribcage and waist.

Advantage: Practising the Surya Namaskar daily will make the spine flexible and trim inches off the waist.

The power yoga principle

There are different modules in power yoga.

Typically, you would do one asana followed by strength training. This makes your body strength work for you and makes the whole workout more dynamic.

For example: During the Surya Namaskar, one asana closely resembles the push-up position.

During one module, the instructor may decide to have the class do regular push-ups.

The next time, the instructor could ask the class to do push-ups on their knees with their feet crossed in the air.

The advantages of power yoga

1. It increases lean muscle tissue, which means improved calorie burning, reduction in your body's fat percentage and increased BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate).

This makes for a stronger you, leaving you with strength for your everyday life.

2. It works your stomach and back muscles constantly, increasing your core strength.

This increases the heartbeat harmoniously.

3. Power yoga, like the traditional yoga, helps reduce stress and relax your body.

4. It also helps improve concentration, which is particularly good for students.

How often should you do power yoga?

This dynamic 45-minute workout is recommended three times a week.

It can easily be alternated with your regular cardio and weight workouts.

Who is it for?

As with all exercise routines, almost anyone can do power yoga after consulting their doctor.

There are programmes at Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced levels. How fast you move from one level to the next depends on your fitness and flexibility levels.

How much will it cost you?

The fees are entirely affordable. They are usually between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,500 per month

Is it easy to become a power yoga instructor?

It is pretty easy to become a power yoga instructor. Provided you are either a yoga instructor or a fitness professional. All it takes in that case is a five-week training course.

Typically, I teach the course on five Sundays.

Apart from the training, we provide candidates with manuals as well.

At the end of the five Sundays, they have to appear for an examination.

Finally, I always maintain: With discipline you can achieve anything, provided you follow a regular diet and exercise programme.

Leena Mogre spoke to Shilpa Bharatan Iyer. For more information on power yoga, call Gold's Gym on (022) 56756432/33/56992291/4491.

Image: Rajesh Karkera