Top 5 things you should know about power yoga

Pittsford, N.Y. —
Henrietta resident Mary Eggers, a professional triathlete, teaches yoga at Breathe Yoga Studio in Pittsford.
This isn’t your typical yoga class, however. Eggers teaches a form of yoga called Baptiste Power Yoga that is geared toward athletes. If you are thinking about signing up, here’s what you need to know:

1 Many styles of yoga
Baptiste Power Yoga is a faster-paced yoga geared toward athletes. It generally burns more calories than your typical yoga and concentrates on keeping students moving. Some other styles of yoga include Hatha yoga — which is more of a slow-paced, gentle yoga — and Vinyasa yoga, which concentrates on breathing. It’s not necessarily about the style of yoga but more about finding a teacher who fits your style, said Eggers.

2 Boon for athletes
Yoga can be good for even professional athletes. Case in point: Baron Baptiste, founder of Baptiste Power Yoga, has taught the likes of NFL greats such as linebacker Bill Romanowski, defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry, running back Herschel Walker, wide receiver Art Monk and quarterback Randall Cunningham. In 1994, Baptiste was asked by the Philadelphia Eagles to teach yoga to the players. When he started, the Eagles were one of the most injury-prone teams in the NFL. After the four years Baptiste spent with the Eagles, they had among the fewest injuries in the league.



3 Flexibility is overrated
Students don’t necessarily need to be flexible. Eggers said when she started yoga training nearly 10 years ago, she wasn’t the most flexible person in the world. “I’m the most inflexible yoga teacher,” said Eggers. That is exactly what yoga is for — improving flexibility.

4 It’s a workout
Yoga is not always slow and relaxing. Be prepared to sweat. The room where Eggers teaches is kept at 95 degrees to help students keep their heart rate up and sweat out more calories. During Eggers’ classes, students are constantly moving and stretching, which keeps the heart rate up. She also strays from using meditative music, which is the standard for most styles of yoga. Participants in her class can stretch to the likes of Dave Matthews Band.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

5 Not just for women
Eggers said men account for nearly 40 percent of her class size. Since she teaches yoga geared toward athletes, she gets a good mix of beginners and experts from both sexes.

For high quality home workout programs, consult with Fitness Alliance

source: mpnnow