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Why Do Heated Yoga?

1/25/2016

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By Dominic Zumbrun
heated yoga
Hot yoga, which is also known as heated yoga or Bikram Yoga, is a form of yoga that is performed in a room that is heated to high temperatures. Traditional Bikram Yoga is performed in a room heated to 105 degrees with 40% humidity, however, many studios heat rooms between 80 degrees and 100 degrees, depending on the class and the participants. In recent years, this type of yoga has become all the rage, but few people truly understand the benefits associated with working out in a super-heated room.

Promotes Better Breathing
The heated room associated with hot yoga ensures that you breathe correctly and deeply. In fact, the poses you'll perform in the environment almost forces one's body to breathe deeply and fully. This is relaxing, and can promote better health overall.

Allows For Greater Flexibility
When muscles become warm, they become more flexible. Performing hot yoga will help you develop greater flexibility, both while you're performing poses and in your day to day life. Muscles are also strengthen through this type of exercise, which can help with soreness, aches and pains and back issues that are often associated with poor muscle tone.

Cardiovascular Benefits
Yoga is often considered a gentle form of exercise. While there are many, many benefits of traditional yoga, it rarely forces cardiovascular exercise. The heated environment of hot yoga forces the body to work harder, and raises the heart rate. Raising the heart rate is the goal of cardiovascular exercise and all of the benefits associated with it. Hot yoga combines the gentle nature of yoga, while still working out your cardiovascular system.

Healing Benefits
According to recent research, heated yoga can help to alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety, and may be helpful for those suffering from asthma and high blood pressure. It has also been shown to help alleviate some of the issues associated with obesity.

If hot yoga is something that you've become interested in, attend Power Yoga at Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo.

See the class schedule
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How Is Functional Fitness Different From Crossfit?

1/18/2016

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By Dominic Zumbrun
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Functional fitness and crossfit are part of the same family and are sometimes considered one and the same. There are differences, however, and deciding which program is best for you should always take into account those differences.

There's also a debate within the fitness world over which is better — functional or crossfit. The best answer is probably what works best for you, your fitness goals, and overall health.

What Is Functional Fitness?

The foundation of functional fitness is based on training your muscles for performing the daily tasks of living. This is accomplished by simulating common movements that you might perform at home or in sports. Functional fitness also emphasizes core stability by using various muscles in the upper and lower body at the same time.

For functional fitness experts, the emphasis is on a truly fit lifestyle, which emphasizes how fit one lives rather than how fit one looks.

What Is An Example Of A Functional Fitness Exercise?

A squat is considered a functional exercise because it trains the muscles you use when you rise up and down from a chair. It's an example of preparing your body to function well in an everyday task. Functional fitness exercises can be done at home or in the gym. Fitness balls, kettlebells and weights are often used in functional fitness workouts.

What Are The Benefits Of Functional Fitness Training?

Functional fitness is effective in that it involves multiple joints and muscles. Instead of targeting a specific body part, a functional exercise might involve your elbows, spine, hips, shoulders, knees and ankles. Properly applied, these exercises can make everyday activities easier and reduce your risk of injury.

Additionally, functional fitness exercises can decrease your risk of everyday injuries, such as lower back injuries, which come from lifting something heavy, such as a potted plant or a soil bag.

How Is It Different From Crossfit?

To be clear, functional fitness grew out of the crossfit movement, but functional fitness is based on the concept of moving away from machines that simulate exercise towards movements that involve the entire body. Like crossfit, you'll be able to participate in High-Intensity Interval Training, but in a more relaxed environment. If you've found crossfit to be too intense in the past — with its routines of push ups, burpees, sprints and weightlifting — then functional fitness might be for you.

The Downtown Athletic Club of Amarillo now offers an LRX Functional Fitness class. This class incorporates High Intensity Interval Training with strength and conditioning  through the use of functional movements.

Learn About LRX Functional Fitness
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Bust Post-Holiday Blues With A Fitness High

1/11/2016

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By Dominic Zumbrun
happy woman at gym
Now that the hectic, eventful, and hopefully joyous, holidays are over, it's back to the daily grind. For many, that brings on the post-holiday blues and the reality of facing those well-intended resolutions from a few weeks ago.

But to beat the blues and the sudden come-down, you have the perfect remedy at your disposal — exercise. Indeed, exercise not only works on your body's health and fitness, but your mind as well.

How Does Exercise Help My Mood?

The chemistry of exercise involves several factors, including triggering the stress response, which is actually beneficial during exercise. Why? Because when you begin a workout, your fight-or-flight instinct kicks in, and a chemical reaction begins, including the release of endorphins that numb pain and pave the way for peak performance.

Endorphins also induce a feeling of well-being (runner's high being one example), while also creating a sense of clarity. The problems and stresses of the daily grind seem more manageable after a workout.

Besides improving your mood, studies have shown that exercise helps alleviate chronic depression by increasing the neurotransmitter serotonin. Exercise also helps normalize sleep, which has positive effects on the brain. Researchers also suggest exercise improves your mental state by providing a sense of accomplishment, while also improving a person's responsiveness to stress.

Exercise is a natural and effective way of dealing with anxiety. Concentrating on your workout is also a great way to interrupt the constant flow of worries running through your head.

Where Can I Workout In Amarillo?

The Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo can help you conquer those post-holiday blues. With a staff of professional trainers on hand, the latest in exercise equipment, and a variety of group fitness classes, the DAC is a full-service club.

Here are three of the fitness classes we offer:

Functional Fitness - New to the DAC in 2016, the TRX Functional Fitness class combines high intensity interval training with strength training while engaging functional muscle movements you use throughout your day. You'll improve your health, stamina, physique and physical appearance.

Flow Yoga - A great fit for both athletes and yoga practitioners, this Hatha-Vinyasa style class combines elements of power yoga to increase flexibility while challenging your muscles. Yoga mats and blocks are provided.

Power Yoga - This class is designed to heat up your typical yoga routine — literally. Performed in a heated environment, this practice will build strength, increase flexibility and cleanse toxins, all while challenging your muscles.

TREK - Another great fitness class is TREK, which is an interval training class on a treadmill. The 30-minute workout will burn tons of calories and get your heart rate up. It's open to people of all fitness levels.

See Class Schedule
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How To Quit Counting Calories — And Be Healthy

1/5/2016

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By Dominic Zumbrun
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We've all heard that counting calories is a great way to lose weight and keep it off. But is it really all that effective?

Before getting into alternatives, here's some reasons why counting calories can actually have a negative impact on your weight-loss program.

1. You Spend Too Much Time Thinking About Food

For starters, you may spend far too much time weighing, counting and measuring your food if you're counting calories. You go from thinking about food to obsessing about it, especially the foods you “can't” have.


2. It Becomes All Mental

When all you're doing is thinking about food, you ignore what your body wants. Remember, you're feeding your body, not your mind.


3. It Doesn't Last

​Do you really see yourself measuring and analyzing your food every day the rest of your life? For every meal? It's nearly impossible to sustain that.


But now for the good news. There are plenty of effective alternatives to calorie-counting.

Lift The Ban On Favorite Foods

Let's face it, practically every diet out there requires that you give up certain foods. But research indicates that cutting out favorite foods only makes you obsess about them more, which increases the chances that you'll break down and overindulge. Instead, make all foods permissible; yes, it's best to seek out the healthiest versions, but if that's not possible then just eat a reasonable portion of that food you love.

Give Yourself Time

Studies show that people who eat fast tend to have more weight problems than those who don't. By blazing through a meal, you don't give your brain enough time to engage its fullness signals. Stretch that meal out, say to 20 minutes, and check your hunger signals as you go along.

Know When You're Full

It's not always easy to tell when you're full because it involves a physical heaviness and vague sense of fullness that can be easy to ignore. Try this: Halfway through your next meal, stop and ask yourself how truly full you feel. If you're honest with yourself, you'll start to recognize what fullness really is.

Choose Wisely

Whole and unprocessed foods are packed with vitamins and nutrients and generally lower in sugar and fat than packaged ones. Foods that are high in protein, fiber, or water can help satiate you faster and for a longer time.

Creative Plating

Plate your food differently, like a smaller plate that you can still fill but not feel hungry.

Finding a health and fitness program that focuses on wellness, nutrition, group fitness, and personal training is essential. The trainers at the Downtown Athletic Club of Amarillo can guide you along the way.

Find A Trainer
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