Cardio Training

Combining flexibility, yoga and weight training can have mental, emotional and fat loss benefits. If you've been thinking about taking a yoga class, go right ahead. You should learn to do yoga correctly to get maximum benefits.


According to a study commissioned by the American College of Sports Medicine, combining yoga and weight training helps you with anxiety, tension, energy and fatigue. Weight training helped most with producing positive moods. Yoga provided the most benefits with anxiety reduction and calmness. Of course, weight training also provides other physical benefits such as improved muscle mass, fat burning, bone density and metabolic health.

Personally, I don't practice yoga. But, I am for any activity that promotes health and fitness. If you're looking for ways to enhance your fitness and well-being, disciplines such as yoga is a great alternative.

Yoga also has strength benefits, especially in how it improves core strength and flexibility. There are many different disciplines of yoga so it is important to find the particular one that best suits you.

Flexibility training is under-rated as a tool for injury prevention. Stretching your soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) will allow the full range of motion of your joints (in all 3 planes of motion).

Here are 6 benefits of improved flexibility:

1. Flexibility training corrects muscle imbalances, increases joint range of motion, relieves joint stress, decreases excessive tension of muscles, maintains the normal length of all muscles and helps your body to function efficiently. This will help you workout harder without getting injured.

2. You should incorporate static stretching and dynamic stretching into your workout routine.

With dynamic stretching, you use your muscles to warm up your muscles with exercises like bodyweight squats, lunges and jump rope. Research suggests that dynamic stretching prepares your body best for your workout. Static stretches require little movement and a hold for 20-30 seconds. Examples of static stretches are the standing quadriceps stretch and the piriformis stretch. Static stretches should be done after your workout to bring your muscles back to normal length.

3. Use self myofascial release with foam rolls (SMRF) in your flexibility routine. It is a form of self massage and you can do it anywhere, anytime.

4. Also, use other massage techniques, such as deep tissue massage, to help relax your body and muscles.

5. If you are in rehab for an injury, flexibility is critical. You should rehabilitate the injured area as follows: a) restore the range of motion, b) restore flexibility and strength of the injured area and c) regain balance lost because of the injury.

6. There are also flexibility tests that you should have done such as the sit and reach test. It measures the flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings. You will want to avoid painful, nagging low back and hamstring injuries.

There are many methods to use to improve your body's fat loss and composition. Use them!

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Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!