Not Your Grandmother's Yoga

Yoga classes used to be viewed as a place to focus on your breath and move very slowly. Yes there are some classes and styles of yoga that is based on meditation, breathing, and holding poses for a longer time, but yoga has evolved over the years and now there are new styles of yoga developing that Yoga Journal calls “Yoga Hybrids”. Many of these yoga hybrids are geared toward the more intense fitness class lover.

Yoga sculpt has mostly been seen at Corepower Studios across the country but has slowly made its way into other studios. Yoga Sculpt has the foundation of yoga but then adds on lightweight dumbbells. This class also includes push ups, bicep curls, squats and much more. This fun, upbeat, heated class will have you sweating in minutes and your muscles crying by the end of it.

Core fusion Yoga is on schedule at nine Exhale yoga studios. This yoga class contains movements that focus on core strength while targeting other muscle group with fine movements. Planks, glute work, and leg lifts are followed by a much-needed cool down.

Everyone by now has learned about Crossfit, whether you’ve taken a class or not. There is now a CrossFit Yoga class where it blends the movements of yoga and Crossfit together, without the weights. After reading about it and watching videos, it is clear that these two styles of exercises fit together. There are still sun salutations while mixing in push up, squats, and handstands. There is a nine-minute video on Shape.com that walks you through a Crossfit yoga class.

Boot camp and yoga aren’t two workouts that you imagine in the same class either but it works nicely. In between sun salutations and chaturangas, exercises like donkey kicks and push-ups are performed. And what is a boot camp without squats! Squats performed in chair pose will want you go straight to the core circuit. If boot camp yoga is not available to you at your nearest studio don’t worry Shape.com has a video for you.

These new hybrid yoga classes are fun and guaranteed to get you to start sweating while having the benefits of yoga as well. So grab your mat, water bottle, and towel and start trying some of these new yoga hybrids.