Happy Heart Dance Party!
Photo credits Monstera Production, Pexels
As soon as I started teaching yoga, I got into the habit of beginning our sessions with a 10-minute dance routine. Sometimes we do this every week, sometimes every couple of weeks. I'm convinced that incorporating a short cardio routine several times a week can significantly benefit our health, especially since we often don’t take the time to do it outside of yoga class.
There's an abundance of research from the past several decades showing that regular cardiovascular exercise can help improve heart health, boost mood, enhance sleep quality, and support weight management. According to the Mayo Clinic, aerobic exercise may also reduce the risk of, or help manage, chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers.
Additionally, exercise activates your immune system in a beneficial way, potentially leaving you less susceptible to viral illnesses like colds and the flu.
A consistent cardio routine can strengthen your heart. A stronger heart doesn't need to beat as fast and pumps blood more efficiently, improving blood flow to all parts of your body. By integrating these short cardio sessions into our yoga practice, we’re making a positive impact on our overall health and well-being.
How Long Should You Exercise?
The minimum length of a cardio routine to achieve benefits can be surprisingly short. Research indicates that even 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise can be beneficial if performed regularly. The key factors include:
Frequency: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio per week, spread over several days. This can be broken down into sessions as short as 10 minutes each.
Consistency: Regularity is crucial. Short, frequent sessions can be more manageable and sustainable, leading to better long-term commitment compared to longer, less frequent workouts.
Examples of short cardio routines include brisk walking, jogging, cycling, jumping rope, or bodyweight exercises like burpees and jumping jacks. The focus should be on maintaining a pace that elevates your heart rate and keeps it elevated for the duration of the exercise. Remember to start slow and finish with a cool-down to gradually bring your heart rate and breathing patterns back to normal.
My favorite aerobic workouts are walking outside whenever possible and dancing to a YouTube video, which I’ve been doing 3 to 4 times a week as soon as I get up at 6 am MST. If you’d like to join me, just holler, and we can connect to support each other.
Here’s the fun routine we did together on July 3, 2024: Happy Heart Dance Party!
Thank you, my friends, for your inspiration as I plan these fun sections for us all and for supporting my journey. It’s so much easier when we do this together, and I can’t thank you enough.
