This is all great news for yoga lovers, but many of you probably wonder: Is it enough to do just yoga, or do you need to supplement your practice with other cardio exercise to really raise your heart rate? This is tricky to answer because there are so many different types of yoga, but there certainly are yoga practices that qualify as effective aerobic workouts. (Hooray!) Cardiovascular, or aerobic, exercise is any movement that raises the heart rate and creates a surge in the body’s use of oxygen. It’s important to do this regularly because studies link regular cardio exercise to lower risk for health problems such as diabetes and heart disease—so basically, it helps you live longer. According to a 2017 study published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine, the key to turning yoga into a cardio workout is speed. (You can also get your cardio workout in with the fat-burning walking plans in Prevention’s new Walk Your Way To Better Health!) If you want to kick off your running shoes and get your heart pumping on the mat, try this aerobic sequence below, which should take about 45 minutes total. Warm up before practicing, and take time afterward to cool down your body and slow your heart rate. This sequence is designed for intermediate to advanced students who can do these poses with proper alignment even when moving swiftly. If you’re a beginner, head to a studio to nail the basics with help from an instructor—and refer to these five fixes for common poses that people often get wrong.
Sun Salutation A
Repeat Sun Salutation A five times in succession, moving with speed and maintaining a steady beat with your breath. Them immediately move on to Sun Salutation B below. PREVENTION PREMIUM: 6 Best Yoga Poses To Soothe Menopause Symptoms
Sun Salutation B
Repeat Sun Salutation B five times, moving with speed and maintaining a steady beat with your breath. Then immediately move on to Dancing Warrior Flow below. MORE: 9 Ways Yoga Keeps You Healthy And Young
Dancing Warrior Flow
Repeat Dancing Warrior Flow five times, moving with speed and maintaining a steady beat with your breath. Then move on to the Arm Balancing/Core Strengthening Flow below. MORE: 30-Minute Walking Workouts That Burn More Calories Than A Yoga Class
Arm Balancing/Core Strengthening Flow
Immediately after finishing Arm Balancing/Core Strengthening Flow, cross your ankles and roll forward over your knees, and step into Plank Pose to do Plank Flow below. MORE: I Did Yoga Every Morning For 2 Weeks. Here’s What I Learned.
Plank Flow
Do this whole sequence five times on each side then immediately move on to the Inversions Flow below. MORE: 3 Ways To Tone Your Chest And Shoulders Without Doing A Single Push-Up Or Plank
Inversions Flow
*Note: You may want to use a wall behind you for this flow. Release down into Child’s Pose and stay for a few long, deep breaths before moving into your cooldown. (Try unwinding with these six restorative yoga poses.)
