Last Sunday I finished the course requirements and am now a  certified PiYo STRENGTH Instructor – woop woop!  (That’s me on the right in the back row with my hair lookin’ a mess; long day so don’t judge, hehe).  In addition to teaching my weekly Turbo Kick classes, I plan to now teach a mind/body fitness format.

PiYo is short for “Pilates Yoga.”  It’s a group fitness format available at most major health clubs, especially 24 Hour Fitness and women’s gyms. Long story short – get involved with PiYo.   Here’s why I love it:

• I have (self diagnosed) ADD – If you also have a limited attention span, you will love PiYo because it’s fast paced.  Throughout the workout you flow swiftly through a variety of yoga poses and Pilates exercises which prevents boredom.
• I like sweating – If I’m not drenched after a workout, I’m not convinced that the workout was productive.  Because PiYo is fast paced and the moves are challenging, you start breaking a sweat within the first 10 minutes.
• I dislike awkward situations – PiYo has no spiritual element, it’s solely a mind/body WORK OUT.  I always feel super awkward in traditional yoga classes with serious spiritual cultures and chanting – not my thing.  PiYo has a fun group atmosphere where you can let loose and truly relax.
• I like to JAM – PiYo is set to music, and not spiritual chanting or anything like that.  I’m talking Top 40 and R&B jamz.  Not only is the music great, but there’s also a dance element to the workout so you can shake your groove thang 😉
• I need to be more flexible – As you can tell, most of my workouts are high intensity interval training or long cardio sessions.  However, I often skip the stretching and mind/body relaxation that my body needs.  In fact, flexibility is the most overlooked element of fitness!  PiYo lets me work on my flexibility without feeling like I’m wasting time.

And since you’ve been so kind and read to the end, I’ll reward you with some videos of PiYo in action – enjoy 🙂
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDdekLVTIpk&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHULk86G-2o&w=560&h=315]