If you like multitasking, here’s a fitness routine that you might like. Yoga teacher Katrina Ariel is launching a fitness boot camp in Kamloops combining an intense physical workout with yoga.
After attending a boot camp session in New Orleans with positive results, Ariel decided to combine the benefits of exercise with her extensive background in teaching and practising yoga.
“Because I’m a yoga instructor, I wanted to integrate what I know into it. The difference is bringing a little bit of intention and mindfulness into it,” said Ariel. “You’re not only watching your body, you’re aligning your mind at the same time.”
The fitness program will consist of 40 minutes of intense physical workout that one expects to get from a traditional boot camp. It’s followed by 20 minutes of yoga postures and stretches to strengthen muscles and keep them flexible.
The program will be offered in three sessions from May 3 to Oct. 1 and will be held at Let’s Move Studio (925 McGill Place) in Kamloops.
The only catch? You have to be up bright and early because the sessions start at 5:45 a.m. But Ariel said there are advantages to be had from starting early.
“You feel so much more alive,” she said. She added that by starting the day with exercise and yoga, you become more productive because the routine energizes your body and mind. “The 5:45 a.m. in the morning thing isn’t an issue so much after a while. I just think it’s going to be great.” The magnificent views alone from the studio make the early workout worth it, she said.
The mindfulness practised in yoga can help participants get the most out of the fitness routine, said Ariel.
“If your intention is to tone up and lose weight, you’re envisioning the changes that you want,” she said. “If you’re clear about where to take yourself, then it helps you to take the steps to get there. You’re helping your body with the power of your mind.”
This combination also helps yoga practitioners who want to focus on achieving their fitness goals.
“There’s a lot of people who do yoga and also want to do more fitness but maybe they don’t know how,” she said. “To me, yoga is a top priority in my life. But if I only do yoga and I don’t work out, it still needs more. It provides people a way to access that optimal balance of fitness and yoga.”
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