s the saying goes, opposites attract. This is also true for my fitness routine, specifically for my yoga practice and weekly strength training. Even though yoga and strength training don't have much in common at first glance, from my experience they complement each other extremely well. If you ever found yourself on a yoga mat trying to feel and look good doing asanas, then you will recognize yourself in my story. Maybe you will even get inspired to pair your yoga routine with strength training!
I have been an Aurumian for almost 3 years now. A friend and former colleague at work had tested the 6-minute workout at AURUM and was super enthusiastic. So enthusiastic that he got practically the whole office to do a trial workout. Shortly after, my husband and I also booked a trial session and since then we can't imagine our lives without AURUM Fitness.
It may sound a bit cheesy, but that's the way it is. We are both sporty, but not for the sake of it. We do sports mainly because we enjoy it, because we sit a lot in our jobs and also a bit because we like to challenge ourselves. And the AURUM training is a real challenge.
We both remember very well our first muscle soreness. We'd never had a sore muscle like that before.
Instead of giving up, we were tempted to work on our strength. It quickly became clear that we didn't want to miss this form of training, and to be honest, we haven't found any other alternative to it yet. Just how time efficient the training is.
My training development was of course completely different from that of my husband. The success curve was flatter for a long time. It was also not always easy for me to understand what exactly the data on the screen in front of me was telling me about my strength development. Until I started to feel it. All of a sudden, the Migros shopping bag was very easy to carry.
Now I can do two pull-ups without jumping up (I'm really proud of that). And in yoga, I can hold asanas, postures, for a long time and smile at the same time. Which sounds easier than it is.
Because even holding a simple asana for some time can be very sweaty. After all, one is very active in the asanas, at least the muscles are active. In addition to the activated muscles, one must not forget to breathe, the shoulders should relax and ideally one should hold one's Mula Bandha - Yogis will know. So smiling while doing this is not without an effort.
Yoga is an important part of my life. A few years ago I completed the 200hr Teacher Training. I did that for myself to deepen my practice. It has given me a lot - mentally as well as physically. I mainly practice Vinyasa Yoga, which is a very powerful and dynamic style of yoga. The asanas are practiced fluidly and in harmony with the breath.
For exercises like Chatturanga, yogic push-up, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, better known as downward looking dog, you need strength in your arms and shoulders. Also in yoga they say - practice makes perfect - the more often you practice yoga, the more progress you make in your own yoga practice. I nevertheless noticed a direct correlation between my development in strength training and my yoga practice.
Whenever I had a super AURUM workout where I was able to beat my performance from the previous week, I also made leaps in my yoga practice. Further, I noticed that my neck tension reduced with the weekly AURUM 6-minute workout - and that includes yoga. Because even in the asanas, I often tensed up to hold them. You learn in yoga that you should keep your shoulders far away from your ears. Easier said than done. As a result of gaining physical strength and working out my shoulders, arms, and torso, among other things, my posture changed.
Basically, I stopped using my neck and shoulders to compensate for the exercises because I gained strength overall.
Indeed, yoga also helps me with strength training. Even though the AURUM exercises are very strenuous, I try to perform them as correctly as possible. Thanks to my yoga practice, I have a good feeling for my body, which makes it easier for me to maintain the right posture throughout the 6 exercises. Then, when you really go all in and use all your strength to resist the machine, breathing tends to get forgotten. Another thing that my yoga practice helps me with. Not only does yoga constantly remind you to breathe, but you also learn to breathe correctly. Last but not least, yoga can also be very restorative, which benefits my body after a hard HIIT workout.
So AURUM training and yoga could not be more different and yet they complement each other extraordinary well. I would even go so far as to say that they enrich each other. So the fact that opposites attract is not a cliché, but a fact.
Hi, I'm a passionate yogi, who does work in a corporate world and knows the perks of spending hours on an office chair. I did a 200 hours yoga teacher's training to master the physical and mental benefits of the practice and guess what, I love the AURUM workout.
See All Posts
