{"id":9238,"date":"2025-04-10T13:44:55","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T19:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/howtobefit.com\/coach-blog\/?p=9238"},"modified":"2026-02-15T15:23:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T22:23:42","slug":"power-yoga-improves-cardio-and-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/howtobefit.com\/coach-blog\/2025\/04\/10\/power-yoga-improves-cardio-and-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"Power Yoga Improves Cardio and Strength"},"content":{"rendered":"

Power yoga improves cardio and strength with its pace and movements, which are more challenging than in a traditional yoga practice. In her article for BODi, Stepfanie Romine<\/a> explains how programs like BODi LAVA<\/a><\/strong> will improve your cardio and strength. I completed the program and it is indeed a challenging but rewarding program. Scroll down to read Stepfanie’s post to learn more.<\/p>\n

\"Power<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Love the mindful benefits of yoga but crave a more intense workout? Power yoga delivers both in a single practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe flows can be more physically demanding on the body (and sometimes mind), and the class moves at a faster pace,\u201d explains\u00a0Robin Diamond<\/a>, RYT 200, a Miami-based power yoga instructor. The sequencing and speed are \u201cdesigned to keep your heart rate elevated and your muscles working,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

A mix of\u00a0cardio yoga\u00a0and yoga for strength, this 20th-century update on an ancient practice is perfect for those who want their workouts to pull double duty. Read on to learn about power yoga, how it\u2019s connected to\u00a0vinyasa yoga, and which poses you can expect in a typical class.<\/p>\n

What Is Power Yoga?<\/h2>\n

\"Power<\/p>\n

Power yoga is any type of high-intensity yoga in which the pace and movements are more challenging than in a traditional yoga practice. While yoga\u2019s roots\u00a0date back millennia<\/a>\u00a0as a meditative practice, power yoga is a distinctly modern\u00a0type of yoga.<\/p>\n

In 1995,\u00a0Beryl Bender Birch<\/a>\u00a0wrote the book\u00a0Power Yoga<\/em><\/a>, named for her signature athletic method of teaching the equally intense (but much more rigid and traditional)\u00a0Ashtanga yoga. Bender Birch\u00a0was the first to teach yoga to athletes<\/a>, and power yoga has been the official yoga program of the\u00a0New York Road Runners Club<\/a>\u00a0since 1980.<\/p>\n

In the \u201990s, yogis Bryan Kest and Baron Baptiste each put their own spin on the power practice, but these days \u201cpower yoga is a more general term,\u201d Diamond says, adding that it\u2019s linked to vinyasa (a.k.a. flow) yoga. You\u2019ll also see \u201cpower vinyasa yoga\u201d listed on studio class schedules.<\/p>\n

As a decidedly Western practice, participants can expect music and energy, with a mix of English and Sanskrit names for poses. Be prepared to move \u2014 and sweat \u2014 without letting go of your \u201cyogic breathing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a power class, you are linking breath with movement, just at a quicker pace,\u201d Diamond says.\u00a0A lifelong yogi, she found power yoga about seven years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy strength increased tremendously, and my mind was quiet when I was on my mat,\u201d she says, explaining that the intensity actually helps with focus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the classes are physically demanding, you\u2019re so focused on the flow that you totally disconnect from other thoughts,\u201d Diamond says.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the essence of the upcoming program\u00a0BODi LAVA<\/a>, which fuses power yoga and primal movements for low-impact, high-intensity workouts that build strength and cardiovascular endurance.<\/p>\n

Power Yoga Benefits<\/h2>\n

For those with a foundation in yoga, a power yoga practice can amplify its\u00a0existing benefits:<\/p>\n

1. Muscle strength and development<\/h3>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

\u201cAll forms of yoga can provide an incredible mental workout, but power yoga is a great physical practice,\u201d Diamond says. \u201cBy using your own bodyweight through a series of poses like push-ups (chaturanga), arm balances, and even standing poses, you\u2019re able to sculpt your muscles if you practice consistently.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Increased calorie burn<\/h3>\n

The brisk, steady pace of power yoga burns more calories than a slower\u00a0yin<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0restorative practice, as your fitness tracker can confirm.\u00a0In 2020, researchers examined<\/a>\u00a0the benefits of vinyasa yoga for cardiovascular health. They answered the question of whether yoga is cardiovascular exercise: Doing 90 minutes of vinyasa yoga can, over time, be an effective alternative to other forms of cardiovascular workouts.<\/p>\n

3. Mood boost<\/h3>\n

Any time you unroll your mat, it can help you\u00a0manage stress<\/a>,\u00a0bounce back from tough blows<\/a>, and\u00a0build resilience<\/a>. Even one session of power yoga has been shown to reduce salivary cortisol, a marker for stress, according to\u00a0research conducted on college-age women published in 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. Cardiovascular health<\/h3>\n

Dancers who practiced power yoga for eight weeks boosted their\u00a0anaerobic endurance\u00a0\u2014 as well as upper-body strength (compared with a control group who did not add yoga to their routine) \u2014 according to research\u00a0published in 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. Greater mobility<\/h3>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

Yoga can, of course, yield benefits for flexibility,\u00a0mobility, and overall health of\u00a0joints and connective tissues<\/a>, and power yoga is no exception.<\/p>\n

6. Weight management<\/h3>\n

Power yoga\u00a0may help with weight loss, and, according to a 2016\u00a0review of studies<\/a>, it\u2019s a safe and effective addition to a weight-loss routine.<\/p>\n

What Is a Typical Power Yoga Sequence?<\/h2>\n

\u201cEvery teacher brings their own special traits to their class,\u201d Diamond says, but expect to kick off your power yoga practice with sun salutations after a quick, gentle warm-up. (But not\u00a0108 of them\u00a0\u2014 don\u2019t worry!)<\/p>\n

As with other flow yoga, expect to link power yoga poses with a \u201cvinyasa\u201d or the combo of chaturanga (chaturanga dandasana<\/em>),\u00a0upward facing dog\u00a0(urdhva mukha svanasana<\/em>), and\u00a0downward facing dog\u00a0(adho mukha svanasana<\/em>), which are all part of a sun salute.<\/p>\n

Here are a few other poses you can expect in a power vinyasa yoga sequence. However, since they\u2019re meant to be intensified, the poses may look a little different than the way you\u2019ve seen them expressed before.<\/p>\n

Warrior 1\u00a0(Virabhadrasana 1<\/em>)<\/h3>\n