PiYo: Mind, Body and Mat

PiYo: Mind, Body and Mat

By RACHAEL CUSHARD

PiYo is the ideal solution for someone who wants to work out their entire body rather than focusing on sections at a time. This total mind and body workout combines the benefits of Pilates and yoga. There are no weights or high intensity movements required. Not even shoes. This exercise routine was designed for people of all ages and sizes.

PiYo class members in a half moon stance. Photo credit: Rachael Cushard

CANTON, Ga. --- An array of pastel-colored mats is laying on the hardwood floor. Two women and the instructor are holding a half-moon pose facing the sunlight beaming from the glass doors. A remix of one of Rihanna’s song is playing. Kick off those shoes. Unravel that mat. This is the latest aerobic group fitness class that was inspired by martial arts and dance, but a colored belt or ballet slippers aren’t required.

PiYo is a total mind and body workout that combines the benefits of Pilates and yoga. There are no weights or high intensity movements involved. Not even shoes. It is suitable for people of all ages and sizes. Stacy Reynolds, 49, is a fitness instructor at Anytime Fitness located in Canton, Georgia. She is certified in PiYo and teaches classes twice a week. “No matter what you weigh, or how old you are, anybody can try it and do it,” Reynolds said.

Fitness icon Chalene Johnson created the PiYo workout in 2014. It contains benefits of typical, high intensity workouts without feeling exhausted afterwards. “My aim was to ensure that someone who was very overweight and couldn’t jump up and down to get the effects of cardio could still do this while getting stronger and sculpting their body using just their own body weight. It had to be something that looked totally different from anything else out there,” Johnson said. Anybody is eligible to participate, but always consult a physician before participating in any time of physical activity.

What is PiYo?

Johnson is constantly shaking up this fitness industry. She founded the Turbo Kick system, but recently created the PiYo workout because she believed in an actual one-size-fits-all workout. Traditional Pilates and yoga classes move at a slow place. According to Beachbody, PiYo speeds everything up—including your results—by introducing you to dynamic, flowing sequences that can burn serious calories at the same time as they lengthen and tone your muscles and increase your flexibility.

According to The Telegraph, Johnson created a new workout to define those muscles while keep a high enough pace to burn extra body fat. “I was sick of only seeing fitness programs on television showing people jumping up and down, and landing on their hands and feet as if they were shock absorbers,” said Johnson.

Health Benefits

Flexibility, posture, and weight loss are some of the many physical benefits of this workout. There are also many internal health benefits to gain from this workout other than a smoking hot beach bod. The overall gains of working out with PiYo are explained om Jessi Andricks’ article about PiYo from General Fitness.

According to Andricks, strengthening muscles occurs by utilizing repetition in various poses against the body’s resistance. Muscles are being toned and sculpted, so the various moves practiced in class engage all the muscles of the body. Some users may choose to add light hand weights to increase the intensity of the strength training.

Reynolds explains that PiYo classes are aerobic and designed to keep the exercises and heartbeat flowing. “I think it’s easier to follow than some other aerobics classes you might try to take, like Zumba for example,” she said. These classes are low-impact but high energy, with moves and poses taken from traditional yoga, Pilates and dance, these moves are guaranteed to leave the gym-goer drenched in sweat.

PiYo instructors claim that these exercises help to increase mobility in joints, improve balance, improve energy and reduce stress for a total mind-body, stress-free workout. “I used to laugh at myself in the beginning…my ankles and feet were always sore. Now that it’s been several months, I can definitely stretch better and feel how much more flexible I’ve become,” Reynolds stated.

What to Expect

Working out barefoot on the floor with a yoga mat seems easy enough, right? Wrong. Balancing entire body weight for what feels like an eternity with only one hand and one leg requires extreme focus. Reynolds shared some tips for beginners, what to bring, and some entry-level poses to become familiar with so it won’t be necessary to stare at the instructor the entire time.

“Don’t worry about keeping up with the pace,” she said. “If there’s a move that you’re not comfortable doing or able to do, there’s always modifiers.” The music may be upbeat, but the repetitions begin slowly. Once the moves are learned, the repetitions are now being performed quicker. As the workout begins to accelerate, the muscles will be toning and feeling sore.

PiYo utilizes the human body as the gymnasium for this game-changing workout. Bring a mat, but forget the shoes. It’s important to be barefoot to refrain from slipping. Don’t have a mat? No problem. Generally speaking, most gyms provide mats for their members. Small weights can be added to increase the intensity of the workout, but are not required. Avoid loose-fitted shirts from falling over your head when in those upward positions.

Signature Moves

According to Nilufer Atik’s article in The Telegraph, these are some signature PiYo moves that can be practiced at home. Do the circuit once, or repeat it five times with a minute rest in between each circuit for a tougher workout. Don’t forget to stretch and warm up, first.

The Piyo Cross starts in a sumo squat position. then round the back and tuck the forearms between the legs as the spine is stretched out. In one fluid movement, come back up into a sumo squat, extending the arms out and pushing the shoulder blades together so that palms are at the sides of the head and facing forwards.

The Runner’s Pose is similar dead lifts. Stand on the right leg, and lift the left foot off the floor. Keeping the left knee bent, tilt forward as right leg is pushed behind. Tilt backward slightly as the knee swings forward and up to waist level. Keep moving the leg backward and forward in a single leg “running” motion.

The Beast begins on hands and knees. Lift up on to the toes, raising the knees off the floor slightly keeping the hips stable. Hold position by using core.

The Kick Through begins in the beast position. Lift the right and rotate the right shoulder back, and then push the left leg out straight to the right side. Return to the beast position and repeat on the opposite side.

PiYo achieved what no other workout plan did – its flawless design and execution works for everybody. Stacy has been teaching the class for a few months now. “It just works everything by doing what your body is capable of doing,” she said. In addition to the schedules provided in the gym, Reynolds also reaches out to her class members through e-mail and social media.

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