Yoga with a Kick

After many years of trying different workouts, I've been in need of some fresh inspiration. My weekly schedule includes yoga class and DVDs, morning and afternoon runs, cycling, weights, squats, lunges, and crunches. Even with all of the variety, I still feel the need to add a new challenge---something to look forward to, and I found it this time with GAIAM's Kickbox yoga fusion DVD with Patricia Moreno. Last week, I started with the 30-minute workout, a kickbox primer of sorts that got me sweating and had my thighs pleasantly achy for a couple of days. The steps were sometimes hard to follow, but that's what pause and rewind are for. And, Patricia is a patient and encouraging instructor who repeats the count over and over for you to maintain a great rhythm. Tonight I kicked it into high gear with the 50-minute workout followed by the 10-minute core bonus. Having former dance training helps as each step you learn is added on to the former until you have a whole routine to step quickly into a few times over. You will sweat. You will tone. You will feel energized and well, sorta tough afterward :) The yoga warm-up and cool-down sequences are also effective and seemingly a bonus in their own right. Maybe I'll kick my own butt into shape for swimsuit season after all.