SHOULD DO YOGA, PILATES OR HIIT? TRY THIS TEST

I am a person with a naturally thin body, so when I was young, I was quite subjective with training. This year, when I entered the threshold of U30, I suddenly realized: my figure is still thin, but my skin is no longer as firm as in the green spring. Wearing hugging clothes also started to appear.

So I started researching some common exercises. A friend of mine told me to try yoga, you can do it at home. Others say, no, pilates is good and has a noticeable weight loss effect.

If you are in the same situation as me, you must be wondering what exercises to do for both results and the needs of your body. Find out if you should do HIIT, yoga or pilates with this mini quiz with Harper’s Bazaar.

If your need is to relieve stress after a long working day, stretch your muscles: Do Yoga

Basically, yoga is not a sport. But yoga is inherently a way of life.

When you practice yoga, you are helping to relieve stress on the brain. Only in recent times has the West turned yoga into a kind of exercise, the exact opposite of its original purpose.

Yoga originated more than 1000 years ago, in India. Therefore, yoga exercises always have names taken from Sanskrit. Because of this long history, there are many schools of yoga. From aerial yoga (aerial yoga), chromayoga, Bikram yoga… However, the similarities of all schools of yoga are: (1) focus on meditative thought and (2) practice flexibility for the body.

If your need is to increase strength, build muscle: do Pilates

Many people think that pilates is very similar to yoga. But these two types of exercises are completely different. While yoga focuses on meditation, pilates skips this area to focus on exercising the body.

Pilates is about a century old. Previously, it was known as “Contrology”. This type of exercise was first invented by Joseph Pilates. Pilates exercises focus on building muscle flexibility, especially around the spine. Having strong and toned back muscles, people who practice pilates will have less back pain.

If your need is to lose weight: Do HIIT (High intensity interval training)

HIIT has been shown to be effective for weight loss. Because HIIT focuses on burning body fat and consuming excess energy quickly.

The name of HIIT explains very carefully the method of training. The HIIT workout consists of a series of fluid movements. Each movement is repeated for only about a minute. Have strong movements with high intensity, have slower movements. However, there is no break between movements. Therefore, the body is required to be in constant motion throughout the exercise.

You can do HIIT exercises at home, or at the gym if you want to use equipment like dumbbells. However, if you’ve never done HIIT before, seek out a personal trainer for guidance. Because HIIT workouts can be tailored to each individual’s needs. For example, not only lose weight, but also increase muscle strength.

Combine the exercises above, why not?

I tried yoga, pilates, and HIIT. To be honest: any subject I like and feel the need for! And especially, meeting other sisters at the practice class is also very fun.

If you’re like me, why not try integrating all of the above exercises into your weekly workout routine? As you have seen, each exercise has its own purpose, its own advantages.

Light but durable exercises like yoga and jogging will bring the body toned and supple. Vigorous exercises like HIIT improve your cardiovascular health and build endurance. So there is no reason not to combine them.

You can do yoga today, pilates tomorrow, and HIIT on the weekend. For example, if you don’t have much time during the workday, you can practice yoga at home (about 30 minutes). On Fridays, when you have more free time, attend a pilates class at the end of the day. On weekends, spend time jogging and doing HIIT. The variety in this exercise also gives you a lot of fun, as you don’t have to do the same training over and over again every day.