FitnessWorkouts

I Tried a Month-Long Yoga Challenge, and It Transformed My Core, My Triceps—And My Relationship to Myself

Discover what one HIIT instructor got out of her 30-day yoga challenge results, including both physical and mental benefits.

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Photo: Getty Images/fizkes
Published Jan 11, 2023

Written by 

Brittany Hammond

For someone who loves engaging in deep, audible sighs throughout the day, you would think that a breath-focused workout like yoga would be right up my alley. You would be wrong. I am a self-proclaimed yoga hater. As a group HIIT instructor, I love all things fast-paced, with loud music, and extra intensity. I really struggle with slowing down. In general, I am a go, go, go girlie, and I don’t take a ton of time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

So whenever I’ve attempted yoga or meditation in the past, I’ve gotten incredibly frustrated because I’d spend the whole time thinking about all the things I needed to do later, and going over my grocery list in my head.

But there is a reason they call yoga a “practice”: It can take time to adjust. Yoga isn’t just about building physical fitness, it’s also about your mental strength. (The poses themselves are really only one of eight pillars of yoga.) “When you do yoga, it starts out in relation to the body as a workout, and I feel like that’s the first layer,” says Bria Lee, a studio coordinator and instructor at CorePower Yoga. “With me, after I saw the difference with my body, then there came the difference in the changing of my mind.” Lee shares that the literal meaning of the word yoga is “to unite,” so in your practice you are uniting the body and mind.

Knowing that I have a difficult time slowing down, I decided I would embark on a month-long yoga journey to see if I could challenge myself to a change of pace. The rule was that I had to do four or five classes per week for one month. (I don’t ever recommend doing any type of workout seven days a week, even something low impact.)

I started my journey at my local CorePower Yoga, which offers athletic-based flows, often in heated studios. Oh yeah, did I mention I also hate being hot? I’m a Colorado girl, so heat is not in my blood.

I came out of the gate hard with their Yoga Sculpt class. This includes yoga, cardio, and strength moves that help boost your metabolism and build muscle. It seemed like it would be the closest thing to a HIIT class I could get while doing yoga, so I figured I would like that the best. Spoiler alert: I did not. I spent most of the class cursing myself out under my breath, and the rest laying in a pool of my own sweat (or was it tears?) taking deep breaths until I could return to movement again.

I decided that Sculpt probably wouldn’t be my favorite. Though I do have to say, I was incredibly impressed by the instructor who was not only coaching but doing a majority of the movements with us—I think yoga instructors may be some of the strongest people on earth.

The next class I attended was a C2. The CorePower website describes C2 as a “challenging vinyasa flow” that involves more difficult postures. I was surprised this ended up being my very favorite type of class even though it’s slow and intentional. What I found I enjoyed most were the postures where we balanced on one leg. Though I placed first all-around at state in gymnastics in seventh grade, that part of me is long gone. So I enjoyed seeing if I could still balance on one leg, or if I had any flexibility left. (Clearly, I am very competitive with myself—I am an enneagram three, the achiever. If you know, you know.)

On day four, I don’t know what happened, but let me tell you, I was feeling myself. I walked past a mirror and looked over and said, “Damn, you look hot.” Was there any physical change at this point? No. But the reflection I saw looking back at me in the mirror was mighty fine.

Though I know I wasn’t actually seeing physical results that early, by the end of the challenge, I certainly was. I saw a visual difference in my triceps, and I loved it. My upper body is quite muscular, yet I have always struggled to get defined triceps. Not anymore! I’m bummed it’s been too cold to wear sleeveless shirts, because I’m ready to put them on display. I also noticed superior core strength. I’m not sure I saw my abs, but I could definitely feel them. I noticed certain abdominal exercises that had been challenging for me in the past were now exercises that I could do with ease, which was a cool feeling.

For the rest of the month-long challenge, I vacillated between, “When is this month over?” and “Oh wow, I feel really great after this class.” There were days when the heat in the studio was just unbearable. I always had my eye on the thermostat. The classes I took ranged from 95 degrees all the way up to 108 degrees, and they made me realize I would be happier with yoga done in temperatures I would want to be outside in. (There are those who love hot yoga, and the others are me.)

I did partake in a few of the online videos that CorePower offers, because I was curious about how motivated I would be to do yoga in my house. The answer is: not very. The classes were good, but I’m someone who needs to be part of a group to get motivated.

When I first committed to doing this challenge, I asked myself, “Whhhhy?!” and took one of those deep audible sighs I love so much. It felt like something I was adding to my already long list of things to do.

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But by the time I was done, I found myself missing yoga a bit. I never thought I would say that. What I miss the most is taking an hour out of my day to get in tune with my mind and body. Though I did see visual results, and gained super core strength in particular, the thing I noticed most was how much I liked me. Doing yoga forced me to spend time with myself, and I found out I’m pretty darn amazing, if I do say so myself.

Doing yoga forced me to spend time with myself, and I found out I’m pretty darn amazing.

Every time I left class, I had a sense of peace that I never get after taking a HIIT class. I feel great and energized after HIIT, but not peaceful. Both types of workouts make me feel like I’m ready to take on the world, but in different ways. I now see the benefits of both forms of training. Lee puts it simply, “For someone with an athletic mind, you need to do something else to compliment what you already do.”

Yoga is that counterpart activity for me. Since finishing my month of yoga, I have been more intentional about taking time to myself, but it hasn’t been quite the same as actually practicing yoga. Mostly it consists of me laying still on my couch for 10 minutes a day. It’s not savasana, but it’s not not savasana.

I will go on the record and say, I am no longer a yoga hater. I am now a yoga appreciator! While I don’t see myself doing yoga four to fives times a week anymore, I will add yoga into my fitness programming at least once a week. I love the peace I feel after each class, and my body can use the stretch as well.

Lee’s advice when deciding whether to add yoga to your fitness routine is this: “The body changing is the last thing you should worry about. Your body is going to change no matter what. You have to be willing to open your mind. Be willing to listen, and not say anything for a second. Really just go inwards.”

That’s what I’m going to take away from this experience. I will remember to take time to slow down to reconnect with myself. The changes will always come, but they start from within.

Want to find your own peace through yoga? Start with this flow:

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FitnessWorkouts

Doing This Type of Breathing as Part of Your Pilates Practice Can Help Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

Here's how hypopressive breathing, a deep breathing exercise, can help you with your Pilates practice and other forms of movement.

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Photo: Stocksy/Atolas
Published Jan 29, 2025

Written by 

Kelsey Kloss

If you’re obsessed with all things Pilates, you already know about the best athleisure, accessories, and self-care moments to incorporate into your practice. However, you may be less familiar with a type of breathwork that can improve your practice — and help you feel more grounded.

Experts in This Article

Anouska Shenn

certified Pilates instructor and founder of The Office Yoga Company

Blair Mauri

a pelvic floor therapist and owner of Blair Mauri Pelvic Health

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Enter hypopressive breathing, a deep breathing exercise that involves emptying your lungs completely. It’s similar to the uddiyana bandha in yoga (or an “abdominal lock”).

“It involves breathing in a way that creates a vacuum-like effect in your thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic cavities by decreasing the pressure, causing a lift and toning of the pelvic floor,” says Anouska Shenn, a certified Pilates instructor and founder of The Office Yoga Company.

But before we get into how to do it, let us clear up one thing: Don’t try any breath-holding exercises during your practice, since Pilates focuses on breathing through movements.

That said, practicing hypopressive breathing before, after, or separate from your Pilates workouts can help support your practice in a number of ways.

What is hypopressive breathing?

Hypopressive breathing is a technique that involves completely emptying your lungs and holding that breath to create a vacuum. It serves as a core exercise that can benefit your pelvic floor health.

Think of it this way: Your abdomen is a closed pressure system. That means that when the pressure changes—like with a cough, deep breath, or force like a lift—your abdominal structures need to be able to manage that pressure properly. That’s where pelvic floor exercises, like hypopressive breathing, come in.

“When we’re not managing that pressure properly, gravity takes it and sends it down into the pelvic floor,” says Blair Mauri, MS, OTR/L, a pelvic floor therapist and owner of Blair Mauri Pelvic Health. “Repeated downward pressure not only weakens the pelvic floor, but can also cause it to become extremely tense.”

That tension may lead to symptoms such as incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, painful sex, low back pain, or chronic constipation. “Hypopressive breathing is an excellent way to optimize pelvic floor function, as it provides a natural lift to these tissues without increasing the tension,” says Mauri.

Improving your pelvic floor function can relieve pelvic pain or low back pain, improve your oxygen and energy levels, promote digestion, and support your movement throughout your Pilates practice.

In fact, an eight-week program of hypopressive exercises improved pelvic floor muscle strength and urinary incontinence symptoms in women ages 18 to 60 with pelvic floor dysfunction and urinary incontinence symptoms, per a 2022 study1 in Neurourology and Urodynamics.

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Plus, hypopressive breathing can work your lungs in a way that benefits your Pilates practice. “Optimizing your rib mobility is also important for diaphragm function and getting the most out of your breaths,” adds Mauri.

How do you do it?

First, take a few deep breaths and see where you notice that pressure (in this case, your breath):

  • Is it focused in your chest or belly?
  • Are your ribs moving apart as you breathe in?

You should feel some mobility in all of these areas, not just one. “Rib mobility is especially important for proper hypopressive technique, so you may need to start here,” says Mauri. “Take some time to retrain your breathing so that everything expands on the inhale and comes back together on the exhale.”

Once you’ve honed in on that, you can move on to your hypopressive breathing exercises, following Mauri’s instructions:

  1. 1.
    Gently exhale as if you are fogging a window. Don’t send any pressure or force down into your lower belly or pelvic floor.
  2. 2.
    After you exhale, hold your nose and close your mouth and “pretend” to inhale without actually taking in any air. Think about widening those ribs, which will make your stomach begin to look concave.
  3. 3.
    Hold this for 3-5 seconds and then inhale.

How does it benefit your Pilates practice?

This breathing technique shines as an add-on to your Pilates practice. You don’t want to hold your breath during Pilates moves (after all, Pilates is all about coordinating movement with breath), but hypopressive breathing exercises can serve as bumpers for an effective workout.

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“Hypopressive breathing is designed to stand alone, but you can use it as part of your warm-up or to close your Pilates practice,” Shenn says.

Pelvic floor strengthening is already often a key element of Pilates. In fact, a 12-week Pilates program focused on pelvic floor strengthening significantly improved stress urinary incontinence symptoms in women ages 45 to 70, with the results lasting even six months after the program, per a small 2020 study2 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

“Hypopressive breathing complements a Pilates routine, as it also retrains and strengthens the deep core along with your pelvic floor,” says Mauri.

A strong and coordinated deep core and pelvic floor gives you more stability as you move your body throughout your Pilates practice—and throughout the rest of your day.

“Our pelvic floor muscles work together with our deep core muscles to stabilize the spine—supporting our posture and providing a solid foundation for all of our movements,” says Shenn.

Tips to get started

As you integrate hypopressive breathing into your Pilates routine, Shenn recommends keeping these tips in mind:

  • Start with 1-3 sets of 3 repetitions, resting between sets.
  • If you’re a beginner, practice your breathing lying down or seated, before progressing to more challenging positions like side-lying or quadruped (a four-point kneeling position).
  • Do your hypopressive breathwork on an empty stomach (it’s recommended to not eat at least two hours beforehand, since this type of breathing involves suctioning the abdomen inward and upward).
  • Avoid wearing clothes that are too tight—including collars, waistbands, and belts—as they can impede your breath.

Very little research has been done on the effect of breathwork on babies in the womb, so avoid hypopressive breathing if you’re pregnant.

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One more thing to note: Certain preexisting health conditions like high blood pressure can also be contraindications for breathwork, so always check with your doctor first and consider working with a trained provider to make sure your form is correct.

  1. Molina-Torres G, Moreno-Muñoz M, Rebullido TR, Castellote-Caballero Y, Bergamin M, Gobbo S, Hita-Contreras F, Cruz-Diaz D. The effects of an 8-week hypopressive exercise training program on urinary incontinence and pelvic floor muscle activation: A randomized controlled trial. Neurourol Urodyn. 2023 Feb;42(2):500-509. doi: 10.1002/nau.25110. Epub 2022 Dec 8. PMID: 36482844; PMCID: PMC10107869.

    ↩︎

  2. Hein JT, Rieck TM, Dunfee HA, Johnson DP, Ferguson JA, Rhodes DJ. Effect of a 12-Week Pilates Pelvic Floor-Strengthening Program on Short-Term Measures of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Pilot Study. J Altern Complement Med. 2020 Feb;26(2):158-161. doi: 10.1089/acm.2019.0330. Epub 2020 Jan 9. PMID: 31916840; PMCID: PMC7044776.

    ↩︎

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FitnessWorkouts

The 10 Best Pilates Exercises for Beginners, According to a Peloton Instructor

A Peloton instructor shares the best beginner Pilates exercises and how to do them, plus the benefits of Pilates.

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Photo credit: Peleton
Published Jan 27, 2025

Written by 

Kristin Jenny

Pilates was created in the 1920s in New York City by Joseph Pilates and many of its exercises were originally used to help World War I patients rehabilitate injuries. Today, Pilates is used more for fitness than for physical rehabilitation, although its focus on building a strong core may help prevent or speed along healing from other injuries.

Experts in This Article

Rebecca Kennedy

certified personal trainer and Peloton instructor

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If you’re considering giving this mind-and-body-focused workout a try, it’s key to have a grasp of Pilates’ foundational moves so that you can safely make the most of this muscle-building, endorphin-inducing workout.

The benefits of Pilates

Pilates is a unique fitness practice in that it focuses on more than just burning calories and achieving toned muscles—although you’ll do both of those things with a regular cadence of classes.

Pilates is focused on three principles, according to the Pilates Foundation: breath, whole-body health, and whole-body commitment, with “the whole-body encompassing mind, body and spirit.” Within those principles, the concepts of breath, concentration, centering, control, precision and flow are mainstays in any well-rounded Pilates practice.

“There are many benefits of Pilates that go beyond toning muscles or getting in a great workout,” says Rebecca Kennedy, CPT, a Peloton Pilates and Tread instructor. “Some of the top benefits of Pilates for me are that it improves posture and balance, helps with overall flexibility and mobility, and is low-impact and low-stress on your joints.”

Additionally, Kennedy notes Pilates can be an excellent complementary workout to other fitness activities like running, cycling, or strength training.

Lastly, Kennedy believes the mind-body connection that is achieved from a frequent Pilates workout is unmatched in the fitness world. “A regular Pilates practice will improve your mind-body awareness while improving mental focus and concentration,” Kennedy says. “Its emphasis on enhancing breathwork can also have the effect of reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.”

Beginner Pilates tips to keep in mind

Before diving into Pilates head first, remember to listen to your mind and body—it’s better to forego a move or modify it than cause yourself pain or injury. While it may be tempting to launch into some of the more advanced Pilates moves, it’s better to view each movement with “curiosity, instead of just trying to do each move and check off a box,” Kennedy says.

She recommends nailing the basics of the moves featured below—and not just acing the look of a move, but truly internalizing the breathing rhythm, form, and alignment of these foundational Pilates movements before becoming overly concerned with time spent in a movement, number of reps, or moving into more challenging variations of a move.

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“A common misconception about Pilates is that you need to be flexible and also have a ton of equipment to get started with your practice,” Kennedy says. “Neither of these things are true. You do not need to be flexible to start a Pilates practice, and much of the equipment used is all extra, so don’t let either of those misconceptions hold you back from beginning a foundational practice.”

Finally, Kennedy reminds those who are new to Pilates that this is a slow, methodical practice. “Move slower than you think you need to, and always move with control,” Kennedy says. “Take modifications for any exercise that feels too challenging—it’s better to take a modification that allows you to maintain good form, breath control, and pelvic floor connection than to rush through a movement.”

The best Pilates exercises for beginners

Kennedy demonstrates each of the 10 moves in the video below. Follow along with her or scroll down for detailed exercise instructions.

1. The hundred

The Pilates hundred works your core and introduces the concept of timing your breath with your movements.

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