The Complete Workout

" Yoga for Weight Loss: If you thought you couldn't lose weight and tone your body through yoga, think again. Cindy Lee, founder of OM Yoga in New York City has developed this routine designed to sculpt all your major muscles and boost your heart rate. This 1-hour workout is based on the sun salutation series. Four exercises that book-end each circuit and uses only your body weight for resistance. Run through this workout 4 times and you'll burn more than 500 calories while you tone your entire body. Sun Salutation: You'll begin and end each circuit with a sun salutation. Stand tall with your feet together and your arms by your sides. Make sure to distribute your weight evenly through the soles of your feet. To begin, take a deep breath and lift your chin slightly as you raise your arms over your head. Now, with your arms straight and your palms facing each other, reach toward the ceiling with your fingertips. Now, from the mountain pose, sweep your arms down to the side, exhaling as you swan dive forward into the forward bend. Bend your hips until your palms or fingertips touch the floor on either side of your feet. Keep your fingers aligned with your toes and bend your knees if your back or hamstrings are tight. Visualize drawing the crown of your head toward the floor and the back of your legs towards the ceiling. From the forward bend, put your feet together and your fingers on the floor in line with your toes. Move into a flat back, inhaling as you raise your torso to waist height keeping your back flat. Bring your gaze forward, reaching with your tailbone away from the top of your head. Keep your head aligned with your spine and your navel pulled in. If you feel tightness in your hamstrings or lower back or you can't reach the floor, bend your knees. Now bend your knees and place your palms flat on the floor, shoulder width apart. Jump or walk both feet backwards and lift your hips, coming into a downward facing dog. Spread your fingers and make sure your feet are parallel and hip width apart. Reach with your tailbone towards the ceiling as you push your hands and heels into the floor. Hold this position for a moment, breathing as you move deeper into the pose. Now reverse this 4-move series, jumping or walking your feet forward, out of downward dog and into a flat-back pose. Straighten your legs, drop your head, and bring your fingers outside either foot, moving back into the forward bend. Lastly, sweep your arms out and over your head as you return to mountain pose. Sun Salutation: Variation 1: Stand tall with your feet together and your arms by your sides. Take a deep breath and raise your arms over your head into mountain pose. Now, sweep your arms sideways, exhaling as you swan dive forward into the forward bend. Bend your hips until your fingertips touch the floor and align with your toes. Now, move in to the flat back by inhaling as you raise your torso to waist height, reaching with your tailbone away from the top of your head. Jump both feet backward as you move into the downward dog. Tabletop to half pushup. From the downward dog, come in to tabletop pose with your knees on the floor beneath your hips and your hands in line with your shoulders. With your arms close to your sides, bend your elbows 45 degrees in a half pushup. Repeat this move 8 times. Be sure to contract your abs and keep your head aligned with your spine. Get into the tabletop position. Bring your tailbone back toward your heel, resting your thighs on your calves in child's pose. Hold this pose for a few breaths while you feel the stretch through your shoulders and back. Now, return from child's pose to tabletop and then back to downward dog. Next, step forward into a flat back and then bend low into a forward bend. End with a reverse-swan dive up into mountain pose. Sun Salutation: Variation 2: Stand tall with your feet together. Inhale, and raise your arms over your head as you go into mountain pose. Now exhale as you swan dive forward into a forward bend. Next, move into a flat back, inhaling as you raise your torso. Jump your step backwards into downward dog. From the downward dog, get on your hands and knees in the tabletop position, bending your elbows to 8 half push-ups. Keep your elbows tight and abs contracted. From tabletop pose, move in to child's pose, breathing deeply to move deeper into the pose. Now, move back to tabletop and bend into downward dog. From downward dog, step your right foot forward between your hands, bending your knee 90 degrees while your left leg remains straight. Hold this position for a few breaths and then switch legs, jumping your right leg back and your left leg forward. Repeat this move, alternating legs 6 times on each side. Now return to downward dog and hold for a moment. Next, step back into the flat back and then bend low into the forward bend. End with a reverse-swan dive into the mountain pose. Sun Salutation: Variation 3: Stand tall with your feet together. Inhale and raise your arms over your head as you go into the mountain pose. Now, exhale as you swan dive forward into forward bend. Next, move into flat back. Inhale as you raise your torso, jump backwards into downward dog. From downward dog, get on your hands and knees into tabletops, bending your elbows to 8 half push-ups. Make sure you keep your elbows tight and your abs contracted. Stretch back into child's pose and hold this position, reaching forward through your fingertips. Come back up into tabletop position and then step back into downward dog. Now we'll go into a lunge jump, stepping your right foot forward between your hands. Hold this position for a few breaths and then switch legs, jumping your right leg back and your left leg forward. Repeat this move, alternating legs 6 times on each side. Make sure your back leg is straight while your front leg is bent 90 degrees. Hold the last lunge jump for 1 count, and then raise your hips back up into downward dog. From downward dog, step forward with your right foot between your hands. Lift your upper body, raising your arms over your head with your palms facing each other and your abs contracted. Bend your right knee 90 degrees and straighten your left leg, balancing your weight on the ball of your foot. Hold this position for 3 to 5 breaths as you reach up with your hands and down through your left heel. Now straighten your right leg. Keep your palms facing in and your left heel lifted. Hold this position for 2 or 3 breaths, and then lower your body back to the start position. Repeat this move 6 times. Now return to downward dog, then step forward with your left foot and come in to warrior lunge. Repeat this high-lunge sequence 6 times Be sure your left foot is facing forward. Now return to downward dog and hold for a moment. Next, step forward into the flat back and then bend low into the forward bend. End with a reverse-swan dive into the mountain pose. Sun Salutation: Variation 4: Stand tall with your feet together. Inhale and raise your arms over your head as you go into the mountain pose. Now, exhale as you swan-dive forward into a forward bend. Next, move into a flat back, inhale as you raise your torso. Jump backwards and move in to downward dog. From downward dog, get on your hands and knees into the tabletop position, bending your elbows to 8 half push-ups. Keep your elbows close to your sides and abs contracted. Stretch back into child's pose and hold this position, reaching forward with your fingers. Come back to the tabletop position and then step back into downward dog. Now go into a set of 6 lunge jumps, stepping forward with your right foot and placing it between your hands. Bend your right knee 90 degrees while you keep your left leg straight. Switch legs, jumping your right leg back and your left leg forward. Repeat this move, alternating legs 6 times. Be sure to gaze forward throughout the exercise. Hold the last lunge jump for 1 count and then raise your hips back into downward dog, holding for 2 counts. From downward dog, step forward with your right foot between your hands into the warrior series. Lift your upper body, extending your left leg and bending your right knee 90 degrees. Do 6 warrior lunges, bending and straightening your front leg. Repeat this move 6 times. Now, move back into downward dog and hold for 2 counts before coming up into warrior pose with your left foot forward. From warrior pose, go into the high lunge and do 6-warrior lunge reps. Finish once again in a warrior pose, holding it for 2 counts. Now return to downward dog position and hold for a moment. Next, step forward into a flat back and then bend low into a forward bend. End with a reverse-swan dive into mountain pose. From mountain pose, bend your knees. Push your butt back and raise your arms over your head with your palms facing each other. Now press your palms together in a prayer position. Bend forward and twist your upper body to the left, pressing the side of your upper right arm into the outside of your left thigh. Hold this pose for 1 to 2 breaths, and then bring your arms forward into chair pose. Repeat this move to your right. Do 2 more reps to your left and 2 to your right, returning to the middle for 2 counts each time. Now stand up, raising your arms into mountain pose and slowly dropping them to rest by your side. Run through this workup 4 times and you'll burn more than 500 calories."