How to Do PiYo Workouts

PiYo is an 8-week fitness plan from Beachbody that combines the strengthening benefits of Pilates with the flexibility enhancing effects of yoga. Set to music, this dynamic, energetic program was designed by trainer Chalene Johnson to provide a full-body workout without straining your body. PiYo is a low-impact exercise that doesn’t involve jumping, which lowers your risk of soft-tissue injuries such as sprains, strains, and bruises. This program is for you if you’re looking for a movement-based way to shape your body by building muscle tone and reducing fat. It’s easy to do at home since the moves don’t require equipment or weights.

Exercises

Here are a few PiYo moves to get a feel for the training. You can do these exercises on their own or as part of a circuit that you repeat one to four times.

Downward-Facing Dog plank flow

The ease of this pose is the perfect introduction to PiYo.

1.    Start in a plank position.

2.    Press into your hands as you raise your hips and drop your heels toward the floor.

3.    Pause in this position, flowing back to the starting position.

4.    Do 8 to 12 repetitions.

PiYo cross

This is one of the classic PiYo moves that warms up your core and legs. It also boosts your heart rate, loosens your hips, and alleviates upper body tension.

1.    Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips.

2.    Angle your toes to face outward with a slight bend in your knees.

3.    Extend your arms to the side, bending your elbows and extending your spine as you draw your shoulder blades together. This is the starting position.

4.    Squat down as you bend forward with your upper body, rounding your spine.

5.    Arc your arms overhead and cross your wrists to reach your hands between your legs.

6.    Reverse this movement to return to the starting position.

7.    Immediately lower into a squat, fold forward, and continue the fluid movement.

8.    Continue for 30 seconds.

Static beast

1.    Begin on all fours in a tabletop position.

2.    Raise on to your toes, lifting your knees a few inches off the floor.

3.    Engage your core as you hold this position for 1 minute.

Runner’s pose

1.    Stand on your right leg with your left foot raised off the floor.

2.    Bend your arms with your right arm forward and left arm back.

3.    Keep your left knee bent as you tilt forward, pressing your leg behind you, and switch the position of your arms.

4.    Float your knee forward, bringing it as high as your waist to return to the starting position.

5.    Do 8 to 16 repetitions.

6.    Repeat on the opposite side.

Moving warrior

1.    Stand in a wide-legged stance with your left toes facing forward and your right toes turning out at a slight angle.

2.    Square your hips to face forward as you extend your arms overhead with your palms facing inward. This is the starting position.

3.    Bend your left knee at a 90-degree angle so it’s right above your ankle.

4.    Lower your arms to shoulder level, with your left arm extending forward and your right arm extending behind you.

5.    Straighten your left leg and raise your arms overhead.

6.    Bend your left knee again.

7.    Lower your arms to shoulder level and extend out to both sides.

8.    Return to the starting position. This is 1 repetition.

9.    Do 8 to 12 repetitions.

10. Repeat on the opposite side.

What are the benefits?

Practicing PiYo arms you with a variety of benefits that can improve your overall well-being and enhance your fitness level. One of the main benefits of strength and flexibility is that you’ll have less of a chance of injury. PiYo helps to develop a strong core, which is essential in improving coordination, balance, and posture. The moves put less pressure on your joints, which helps to prevent aches and pains that often come with high-impact training. It’s ideal for people with limited mobility since it builds muscle strength, increases flexibility, and improves your range of motion. This enhances your athletic performance and adds ease to your everyday movements.

PiYo may also help to:

1. reduce body fat
2. burn calories
3. increase stamina
4. correct muscular imbalances
5. improve body awareness
6. increase heart rate
7. increase blood flow
8. reduce stress
9. boost confidence
10. improve mental outlook

What can you expect in terms of results?

During a PiYo session, you’ll move through powerful, flowing sequences. These target your whole body, building lean muscle mass and flexibility. Having a strong core will help your posture, coordination, and stability. As you develop endurance, strength, and mobility, you’ll find that it’s easier to perform certain movements and go deeper during stretches and other types of exercise. Take care and pay attention to your body during each move, modifying as needed. You can progress at your own pace. The intensity of the workouts means that you’ll see and feel results faster than milder forms of exercise, especially if you stick to the program and do the workouts 6 days per week. It may take up to 60 days for the full results to develop.

Is there a diet to go with it? 

The PiYo Get Lean Eating Plan helps you to meet your weight loss and health goals while giving you the energy to fuel your workouts. After calculating your calorie level, you can choose one of the four plans that will help you meet your calorie target. You’ll choose from food lists to create a diet that’s made up of 40 percent carbs, 35 percent protein, and 25 percent fat with guidance on what types of food can help form this ratio.

Are there any drawbacks to this type of exercise? 

As with any exercise, the chance of injury during a PiYo workout is possible, especially if you’re new to fitness or have any injuries or medical concerns.

If this applies to you, talk to your doctor before starting a PiYo routine. Consider working one-on-one with a personal trainer so you can learn the moves correctly. Listen to your body and choose modifications if you experience any discomfort, pain, or lack of mobility. Break down the poses slowly so you can learn the correct form. This allows time to develop awareness during the moves before doing them at a fast pace.