Yoga Asana Demonstration

INDAKAN 2010

Culminating activity of all dance and movement-based classes at the 

University of the Philippines Diliman 

College of Human Kinetics 

General Physical Education Program.

March 2010.

Uploaded on youtube by Prof. Mynette Aguilar.

***

I wore my Polar F4 heart rate (HR) monitor during practice this morning to record exercise HR.  Resting heart rate (RHR) for this morning was above average at 68 beats per minute (bpm) but high based on my past RHR.  The last time I checked it was 56 bpm.  The average resting heart rate for men my age is between 71 to 74 bpm (Topend Sports, 2010).

With the RHR, I computed my HR training zone using Karvonen formula.  Calculated training zones at 50-85% maximum HR is 129-172 bpm.  I updated the user setting of my HR monitor and it was ready to go.

Here is the summary:

• Duration: 35.08 minutes
• In zone: 0 minutes
• Average HR: 92 bpm
• Max HR: 123 bpm
• Calories: 120 kcal

I did a basic practice which includes 5 surya A, 5 surya B, padangusthasana, padahasthasana, trikonasana A and B, parsvakonasana A and modified B, prasaritta padottanasana ABCD, parsvottanasana, uttitha hasta padangusthasana ABC, ardha baddha padmottanasana, utkatasana, virabadhrasana A and B, paschimattanasana A and C, purvottanasana, and the last three closing poses, yogamudrasana, padmasana, and utpluthih.

I turned on the HR monitor 10 seconds before I started the first surya A while standing in tadasana, and turned it off 5 seconds after landing from the last jump through, before savasana.

What does this tell us?

Because the data showed that no time was spent within the target training zone, we can say that the intensity of the basic program is not high enough to reach cardiovascular level, at least for me.  I'm fairly fit and I've been doing this for a long time.  Plus I was focusing on my breathing and regulating it consciously.

The story might be different for someone who is sedentary and has been active for a while.

I believe it is possible though to raise the heart rate up to at least 50% of my THR if I would jump higher and contract my big muscle groups more.  In that case, however, I will be doing exercise and not yoga asanas.

Until next time.

Om.