Why lower body workouts boost your mood and weight loss

June 27, 2017 Ashley 0 Comments

“And now, breathe into your lower chakras…”

Hearing this for the first time (in some qi-gong-yoga class I overpaid to be in), I wasn’t sure what to think.

It was all new to me. We were squatting. We were single leg squatting. We were thrusting our hips, jazzercize style, like it was nineteen-eighty-Jane-Fonda. But, surprisingly, at the end… I felt good. Better than good, even. I felt grounded. Solid. It was the kind of sensation that waves over your whole aura and makes you wanna make good lifestyle decisions for your self and your body for the rest of the day. (As long as you don’t pass a Starbucks. Or Chipotle.) So… was it spiritual, mystical Eastern magic?

Maybe. But, if that’s so, then that same magic happens on the mat at the dojo I go to. Most nights, I step into Muay Thai class, stressed and frenetic and feeling insecure about life. But, fast-forward to an hour or two later, and I’m invincible. Amazing. God help you if you mess with me. Stress eat? Sit around on the couch? Why would I? That’s not what Spartans like post dojo-me do. I’m a god, smiting every enemy my to-do list comprises. I even feel clearer in the ol’ dome – capable of making the best, healthiest, and wisest decisions. And ya know what? The same thing happens when I hit the stair stepper. Or the leg press. Or do Barre. Anything that gets the gams going. Here’s the funny thing though: I can blast the same amount’ve calories doing something else – but I won’t lose as much weight or feel as emotionally elevated as when I’m making them stems and hips go HAM. So, why is that? Why isn’t it enough to do a basic two dimensional workout with minimal participation from your pins?

Because of hormones, says science.

See, when you workout your hips and legs intensely – something fascinating transpires.

Whether it’s with deadlifts in the gym or deep squats in your parlor while thumbing through a magazine, the same thing happens. You get this release of feel good hormones as well as the hormones that help you build lean muscle and burn fat. So, why isn’t this more of a workout norm? Well, first there’s misconception that traditional cardio’s the best way to go. (Thus, people only make time for the basic stuff.) Second, many of us tend to get afraid when we hear the term “testosterone” or “human growth horomone” (especially women). But the thing is – in their natural amounts (as the body releases them during exercise), these are some major players in making great weight loss strides. And, every time you do something like a heavy squat (or the HIIT kick/knee/elbow combos my instructor so loves), as much as ten times of those hormones rush into your system to help supercharge your weight loss efforts. Yes, you read that correctly: ten times the weight loss and feel-good inducing hormones happen when you do lower body focused workouts.

So, in a way, yes: there is something kinda magical ‘n mystical about that.

In sum, it doesn’t matter if you pump your buns on a yoga mat or hash out power squats at Equinox.

Just remember, either way: if you want mood higher and scale number lower, work that lower bod!