Every Singaporean male has to go through National Service and passing the IPPT is a must for us and it is an annual ‘affair’ till we are 40 years old or older for some. (please don’t ask me why)
Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) is a standard physical fitness test to gauge the basic physical fitness of a NS man and the 5 test stations are:
|
|
Test Station |
Fitness Components |
|
1. |
Sit Up |
Endurance of abdominal muscles |
|
2. |
Standing Board Jump |
Power of lower limbs extensor muscles |
|
3. |
Chin Up |
Muscular strength and endurance of upper limbs |
|
4. |
4 x 10m Shuttle Run |
General speed, agility and co-ordination |
|
5. |
2.4KM Run |
Cardio-respiratory endurance and lower limb muscular endurance |
So here the million dollar question: how do Asthanga Yoga series help to improve your performance at the IPPT test?
Sit Up – We are constantly engaging our abdominal muscle in all the asanas. Think about all the twisting asana that we need to suck in our mula banda or in chaturanga position which we have to suck in the abdominal muscles to ensure our body is in a straight plank.
Standing Board Jump (SBJ)– how many jump back and jump forward in the Asthanga Vinyasa? At least 20 jumps by doing the Sun Salutation A & B, that’s a good training for SBJ.
Chin Up: If you think that yoga works mostly on you lower limbs. Think about the chaturanga, down-ward dog and up-ward dog and all inversion poses. I’m sure all the muscle around the scapula, triceps and biceps are all working hard.
Shuttle Run: Agility and coordination, isn’t that what we are doing in all the asana. Increase in our flexibility and balancing while coordinating our body to achieve the asana and some do look impossible.
2.4km Run: We are constantly training our cardio and respiratory systems during our yoga practice. Many people do not believe that our cardio system are worked out during our practice as the asana do not resemblance any of the cardio exercise that they are familiar with such as running and swimming.
Of course, before the actual IPPT, you need to prepare yourself to get familiarize with the test stations once again. For the 2.4 km run, you have to start training yourself by timing yourself running the actual distance and you will be amazed by your own improvement. Good Luck on your next IPPT.
By AstonC
