Sure, rolling out a mat is a healthier way to beat stress than cracking open a couple extra brews, but yoga can also help tackle belly fat and give you a leg up in the weight room. And besides being a place to meet flexible women, yoga class can build a strong base for weight lifting, cut belly fat and reduce stress. Here’s how.

1. Supercharge muscle growth

“Yoga widens range of motion and increases access to more muscle fibers allowing for more substantial hypertrophy in any given muscle group,” says Carmen Lee-Schneider, certified yoga teacher & founder of Love Life. Live Yoga. Hypertrophy is when a muscle is enlarged because its cells are enlarged (it’s basically muscle growth on a cellular level). If you supplement your regular lifting routine with yoga classes, you’ll be able to activate ignored sections of muscle. For example, take the serratus anterior or “boxer’s muscle,” which is located under your armpit and over the side of your ribs. This muscle provides stability for your shoulders and is a base for developing deltoids and pectorals. Making your serratus anterior pop will help your abs look ripped, and you can get at it with yoga.

2. Lose the stress & keep your cool

Deep abdominal breathing is a huge part of yoga, and it activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This lowers levels of cortisol, a hormone that forces your body to hold on to belly fat. Training yourself to breathe deeply through yoga can reduce stress and cortisol levels in your daily life.

3. Boost your energy levels

Another giant benefit of yoga is lowering your heart rate. Our more intense yoga routines will challenge your heart and breathing rates, which strengthen your cardiovascular system and can lead to a reduction in overall heart rate. Your breathing volume can also improve, providing more oxygen for your body to work as efficiently as possible.

Yoga is more of a workout than most would expect. But are you up for a challenge? Grab you $25 gift card now and get started today!