Fit to Print Volume 23 Issue 4 December 2014

Mind Body Spirit by Karen Britton Yoga Strong One Yoga Class Per Week...That’s All It Takes Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Bill Walsh and Mitch Winston Warrior 1: Thoracic extension coupled with shoulder and hip ﬂexion. Direct application for the front squat Y our strength training, cardio, or any other workout routine, be it cycling, running, TRX, weight training, etc. can be improved greatly by adding just one yoga class a week and a few postures after/before and/or during your workout. Let me just clear up a couple of things. Yoga is most certainly for men, and there are several reasons men should be adding yoga into their lives. You do not have to be ﬂexible to start yoga, yoga will make you ﬂexible. Like any other goal you want to achieve, it takes a little time and patience. I'd like to also mention, you can start yoga at any age. It's not necessary to get into “pretzel” poses. There are some very simple postures you can practice on a daily basis. You don't need any special equipment-just a few square feet of space and maybe a mat. This little bit of stretching will not only enhance your other workouts, but also your life. You will gain peace of mind and add longevity to your life. Yoga postures are a series of focused isometric contractions coupled with speciﬁc breathing patterns that yield gains in ﬂexibility, mobility, and strength. I tell my students and potential students that you do not necessarily need a whole hour of yoga or have to do it ﬁve days a week. Once you get started in yoga and add it to your regular workout routine, you may decide you really like it and take more classes. My intention here is to let you know that it does not take much to get started. If time is an issue, you can add a few postures during and/or after your regular work out. On your less intense days, add a yoga class. Then take it from there. Let's just get your feet wet ﬁrst. There are dozens of variations and preparatory poses that can meet you where you are, regardless of age, injury, athletic goal, or structural imbalance. It's good to take some classes, perhaps a private to work one on one and ﬁnd the postures that coordinate with your workout. Private classes are a wonderful way for the instructor to get to know you, your workout routine, and suggest postures that will stretch you out and enhance your training. There are several beneﬁts as I mentioned. Along with gaining ﬂexibility, mobility and strength, you will tone, help prevent injuries, heal the body quicker, detox, improve concentration, breath better and learn to relax. When you learn to breathe better and relax, you concentrate better and perhaps push yourself forward to more motivation, yet mindfully. In a yoga class, one of the things learned is to be kind to your body and know your limits. This awareness is just one of several things you can learn and take it with you in your other workouts. As we age it's very important to keep ourselves ﬂexible. Yoga helps with your balance. With increased awareness, we can “catch ourselves” when we feel as if we are about to fall and prevent that fall. In addition to gaining ﬂexibility, balance, coordination, awareness, we also develop a strong core and this gives us a lot of stability. The relaxation parts of a yoga class are taken into all areas of the gym and into your daily life. For example, while sitting in trafﬁc, you will be able to relax. Relationships and interactions with people are improved. There are many aspects contained in a yoga class, such as the way you hold a posture, that will not only give your body the physical beneﬁts you desire, but mental beneﬁts that you thought could not be possible. Holidays 2014 FIT to Print Once you become more acquainted with yoga you can choose the class that works for you. We offer everything from slow pace classes, hot yoga, privates, and faster ﬂow classes. Yes, the other thing you might be wondering, is it possible to get a cardio workout? Absolutely!! You can also do a couple of yoga postures throughout the day. If you sit a lot at a computer, do heavy lifting, etc., you can take a few minutes to do a couple of yoga postures, stretch and breathe and that becomes your “reset button.” This will energize you and you can skip the afternoon caffeine. As mentioned earlier, you can do postures during and or after your weight training. Your rest period after some bench presses is a great time to stretch the chest and shoulders. After a spin class, cardio class, etc., stretch out the legs, back, neck and arms. You will feel a lot less stiff and get more out of your workouts. Remember, these stretches should be held for a little time, not to be rushed and breathe mindfully into them. I ncorporating yoga into your regular exercise regime will increase stamina while doing your workouts. Your breathing will be enhanced, you will gain more range of motion, become less prone to injury, and recover more quickly. You will create a pattern that enables you to relax with many things in your life. Remember, it does not take much time. A few postures while working out can go a very long way. It's quality versus quantity! Mitch Winston Extended side angle: Ÿ Increases mobility in hip ﬂexion, abduction, and external rotation. Ÿ Lengthens lats. Ÿ Direct application: for all squatting patterns and overhead presses. Karen Britton is a certified Yoga Instructor. She teaches Yoga classes and programs at Fitness Incentive. 19

Fit to Print Volume 23 Issue 4 December 2014 | Page 19