Run on your Yoga Mat

August 18th, 2011 by Maddie No comments »

Think like a runner

Think like a runner

You know who you are.  Your hips, hamstrings and lower back are tighter than you care to admit from logging all of those training miles. If this is you, here are some tips for practicing yoga while training.

  1. Keep your knees bent throughout your yoga practice even in poses where it appears the legs should be “stick straight”. Bending your knees protects not only the knee joint but protects from over stretching the hamstrings and several other muscles and ligaments.
  2. Use yoga blocks and straps. These yoga tools help create space for your body to move into poses. Think of these yoga tools as you would your running watch or heart rate monitor. As a runner you use these running tools to improve your fitness.
  3. During a high mileage week, taper a bit on the yoga. Keep your yoga practice easy, lower intensity. Think “easy” run, about a 6 on the intensity scale (10 being an all out sprint).

Finally, a good yoga practice should be both challenging and therapeutic.

Thanks for reading and thanks for coming back!

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Yoga for Runners

July 6th, 2011 by Maddie No comments »

Add a little yoga to your training regimen

cyclist, biker, yoga
Summer training and racing season is well underway.  If you find yourself struggling to find time to stretch and cross train, consider signing up for the CES Yoga for Runners class.  These yoga classes are specifically designed for the endurance athlete.  The CES Yoga for Runners class teaches the athle-yogi different ways to repair agitated joints and ligaments, cramped muscles and stress brought on by the impact of running. You will find the class both challenging and therapeutic.  Discover how integrating yoga into your training regimen adds balance to your body and your mind!

Location: Vitamin Shoppe, 2nd floor – 2747 North Clark Street
Time: 7-8:30pm

Sign up for CES Yoga for Runners


 

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Why Yoga for Runners?

May 23rd, 2011 by Maddie No comments »

training time, schedule
You might find yourself wondering why is it one day I am feeling great and then next I notice a twinge or worse where’s my chiropractor? Our lives are very busy and keeping mindful of our bodies simply is one more thing we have to do.

Why me? If you are like most folks you are busy training likely 10-15 hours a week. You find time before and after work to get in your training. You’ve mastered how to get in those key workouts. What’s challenging is to fit in time to stretch, x-train and rest.

Adding a little yoga to your training regimen is great way to get in smart stretching, strength training and rest. In an Athlete on the Mat class you will move through a variety of yoga poses to gain flexibility and strength toward improving your running efficiency. At the end of an Athlete on the Mat class you end in some version of a resting pose, whether that be Savasana or Viparita Karani or some modified version of a resting pose.

What are you waiting for? Get to a yoga class! :)


 

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Snowy day yoga

February 2nd, 2011 by Maddie No comments »

snowy day yoga for runners

Were you homebound due to Snowmageddon (blizzard here in Chicago and throughout most of the midwest)?  You might have decided you’d make the most of what mother nature created by having some fun on this snowy day, made a snowman or snow angel, maybe went sledding.  Now you might be thinking, I didn’t make it to the gym or get in my run.  On days like this, consider spending some time on your mat!  Not sure what to do once you’re there, here are a few suggestions.

  1. Check out the multimedia section of Yoga Journal.  YJ offers podcasts, an iPhone app, ondemand downloads, etc.
  2. Cable offers free “on demand” yoga classes
  3. If you’ve been practicing yoga for a year try putting together your own sequence!

Finally, if you were one of the folks who had to haul out a shovel (or snow blower) to get out the front door then maybe a single pose yoga practice might be what’s in store for you.  Try this single pose yoga practice, Viparita Karani.  This single pose is the perfect therapy after a long day of trudging through the many inches of snow.

Keep warm!

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Sore No More

January 13th, 2011 by Maddie No comments »

Sore feet and ankles

You know that feeling of sore feet and ankles when you run in the snow or on the trails? Sturdy and flexible feet are the remedy. Besides having a good pair running shoes (even with screws or yaktracs) keeping your feet flexible and strong is key to an injury free winter running season. When you’re running through the snow or hitting the trails your feet are definitely working harder. A seemingly simple run now becomes a mini workout for your feet. Here are two yoga poses to keeping you light of foot.

  1. Broken toe pose: stretches the bottom of your foot (plantar fascia) and the muscles and tendons between the toes.
    broken toe pose
  2. Virasana: stretches the shins and top of the feet
    Virasana - hero pose

These 2 poses are great to include in your post run stretching regimen or in your “tv-asana” practice.

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Shorter is better

January 4th, 2011 by Maddie No comments »

Yoga New Year Resolution

Happy New Year & Namaste!!

If one of your goals this year is to not get injured consider adding a home yoga practice to your training regimen.  Your home practice can be as little as 10 minutes.  You might be thinking, where do I start?  Sun Salute A is a great place to start.  You get strength, flexibility and balance from this ancient sequence. Then slowly add your favorite standing poses and don’t forget twisting poses.  (Twisting poses pack a lot of benefit and they are easy to add-in to your favorite standing poses.)

To get you started!

  • Great video on Sun Salute A (and B for that matter)
  • When your training is making your legs feel too fatigued for Sun Salutes then try a seated sequence such as “TV-asana” for Hips
  • And finally if you simply need a break but still want the therapeutic benefits of yoga then try Viparita Karani

Thanks for reading and thanks for coming back!

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Yoga in the off season

November 4th, 2010 by Maddie No comments »
off season yoga

Hang up those running shoes and head to your mat!

This time of year can make an athlete feel kinda melancholy. Athletes spend a better part of the year training for some race or personal training goal. With smart training, there’s a slice of the year where it is important to wind things down and sort of de-train. You might think de-train?! That’s crazy talk! Let me explain what I mean by de-train. That is give those hard earned muscles a rest so when you get back into intense training your body is ready for it. In giving your muscles a break consider amping up your yoga practice. Might help dealing with that anxious feeling associated with *not* doing intense training.

As both a teacher and student of yoga I have found that I leverage yoga very differently during the peak of my training. In a way my yoga practice suffers in the summer and ramps back up in the winter. In the summer the focus is on keeping my muscles and joints both flexible and strong. In the off season I spend more time on mat which affords me to try more challenging poses and work on deepening my yoga practice in general. What I have found in my years coaching runners and teaching yoga, athletes don’t really like taking a break, they like having something to focus on.

Here’s what I’m suggesting if inversions or backbends or standing poses are suffering because of intense summer training then consider for your winter training goals to practice those poses. Or maybe it’s not the poses themselves instead there’s a part of your body that is desperate for some TLC, find those poses which will remedy those tweaky muscles. Just remember to focus on a few, 3-5 poses. This new focus might be just thing to help those tweaky muscles. (Need help determining which poses are best for that tweaky part of the body? I can help, contact me.)

So consider deepening your yoga practice in the off season. Your mind and body will thank you!

Suggested poses:

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Learn to Run – post run yoga clinic

June 16th, 2010 by Maddie 3 comments »

On Tuesday, I gave a 20 minute clinic to the Chicago Endurance Sports Learn to Run team.  Here’s the sequence the group went through after our team workout.  This is a great sequence to do after a workout or in between workouts.

Front of the legs

  1. High lunge or low lunge
  2. Twisting runners lunge
  3. Half forward fold
  4. Downward facing dog

Balancing Sequence

  1. Tree
  2. Standing hand to knee pose
  3. Extended leg with arms lifting above the head
  4. Warrior 3

Hamstrings & Hips

  1. Star pose (legs are in a longer diamond shape as compared with bound ankle pose)
  2. Seated Hand to Knee pose (Janu Sirsasana)
  3. Side bending in wide angled seated forward fold  (Pavritta Upavistha Konasana)
  4. Wide angled seated forward fold (Upavistha Konasana)
  5. Reclined hand to foot pose (Supta Hasta Padangusthasana – use a yoga strap)

Finishing pose

  1. Viparita Karani (legs-up-a-chair)

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Stretching Tight Hamstrings

June 1st, 2010 by Maddie 2 comments »

Runners Legs, hamstrings

Hamstrings are very tricking muscles to stretch.  Most athletes agree stretching helps reduce injury and aches.  The trick is to stretch these 3 muscles on the back of the leg safely.

Here’s a stretching sequence to safely stretch hamstrings.

  1. Low lunge
  2. Star pose (legs are in a longer diamond shape as compared with bound ankle pose)
  3. Seated Hand to Knee pose (Janu Sirsasana)
  4. Seated Wide-Legged forward fold  (Pavritta Upavistha Konasana)
  5. Reclined hand to foot pose (Supta Hasta Padangusthasana – use a yoga strap)

A few things to note about stretching hamstrings.  It is important to stretch the “meaty” part of the hamstrings that’s the area between 3-7 inches above the back of the knee.  Any higher and you might cause micro tears in the muscles.  Bend your knees slightly whether it be in a standing forward fold or a seated forward fold.

These particular hamstring stretches are great for your lower back.  For the poses where you forward fold don’t slouch into the pose; stay upright and sitting right on top of the sits bones.  You might find sitting on a folded blanket (putting you about 2-4 inches above the floor) helps keep your sits bones right underneath you and sitting upright easier.  Use your sits bones as your guide for knowing how far to stretch!

One final thought consider taking the time to stretch hamstrings while watching tv (tv-asana!).

Thanks for reading and thanks for coming back!

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Yoga for Endurance Athletes

March 17th, 2010 by Maddie 3 comments »

athlete on the mat

Athlete on the Mat

Over the last 2 + months I have blogged about the benefits of yoga and the class experience.  But let’s hear what the endurance athletes who take the class think.  Why do these endurance athletes practice yoga?

For those who have taken the Thursday night CES Yoga for Runners class  either in this current session or in previous sessions I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Question: Why do you as an endurance athlete practice yoga?
Please post your comments below.  Thanks!

Curious what the class has been like?  Then check out previous CES Yoga for Runners posts.

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