Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Yoga? Seriously?

Okay, so I'm taking this week off from running to rest my calf. I'll try running again this weekend.

In the meantime, I decided to try Yoga. Yes, I know, it's not generally a "guy" thing to do, but I had heard that it is really good for building strength and flexibility, two things that I am very lacking in (probably why I keep getting injured).

Through our cable provider, we have "On Demand" Exercise and Fitness TV, with tons of guided workouts, including Yoga. Yesterday I picked a random one called "Yoga Fitness Fusion" or something like that. It was a 45-minute workout. I only lasted 15 minutes. It was hard. I struggled, and I am sore today from that little 15 minute workout. I can really see the benefits of doing it though, and I am going to try it some more. I did another 10 minute Yoga session today. I think I may need to try a beginner's class, the workout I picked is kicking my tail. Hepefully I can get a stronger core and increase my strength and flexibility, which will only make my running better.

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21 comments:

Jason said...

Hey, man. Thanks for stopping by Tri the Dream. I have never thought about trying yoga. You are right, it never seemed like a manly thing to do. I have issues with injuries so I should give it a try. Thanks for the idea.

Mark said...

yeah, that yoga can be a real bitch. There's a yoga disc in the P90X series and I never was able to do 100% of the routine even after 5+ tries.

Anonymous said...

I tried Pilates for the first time last night - kicked my tail!!! Good luck with the yoga!

Erin said...

I think there is a fine line between beginning yoga that is so slow that you're bored to tears and yoga that is so hard you can barely do it. Here's hoping you find it!

Shannon said...

Buddy ol Pal.....Try a beginner Yoga class at your local gym, that way they can correct form & function.

No better way to build core than with a stability ball & medicine balls! Sounds like stretching & strength is just the ticket for a better season next year. :)

Missy said...

Strength and flexibility are the two most overlooked things we need to work on to keep injury at bay. Good luck finding your answer.

Christina said...

I've always wanted to try yoga but haven't made it a priority.

For the RAK's I was almost caught, which you can read about in this entry http://lazybonesrunning.blogspot.com/2009/10/rak-5-almost-discovered.html

Jess said...

Yoga is a lot otugher than some people anticipate. Plus, I think it's more difficult for men because they are naturally less flexible.

Carolina John said...

hey dude. thanks for reading the race report.

i love me some yoga. i do FitTV's namaste yoga, it's only a 30 minute show with commercials. the benefits are amazing. and i had to get over the "it's not a guy thing" thing too, but once I really accepted the practice and got into it, everything changed. it's really cool. give yoga another shot.

cath said...

thanks for dropping by my blog...
and yes..yoga is definately not only a girl thing, (although you need to be touhg like a girl!). I did hot yoga for a while..(yoga in a room to 40degrees) and felt pretty good...hmmmmmm...Its good to feel that certain flexibility that we dont quite get from running..

RunToTheFinish said...

ohh i've done that one and it is really hard! Namaste yoga is slower usually and I can do that entire one!

Relentless Forward Commotion said...

Yoga is HARD!! If I had the time I would love to regularly practice

Mel-2nd Chances said...

kudos to you for trying it! that reminds to me try the one on the P90X discs!

joyRuN said...

I love Yoga. I do the easypeasy series on fitTV. I should do it more often though, because I like feeling all gumbo-y after yoga :)

Glenn Jones said...

Yoga is the bomb. All of my kids were active in youth sports (one ended up scholarshipping, one was recruited by colleges but turned it down). It was a requirement by thir coaches to do yoga as part of their strength and conditioning! My son (baseball player) played his best (both performance and inury avoidance) when he was doing yoga twice a week.

Stick with it!

ShirleyPerly said...

Good for you! Yes, I have found that one of the reasons I got injured was not enough strength training and stretching. Hope the calf heals up soon!

Nicole Orriƫns said...

For years I scoffed at yoga. I thought it was really boring, and if I was going to lie down, I would rather go to sleep.

But like you, I've found out it can be a welcome addition to running. It really helps strengthen those core muscles.

Momshomerun

ihaverun said...

I used to teach yoga and I always had a few guys in my classes. I always thought they were awesome to give it a chance and never thought them unmanly. You are awesome to try it! It isn't easy, but it's worth it!! You just need to find the right yoga.

Good luck with the injury!!

Concord Carpenter said...

I don't get to go often but its amazing for my lower back - highly recommended!

X-Country2 said...

I always have so much respect for guys who do yoga. It's like watching a circus bear. :o)

TiredMamaRunning said...

I don't do yoga but some of my friends dig our neighborhood hot yoga studio--they actually give a discount to members of our running club. I do think yoga's a little too quiet for me personally, and opt instead for my toning class and adult ballet class-but know there are great benefits to doing yoga and still recommend it to other runners who need something to loosen them up. Hope you find one that's a good match for you!