Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Yoga and the clyde

This past Wednesday after numerous invites from a friend I tried yoga. WOW I have no core!!!!! The whole experience was intimidating at first, but great once I got going. It was very relaxing and refreshing. The worst part though were poses exercises what ever you want to call them that took a lot of my core muscles. Broke a real sweat on those. After all was said and done I felt like jello but really good. The next morning I still felt good until I streched in my stomach OUCH!!!!!! pain but I guess what you would call a good pain.

In all I am going back this coming Wednesday. I highly recommend anyone try yoga atleast one time. It is different fromanything I have ever done and I like it!!!!

Chris

Yoga is part of my daily routine, both for fitness, and stress management.

I tried yoga a few years ago when a friend had a couple of guest passes. I didn't enjoy but it, mostly because the instructor kept hovering around me and touching me to adjust my posture. I really dislike being touched by strangers. So it was awkward. I wish the instructor corrected someone else (it was the first day of a beginner class and plenty of other people would have appreciated her help). After the class she pulled me aside and told me she admired my bravery to attend her class. I twitched a few times and decided to look around somewhere else.

Core training, eh? I need that. Perhaps I should check out some DVDs from the library.

I have this dvd and found it to be a good mix of poses.. Yoga for Athletes.

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Conditioning-Athletes-Rodney-Deluxe/dp/B0012T1J4O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1258971276&sr=8-1

I tried yoga a few years ago when a friend had a couple of guest passes. I didn't enjoy but it, mostly because the instructor kept hovering around me and touching me to adjust my posture. I really dislike being touched by strangers. So it was awkward. I wish the instructor corrected someone else (it was the first day of a beginner class and plenty of other people would have appreciated her help). After the class she pulled me aside and told me she admired my bravery to attend her class. I twitched a few times and decided to look around somewhere else.


I never cease to be amazed at the nasty people in the "fitness" and "diet" industries. Sorry you went through that.

I've not done yoga. I've done pilates, which also stresses core work. I felt like a wrung out rag for two days after. Having scoliosis didn't help matters, since the stretches and exercises assume the exerciser is 'straight' and doesn't have 'concave' and 'convex' sides. :-)

I never cease to be amazed at the nasty people in the "fitness" and "diet" industries. Sorry you went through that.

I think the instructor meant well but she kept stroking my arm and squeezing it. That and she kept saying "empowerment", "chi" and "universal energy flow". I have a low threshold for that kind of stuff.

I think the instructor meant well but she kept stroking my arm and squeezing it. That and she kept saying "empowerment", "chi" and "universal energy flow". I have a low threshold for that kind of stuff.

Too bad the "universal engery flow" didn't "empower" her to become aware of someone else's reaction to her behavior...

When I was young and naive, I smugly sauntered into a Yoga class at the gym thinking... "yeah...I could use a little extra stretching before my workout..."

WOW was I surprised! ...and thus began a deep respect for, and the occasional to routine practice of, Yoga.

Wonderful for body, mind and soul, IMHO.

Back in the day when I was a card carrying Clyde I basically got un-Clyded by running and cycling. A lot. All lower body stuff and after years of that and the fact I was in my 40's I had pretty much zero flexibility. Despite my fears I went to yoga because I knew it was something I needed. Been doing it about a year and in fact did it today.

After yoga I feel absolutely AMAZING, all stretched out, and relaxed. I'll never ever stop going to yoga. I'm not much into the spiritual part of it but rather the physical.

John

I always find it shocking how much one can sweat while moving so little. From the "outside" it looks like a bunch of sisy stuff. Once you join in the "fun" you realize that stabalizing the body is a fantastic workout. This is the only thing I miss from not having a health club membership anymore. I don't need the machines, but I sure enjoyed the yoga and pilates.

Happy riding,
André

I just went for the first time to a proper class with my wife... I've tried it before with DVD's etc., and finally now understand why everyone always says not to go that route. You really need to find a balance where it doesn't hurt, but does push you slightly. While I respect that you have personal space issues, the reason you go to a studio to do it in a class is because it takes some guidance to find compromise positions and so on.

It was incredibly restorative to me, and I can definitely see it adding a huge component of core strength and flexibility to the game... things that I'm missing, as well as having the need to stabilize a bad ankle and two and a half bad shoulders (tendinitis both sides, irritable old collar bone fracture on the other.)

According to my Wii, I wobble a lot when doing some of the yoga poses, mostly the ones where I stand on one foot. It's a good warm up and cool down when you put an aerobic workout in the middle.

I always find it shocking how much one can sweat while moving so little. From the "outside" it looks like a bunch of sisy stuff. Once you join in the "fun" you realize that stabalizing the body is a fantastic workout.

I agree. At the gym my scoliosis stretches, which consists of laying on my stomach and stretching my arms backward, are the exercises that make me sweat. Amazing what the little flexor muscles can do to you. :-)

From the "outside" it looks like a bunch of sisy stuff

I agree with that 110% I told one of the big manly men, iron pumping, USMC devil dogs I work with what a work out it was and he mostly laughed in my face. I talked the guy into going and he was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane for most of it.

It really promotes full body fitness. We have two instructors here. One is into the healing aspects of yoga and is very slow and methodical, the other gal is a machine and runs you through the ringer. I prefer the second one but the first gals "easy" class is the one that usually hurts more the next day. Went yesterday and almost literally everything hurts. The good kind of hurt though.

In my mind yoga is about as good as it gets for a whole body workout. Two years ago I couldn't do a baseball catcher squat and stand back up and now I could do it whilst twisting myself into a pretzel shape.

John

For those that do practice yoga - do you prefer the gym or a yoga school? Have a gym membership but there appear to be 3 places listed under yoga instruction nearby as well.

We have a gym membership, which also gives access to the sauna, weight room, pool etc. It's $96/month for the two of us as a couple... yoga is something like $15 per class around here, less if you buy packs of classes.

If you want to belong to a gym for the other elements, do that, but if you just want yoga classes, the studios are a great bet... you don't have to pay for what you don't use, typically you buy a single class or "pack" of classes at a discount and use them over some very long period. If you want to know whether you like it, go to a studio first, and if you want it to be part of your gym, try and find out which gyms have the best instructors... it's all about finding someone you work with gladly, at least from what I'm told.

It is definitely useful to find a teacher with whom you are comfortable to assist in making the modifications to the poses in order to allow you to grow into the "true" poses over a period of time. It is next to impossible to simply walk into a class and have perfect posture and pose.

I love my yoga, and try to do it every day.
It still amazes me what can be done even outside of a formal practice. (try doing yoga squats in line at the grocery store...gets you some funny looks, but keeps you in a state of mind where you do not mind waiting)

I have been going 3 weeks now and love yoga. I do it in a small studio with only 3 other people. It will be one other this week. I have tried at home and it is just not the same. Good strech yes but not relaxing. I just do not have the lighting space or anthing like to studio to bring calm. Oh and it feels great but kicks my butt!!!! She had me doing a headstand last week like I was 10 years old again. Amazed I am here to talk about it. Can only imaginwe what this week brings.