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Favorite Excuse For Not Doing Yoga: I'm NOT Flexible
When people find out that I teach Pilates and yoga, they often immediately disclose the reasons they don't practice either exercise form. I hear this excuse most often, "I could never do yoga, I'm so inflexible. I can't even touch my toes."
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Not Everyone is Naturally Flexible
When I took my first yoga class 7 years ago, my ego took a huge slap in the face. I went to fold forward, and I couldn't touch my toes - everyone could do it (really, even the old guys). Of course comparing yourself to others isn't the point when it comes to yoga (and can cause injury when you try to copy others), but I hadn't leaned that yet so I pushed myself really hard.
Flexibility Is Healthy in Many Ways
Flexibility in the workplace could be just as good for your health as flexibility in the body, new research has found. A flexible work life, including telecommuting and job shares, is good for your health as researchers found that if people have the ability to work from home and to compress work weeks, they are more likely to make healthier lifestyle choices, to exercise more and to sleep better.
It makes sense to me, but it's sad that most of us do not have this flexibility without quitting our jobs completely.
Which Part of Your Body Is Least Flexible?
Since I teach yoga, people are always asking me which poses they can do to stretch the least-flexible parts of their bodies. Swimmers complain of tight shoulders, runners continuously have tight hamstrings, and people who sit all day experience have tight hips. Stretching your muscles every day, throughout the day, can definitely increase your range of flexibility.
Stretch It: Shoulder and Neck Stretching Backbend
This stretch may look familiar if you've taken a yoga class. It's the prep pose you learn before doing Wheel pose. Also called Half Wheel, this stretch will increase flexibility in your spine, and also stretch out your shoulders and the back of your neck.
Don't Forget to Stretch
Have you been skimping on your stretching? When pressed for time, most people skip the stretching portion of their cool down, but that really is a fitness no-no. Keeping flexible is important for staying injury free.
Now Is the Time to Get Ready For the Slopes
Even though we're in the middle of Fall and I've yet to see any real signs of snow, experts say now is the time to get your butt in gear for Winter sports. Days on the slopes can be long and require a good amount of endurance, especially if you're the type who likes to visit the mountains for an extended weekend or even longer.
Veteran Winter Olympic athletes like ski racer Daron Rahlves and snowboarder Elena Hight recommend doing specific training for Winter sports six to eight weeks before the season starts.
Yoga and Running: Opposites Attract
Yoga is great for stretching and toning your muscles, and increasing flexibility, but as far as a great cardio workout for your heart, it doesn't quite cut it.
That's why running is the perfect complement to yoga. It's practically the opposite of yoga on the exercise scale.
Strike a Yoga Pose: Cobra
Some yoga poses require a ton of strength such as Crow, and other poses involve balance such as Standing Hand to Big Toe. Then there are those poses that are all about relaxing and gently stretching your muscles. Cobra is one of those poses that's all about feeling good and breathing.
Strike a Yoga Pose: Camel to Child's Pose
Doing stretches for your back not only feels good physically, but they are also energetically stimulating. Backbends open the muscles near your heart. This is the location of your 4th chakra which is associated with love and compassion.
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