Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
Okay that was a trick, welcome to today's post! My point is just that you can be a yogi without the yoga pants (though, let's be real, yoga pants are just the best). Yoga means union; it's a union of the mind, body, spirit, and breath. There are a 196 yogi-isms known as Yoga Sutras (threads). I've been practicing yoga for about 3 years but I never learned about these until about 3 months ago. The meaning of my practice has definitely changed since I have a better understanding of the fundamentals. I'm going to try to do the same for you.
The main principals of yoga are the practice of maintaining a state of tranquility and non-attachment to fears, insecurities, etc. So what does that have to do with the up dogs, down dogs, and holding Warrior 2 for what feels like eternity? We do those yoga poses to bring awareness to our bodies and how our breath moves us through each pose. By focusing on our bodies, we can let go of all the chatter in our minds and anything weighing on our hearts. The goal is for your mind to be clear and to focus only on your breathing by the time you get to shavasana. This is a difficult task especially after just one session; that's why it's called a practice. You are constantly trying to get yourself to that state of ease and peace. With diligence, it's possible!
Back to the title, you don't need to wear yoga pants or be in a yoga studio to achieve a yogi state of mind. Breathing is at the very heart of yoga and you can (and should) do it everywhere. Here's a breathing exercise you can do to clear your mind and burn some calories (breathing deeply burns calories!):
1. Put one hand on your belly and one hand at the base of your ribs.
2. When you inhale, fill your belly first with air, then your ribs, then your chest.
3. When you exhale, release from your chest, ribs, and belly.
4. Repeat until you feel zen-ed out
Move your hand from your belly to your chest then back to your belly so you can feel your breath move within you as you inhale and exhale. It may help to close your eyes to focus. You can literally do this anywhere and practice your yoga. I was in the shower and felt really stressed out. I did my three-part breath, taking in the scent of my soap and letting the hot water wash away my troubles. After a few rounds I felt better and ready to step out into the real world again.
I understand that yoga classes aren't for everyone but I do think that everyone can benefit from taking time for yourself to breathe deeply. There are so many beautiful aspects to yoga. As I grow deeper in my practice, I'll be sure to share them with you. Please share any questions or comments you have!
In health,
Lauren
Showing posts with label stretching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stretching. Show all posts
Friday, February 8, 2013
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
343/365 What's GU, Pussycat?
Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
My cousin and I are training for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in DC next year, who's in? "But, Lauren," you think to yourself, "how could I ever run a half marathon?" Well, I am still asking that question to myself even as my cousin and I are doing our long runs on the weekend. How does one train for a half marathon?
I am certainly no expert on the subject of long distance running, I just do whatever my cousin tells me otherwise I probably would stop training altogether. Our game plan though is to run just 3 times a week. On off days, I do yoga to stretch out my calves, hip flexors, hamstrings, and core to help recover and prevent injury. Day One of running is 2 miles run and Day Two is a slightly longer run. These runs are meant to keep the wheels greased, to train our minds to easily conquer that first leg, and to work on speed. Our long run on the weekends started at 4 miles and have gotten longer by 1-1.25 miles each week. Once we got over the 10K marker (6.2 mi), it was time to whip out the energy gel.
Energy gels, GU Energy, Sport Beans etc. are products that give you a boost of energy. They are mostly made with sugar to deliver energy quickly to your body; they also usually have electrolytes and protein. On a long distance run, you're burning a mixture of fats and carbs, carbs being glycogen floating around in your blood or stored in your liver. Conditioned endurance runners will be able to burn more fat since their bodies are more efficient and can take the time to use fat. At some point though, all of us will burn more carbs than fat since it takes a shorter time to burn carbs and we need the energy immediately. To top off those sugar levels, energy gels come in to save the day! By taking in a bolus of sugar that is easy to digest, we refill the bank of sugar our body can withdraw from to create more ATP, energy.
The thing to keep in mind with energy gels is timing. Though you may not feel tired 30-45 min into the race, a few more minutes longer at that intensity without fuel could be your end. It's recommended that you take a "shot" 15 min before running to top off your fuel levels and then every 30-45 min. GU Energy says to take the whole packet at once but for me, it's a little too much and I feel really weird and shaky. I take about a third each time interval and it has worked out well for me. I have yet to hit my wall, just my lactate threshold on some hills.
Before trying it, I joked about goo packs and how weird or gross they were. After two weeks of goosage (goo usage ha ha) I can truly say that they're not so bad. My gel has been hard and cold since it's been frigid outside which is fine by me. I can't imagine soft, warm gel; maybe that's just me. I've only tried GU Energy's Tri-Berry. I've also taken a few punch flavored Sport Beans before running because I actually have time to chew it. These are also pretty good, I'd just be slightly afraid of choking if I took it while running. The best thing I can recommend is giving it a try and seeing which kind/brand you like. And as always, drink water! These companies don't really say why you should drink 24-30 ounces with it but my guess is to help wash it down. Of course, you should absolutely stay hydrated whether you're running or hanging out anyway because Mama Lauren said so.
If you are a gooser (goo user ha ha), let me know what you think, what flavors you like, and which brand you enjoy the most.
In health,
Lauren
My cousin and I are training for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in DC next year, who's in? "But, Lauren," you think to yourself, "how could I ever run a half marathon?" Well, I am still asking that question to myself even as my cousin and I are doing our long runs on the weekend. How does one train for a half marathon?
I am certainly no expert on the subject of long distance running, I just do whatever my cousin tells me otherwise I probably would stop training altogether. Our game plan though is to run just 3 times a week. On off days, I do yoga to stretch out my calves, hip flexors, hamstrings, and core to help recover and prevent injury. Day One of running is 2 miles run and Day Two is a slightly longer run. These runs are meant to keep the wheels greased, to train our minds to easily conquer that first leg, and to work on speed. Our long run on the weekends started at 4 miles and have gotten longer by 1-1.25 miles each week. Once we got over the 10K marker (6.2 mi), it was time to whip out the energy gel.
Energy gels, GU Energy, Sport Beans etc. are products that give you a boost of energy. They are mostly made with sugar to deliver energy quickly to your body; they also usually have electrolytes and protein. On a long distance run, you're burning a mixture of fats and carbs, carbs being glycogen floating around in your blood or stored in your liver. Conditioned endurance runners will be able to burn more fat since their bodies are more efficient and can take the time to use fat. At some point though, all of us will burn more carbs than fat since it takes a shorter time to burn carbs and we need the energy immediately. To top off those sugar levels, energy gels come in to save the day! By taking in a bolus of sugar that is easy to digest, we refill the bank of sugar our body can withdraw from to create more ATP, energy.
The thing to keep in mind with energy gels is timing. Though you may not feel tired 30-45 min into the race, a few more minutes longer at that intensity without fuel could be your end. It's recommended that you take a "shot" 15 min before running to top off your fuel levels and then every 30-45 min. GU Energy says to take the whole packet at once but for me, it's a little too much and I feel really weird and shaky. I take about a third each time interval and it has worked out well for me. I have yet to hit my wall, just my lactate threshold on some hills.
Before trying it, I joked about goo packs and how weird or gross they were. After two weeks of goosage (goo usage ha ha) I can truly say that they're not so bad. My gel has been hard and cold since it's been frigid outside which is fine by me. I can't imagine soft, warm gel; maybe that's just me. I've only tried GU Energy's Tri-Berry. I've also taken a few punch flavored Sport Beans before running because I actually have time to chew it. These are also pretty good, I'd just be slightly afraid of choking if I took it while running. The best thing I can recommend is giving it a try and seeing which kind/brand you like. And as always, drink water! These companies don't really say why you should drink 24-30 ounces with it but my guess is to help wash it down. Of course, you should absolutely stay hydrated whether you're running or hanging out anyway because Mama Lauren said so.
If you are a gooser (goo user ha ha), let me know what you think, what flavors you like, and which brand you enjoy the most.
In health,
Lauren
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
113/365 Stretch while you Watch
Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
After a long hard day, sometimes it's nice to plop down in front of the television and enjoy your favorite programs or whatever is on. What I find to be even nicer is stretching while watching TV.
Ideally, we are supposed to stretch every muscle group 4 times for 15-30 seconds. One of my teachers calculated this out; you would have to stretch for 150 minutes. That seems like an incredibly long time. However, if you like watching movies or maybe Glee and something afterwards, 2.5 hours can go by really quickly. Why not be kind to your body and stretch while you watch instead of just sitting there?
Everyone can benefit from stretching. By stretching, you increase your range of motion so that you can move farther without injury. I have found flexibility to be important in the daily activities of my life as well as a way to reduce cramping in muscles. Different amounts of flexibility are needed depending on the sport you're playing. A caveat: if you are going for strength, stretching can actually attenuate muscular performance. This means you probably shouldn't stretch right before you do any power lifting.
There are a couple ways to stretch: passive, static, PNF, and ballistic. Passive is done when you have a partner or object to stretch your muscle for you. Static is when you hold your body in a stretched position and slowly increase the intensity every 6 seconds. PNF is where you contract the muscle you're stretching then stretch it as you release the contraction. Ballistic is when you stretch with a bouncing movement. Do not do this; you're more likely to injure yourself doing ballistic stretches.
Next time you turn on the tube, get on the floor, and stretch your body out. You will feel better than if you simply sit on the couch.
In health,
Lauren
After a long hard day, sometimes it's nice to plop down in front of the television and enjoy your favorite programs or whatever is on. What I find to be even nicer is stretching while watching TV.
Ideally, we are supposed to stretch every muscle group 4 times for 15-30 seconds. One of my teachers calculated this out; you would have to stretch for 150 minutes. That seems like an incredibly long time. However, if you like watching movies or maybe Glee and something afterwards, 2.5 hours can go by really quickly. Why not be kind to your body and stretch while you watch instead of just sitting there?
Everyone can benefit from stretching. By stretching, you increase your range of motion so that you can move farther without injury. I have found flexibility to be important in the daily activities of my life as well as a way to reduce cramping in muscles. Different amounts of flexibility are needed depending on the sport you're playing. A caveat: if you are going for strength, stretching can actually attenuate muscular performance. This means you probably shouldn't stretch right before you do any power lifting.
There are a couple ways to stretch: passive, static, PNF, and ballistic. Passive is done when you have a partner or object to stretch your muscle for you. Static is when you hold your body in a stretched position and slowly increase the intensity every 6 seconds. PNF is where you contract the muscle you're stretching then stretch it as you release the contraction. Ballistic is when you stretch with a bouncing movement. Do not do this; you're more likely to injure yourself doing ballistic stretches.
Next time you turn on the tube, get on the floor, and stretch your body out. You will feel better than if you simply sit on the couch.
In health,
Lauren
Sunday, October 3, 2010
74/365 Massage Your Muscle Cramps Away
Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a muscle cramp or "Charlie horse" in your leg? It's a terrible feeling that could be due to dehydration, low potassium, low sodium, low carbohydrate levels, or a lack of stretching.
In order to remedy the situation, try any and all of these:
- stretch the muscle that is ailing you
- massage, squeeze, or knead the muscle; massage the tendons (the tissue that attaches your muscle to bone) of your muscle
- apply pressure to the trigger points, the spots that feel very tense, for a few seconds
- have a banana or salty snack
- drink a glass of water
The best way to prevent muscle cramps in the first place is to stretch very well after exercise and to stay hydrated.
In health,
Lauren
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a muscle cramp or "Charlie horse" in your leg? It's a terrible feeling that could be due to dehydration, low potassium, low sodium, low carbohydrate levels, or a lack of stretching.
In order to remedy the situation, try any and all of these:
- stretch the muscle that is ailing you
- massage, squeeze, or knead the muscle; massage the tendons (the tissue that attaches your muscle to bone) of your muscle
- apply pressure to the trigger points, the spots that feel very tense, for a few seconds
- have a banana or salty snack
- drink a glass of water
The best way to prevent muscle cramps in the first place is to stretch very well after exercise and to stay hydrated.
In health,
Lauren
Thursday, July 22, 2010
2/365 Breathe Deeply and Feel Good
Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
Yesterday was my second session with a new client. I asked her if she felt sore from our work out the other day. She replied, "No but, I woke up the next morning feeling good[...]usually I wake up and I'm dragging." How exciting! After one day, exercise has already affected her positively. Exercise and fitness doesn't always have to be about improving your looks or losing weight. Sometimes, feeling good is all we need. In my own experience, I have stopped caring about what the scale says and focus instead on how I feel.
To help you feel good, today's tip is to begin your day or work out with a breathing and stretching exercise inspired by Yoga.
1. Begin by standing with feet hip-width apart and arms at side.
2. As you inhale, bring your arms out to the side. At the top of your inhale, hands should be overhead.
3. In a fluid motion, arms come down to the sides stopping at shoulder height as you exhale. Still exhaling, bend from the hips, keeping back arched (swan dive). Once you get halfway down, round out your back and bring hands down to the floor.
4. Stay bent forward for two complete breaths.
5. Repeat as needed.
This stretch is also good if you feel tired and need to be energized.
In health,
Lauren
Yesterday was my second session with a new client. I asked her if she felt sore from our work out the other day. She replied, "No but, I woke up the next morning feeling good[...]usually I wake up and I'm dragging." How exciting! After one day, exercise has already affected her positively. Exercise and fitness doesn't always have to be about improving your looks or losing weight. Sometimes, feeling good is all we need. In my own experience, I have stopped caring about what the scale says and focus instead on how I feel.
To help you feel good, today's tip is to begin your day or work out with a breathing and stretching exercise inspired by Yoga.
1. Begin by standing with feet hip-width apart and arms at side.2. As you inhale, bring your arms out to the side. At the top of your inhale, hands should be overhead.
3. In a fluid motion, arms come down to the sides stopping at shoulder height as you exhale. Still exhaling, bend from the hips, keeping back arched (swan dive). Once you get halfway down, round out your back and bring hands down to the floor.
4. Stay bent forward for two complete breaths.
5. Repeat as needed.
This stretch is also good if you feel tired and need to be energized.
In health,
Lauren
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