Tabata My Glutes Off

I felt like a veritable beast during my yoga teacher training. I was out there taking two or more yoga classes a day, running on the trail, and doing "core-ture" workouts. Get it, torture, core-ture. Not only that, I did other completely random things: hooping, acro-yoga, arial yoga, stand-up paddle boarding, and whatever else I could find that was free and not at some ungodly early morning hour. Having been transplanted to Austin just for training, I didn't have a job or family obligations to deal with. So I had all the time in the world to do whatever I wanted. Plus, it was nice that the friends I had made were right there next to me on the mat, trail, or paddle board. My yoga practice benefitted greatly through my recreation. I became strong and active because I had a well-rounded practice. I didn't focus on just one form of exercise, I balanced it out through cardio, flexibility training, and strength building. 

Now, I've returned to real life where I do have jobs, obligations, and so do most of my friends. My activity level had waned, not to mention the freebies here in Columbus are significantly fewer in number. Time and money got in the way and well, to be honest, the polar vortexes of this winter has prevented me from wanting to go outside at all. My well-balanced exercise regime have declined. While I can do sun salutations without breaking a sweat, I didn't feel an overall strength anymore.

It's made me realize how beneficial cross-training is. One person can practice running forever until they win a marathon. But for me, I don't want to just win a marathon, I want to take a weekend off to go rock climbing, drop in on a yoga class, then try flipping myself through the air on a trapeze. But again, we come back to time and money. How can I continue my badassary if I don't have the means to do so yet?

One word: tabata. For those in the know who I've talked to, it basically strikes fear into their hearts. Really, I should be terrified of it as well but we're still going through that delicious honeymoon period where I'm all, "This only takes 20 minute and I've burned off that slice of cake I just shoved in my mouth!" and tabata's all like, "Aww, this girl's really into me even though everyone else is scared of me. We must have something real!" Give me a few more weeks, then we can talk.

Basically, tabata is like a high intensity interval training exercise. You do various exercises and plyometrics at high speed for 20 seconds with 10 second breaks in between for 4 minutes for a total of 4 rounds breaking for 1 minute in between. With me so far? To be fair, I'm still very new to this and don't know very much about it. However, I do know that it has been an awesome addition to my practice and it only takes about 30 minutes altogether with warm ups and cool downs. 

Here's the first tabata work out that I've ever tried and that got me hooked on this whole idea. I begin with a set of pretty vigorous sun salutations to stretch out my muscles and get my heart going. Any cardio exercise is fine, whether it's running, biking, or getting a heart attack. Just kidding. Then, I did two sets of each round, totaling in four sets with one minute breaks in between. 

A timer is necessary to help keep track. I use my regular iPhone stopwatch but there are special tabata apps that can help you. Set it for 4 minutes for the first set and do each exercise for 20 seconds, taking 10 second breaks in between. At the end of the first set, take a 1 minute break, then repeat the first set. Do again with the second round for two sets. 

Then cool off. I walk around a little bit to get my heart rate and my shaking legs, oh my shaking legs, back under control. Then, I finish off with some yoga poses that stretch out my hamstrings, quads, glutes, and side body. Pyramid pose, side triangle, half split (or full,) lizard, and low lunges are pretty good. 

Many tabatas vary slightly in timing and exercise. This is what works best for me and I've modified it with different exercises, adding weights, alternating abs moves to keep it well-rounded. Just a quick Google or a search on Pinterest will yield so many options. Plus, the weather is finally beginning to warm up, so that just means I get to take this outside and try some of the sprinting moves!

How do you keep yourself in shape and balanced? Do you cross-train or prefer to stick with one type of exercise?

Is Yoga a Practice or a Race?

What is yoga to you? Is it deep long stretches and plenty of "ohm"s in a candlelit room? Is it Sun Salutations on top of Sun Salutations and intense arm balances and headstands? Is it slow, flowy movements?

A good practice for me is one where I feel my body become warm through movement and my muscles have that soreness that comes from strengthing asanas and stretches that feel oh so good. My mind becomes clear and focused on my center of gravity. My thoughts stop flitting around and begins to ease me through uncomfortable positions. It's a balance between motion and stillness. Where my savasana, final relaxation pose, becomes the most important part of class. 

However, some people prefer a practice where they end up heaving over in a puddle of sweat, practically crawling to their cars afterwards. While I love a good exercise, there's something that disconcerts me about doing twenty spiderman push-ups in the middle of a yoga sequence. 

This has been a little tough for me to write because I'm conflicted. I want to uphold the philosophy of yoga and what I'm about to express isn't going to be very "yoga" of me. It may be judgmental, it might be harsh, but this is how I feel.

I've had the opportunity to take a few classes here in Columbus. Some of them were fantastic, guided by instructors who clearly had a handle on their sequences, and I felt wonderful when I went through them. But then, I got to experience the other end of the spectrum. I've been lucky enough to have gone this far in my practice without encountering a teacher that fell a little bit short of expectations.

I don't want to say they were bad. But I certainly did not feel safe doing their classes, nor did I feel connected to the idea of yoga. Yoga is the union between mind and body, and when you're in plank bouncing left and right on your hips, it feels a lot more like a cross training workout than being mindful of your breath and body on the mat. 

I felt like there was a lack of respect for the asanas. Instead of easing your body into the poses- holding, breathing, flowing- it was a race in how many Sun Salutation Bs can you do in under a minute. I know that there is a very popular opinion that yoga is a form of exercise. And it is. It is exercise. You are moving your body, increasing your heart rate, building strength, growing more flexible. I, myself, held that opinion when I first started practicing yoga. 

However, the more I practiced and the more I learned about the philosophy and purpose of yoga, the more I realized that it is so much more than an exercise for the body. A well-rounded practice includes an exercise for the mind. My mind is infinitely calmer. I'm much more conscious and mindful of my body's movements and to a lesser, but still growing, extent, of my thoughts. It is a lifelong practice that reaps benefits for the whole package.

So when I left these classes with my body feeling out of whack from trying to cram in as many chairs as possible, I had a sour taste in my mouth. It was more like a sub-par boot camp workout than a one-hour flow. Sure, I was sweaty and my arms and legs were guaranteed to be sore the next day, but all I could think of was: That was not yoga.

I am the last person to judge what is and what is not yoga. I am by no means any sort of authority despite being an instructor. In my classes, I don't teach, I guide. Yoga is within you, I just help you through it. But I can feel a difference between a true yoga class led meaningfully by a teacher with real intentions and a yoga class led by the resident group fitness instructor at the local rec center. 

Go ahead, move your bodies. But move your mind too. Respect the asanas. Take time with them. Sun Salutations are not a race. They are a practice in bringing together your mind and body through your breath. King Lizard isn't only meant to stretch your quads, it opens your heart and sends your mind on a journey of endurance, patience, and tolerance. Breathe in positivity, breathe out negativity. View your sweat as toxins being eliminated out of your body. Yoga is a practice, a whole-listic practice. 

I hope that as yoga spreads, the story of yoga does too. That more practitioners will start following the philosophy behind it instead of just the trail of sweat behind the person in front of you.

What is yoga to you? What has been your favorite class and why did you love it so much?

When You Just Suck at Running

So I've started running. Well, "running" is more like it. It's not real running like that 40+ lady with a few extra pounds you see on the trail just huffing and puffing by without stopping and before you know it, you see her coming back towards you still huffing and puffing and you wonder why, why in hell you can't last more than five minutes and she just outlasted you by an hour. Nothing like getting owned by the unexpected.

Anyway, I'm on the Couch to 5K program. Yes me, the fairly young, fairly fit girl who's about to take on eight solid weeks of yoga, yoga, yoga in an effort to become a certified instructor. I'm only on week, what, five? (I had to take a good long break during camp. No way in hell was I sacrificing my precious little sleep to stumble/run pathetically in front of not one, but two triathlon competitors.) And seriously, I am so freaking proud to finally reach the point where I can run a full five minute, albeit I am grateful for the walking intervals, not gonna lie. One day, one day, I'll run for a half hour straight and be a happy little clam. If clams had feet... and can wear running shoes.

In any case, if you're wondering why I'm telling you all this, it's to make you feel better. No really. Now you have no excuse not to get up and do whatever it was you've been thinking you should do. It could be running, hiking, biking, yoga (cough, cough,) rock climbing, swimming, whatever it is. I look like I'd be a fabulous runner, able to blast on by that 40+ lady, but no, she's the one leaving me behind in the dust. 

I don't have fancy running clothes. I basically throw on an old teal tank top from high school, a cheap bra, and whatever shorts I can move around in. My shoes are not fancy running shoes. They're ballet slipper style sneakers with velcro laces and barefoot sole technology. Not even Vibrams, just some knock-offs I found at Marshalls. (Seen on my feet in the picture below with my lovely boys on top of a mountain in Connecticut.) And I start slow. Couch to 5K have been such a huge help. In the beginning, even 90 seconds of running had me winded. Now I'm up to five minutes, and I'm still winded, but it takes longer now! The app for the iPhone is free. Just stick your earphones in, slap on some sunglasses so no one can identify your huffing puffing ass right away, and get going. 

One thing I do strongly recommend is stretching before and after. If you're like me, basically clueless about the general stretches, just think yoga! Yay! (You totally saw that coming.) DoYogaWithMe.com is an awesome site that provides free yoga videos of all kinds. I particularly love Fiji McAlpine's pre-and post-run yoga. I kind of slack on the pre-run one but definitely go for the post-run session every time. 

Can we discuss what an awesome name Fiji McAlpine is. I need a yoga name now.

Anyway, happy running or climbing or whatever it is you've been tempted to do. Both videos are below and guess what, your excuses? All gone. Poof! What's your "feel better" trick if you're feeling less than confident about yourself when you exercise? Share in the comments below. I know I definitely need more tricks up my sleeve for moments like this!

Tiger Pose Chaturanga

I'm sad to say that I've been slacking on my yoga. Guitar Boy and I have been going on bike rides instead. The weather has been so lovely; it's hard to compare an hour indoors doing yoga with an hour (or more) outdoors biking and enjoying the beautiful Towpath. Yesterday, we managed to go 30 miles, much to my dismay because we were utterly wholly unprepared and were practically starving and shaking with hunger by the end of the ride. Next time, granola bars. Yep.

However, when I'm watching TV while winding down at night, I'll do a couple yoga poses during the commercials. Sometimes, I'll do a few quick Sun Salutations, other times, I'll do some twists and seated stretches. Yet other times, I'll do this modified Tiger Stretch I've seen in some yoga sessions but can't find the official name for it. I consider it a sort of Tiger Stretch chaturanga. Chaturangas are an important part of Sun Salutations. It's a yoga push up. What fun!

This modified Tiger Stretch is a vinyasa that includes an Extended Cat Stretch and a yoga push up, finishing with the Tiger Stretch. It's a great way to stretch out your spine and neck. It also strengthens your arms, most specifically your triceps, and it helps build your core. It's incredibly energizing. After I finish my sequence, my muscles are loose and renewed and I feel relaxed.

1. You begin in tabletop pose, (remember from the Cat-Cow Pose.) Stand on your hand and knees, your wrists below your shoulders and your knees below your hips. Keep your back and neck flat and straight and relax your jaw.

2. Then, shift your weight so it centers over your right knee. Inhale and slowly lift and stretch out your left leg. Reach it up while arching your back, lowering your belly down towards the floor, and looking up. This is the Extended Cat Pose.

3. Exhale, with your leg still lifted, soften your back slightly and begin to lower into the push up. Slowly, by bending your elbows back towards your hips, not out to the side, lower your chest to the floor in a mini push up. You will now look like a diagonal line with your leg in the air and your chest close to the ground.

4. Inhale, and slowly push yourself back up into the Extended Cat Pose in number 2.

5. Now, exhale and release your leg. Raise your back, bend your knee as you release the leg and bring it under your body close to your forehead. Lower your head to meet it and stretch your spine in the opposite way from the Extended Cat Pose. This is the Tiger Stretch.

6. Come back to the Extended Cat Pose and repeat 2 through 5 two more times on the same leg. Then, return to the table top pose.

7. Repeat the sequence three times on the opposite leg making sure to center your weight on your left knee first before raising your right leg. 

I do this three times on each leg then move into the Child's pose to relax for a minute. If you don't think you can manage the chaturanga, the push up, you can simply skip steps 3 and 4 and go straight into number 5. Do give it a chance though, you might find it a bit enjoyable!

Note: I am not a doctor or any type of medical/physical professional. My advice is given because it works for me, not because a doctor or professional said so. If you have any questions about your physical ability, please check with your doctor or physician first for all matters.  

Sketch images source

Photo image source

Center Yourself with Cat-Cow Yoga Vinyasa Poses

Vinyasa means synchronizing your movements to your breath. Inhale- move to one asana or pose, exhale- move to another. It's calming to your mind and relaxing to your body. When I'm going through a routine, breathing in and out, I just close my eyes and lose myself in my body. It has never failed to rejuvenate me.

The Cat-Cow sequence is a stress-relieving and emotionally balancing vinyasa routine. I do this whenever I have a free moment and want to stretch out my spine and center myself. Other benefits include: strengthening your spine and neck, stretching your lower torso (e.g. hips, belly, and back,) stimulating organs in your abdomen, and improving your overall balance and posture.

You begin in Tabletop pose. Stand on your hands and knees with your wrists and elbows directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips. Stretch and space out your fingers so you feel very grounded through your hands. Point your toes back throughout the sequence. Keep your spine flat in a "neutral" position and relax and elongate your neck, looking at down at the floor. (image credit)

As you inhale, move into the Cow pose. Arch your back, lowering your belly towards the floor, and lifting your tailbone upwards while pressing your chest forward and up. Face towards the ceiling. Relax your shoulders from your ears. Try to do most of the movement in your upper back, allowing the rest of your body to follow suit. As always, keep your shoulders and jaw relaxed so you avoid tension and continue breathing. (image credit)

Then, when you exhale, move into the Cat pose seen below. Round your back upwards, allowing your chin to drop towards your chest- but do not force it. Let your head drop to the floor. Tuck in your tailbone and gaze towards your bellybutton. Keep your shoulders relaxed and in place as well as your hips. (image credit)

Continue to slowly and gently move into the Cow pose with each inhale, then the Cat pose with each exhale. Breathe deep into your lower lungs and belly. Try to extend your belly out as you breathe in, imagining it filling up with air, then pull your belly in as you exhale, as if you're deflating all the air out of it. Continue for 5 - 20 breaths depending on how long you want to do it then return to the neutral Tabletop pose to finish.

Don't worry if you're not getting the pose exactly right or if you're not following the deep belly breathing technique I described above. As long as you synchronize the inhales and exhales to the Cow and Cat poses and you feel a change in your body, you're doing yoga. Do not push yourself into poses, just breathe yourself into it and let your body relax and take over.

If you do yoga, what poses do you like to relax yourself when you have a minute in the day? If you don't do yoga, will you try this? If you do, how did you like it? You can answer in the comments below!

Note: I am not a doctor or any type of medical/physical professional. My advice is given because it works for me, not because a doctor or professional said so. If you have any questions about your physical ability, please check with your doctor or physician first for all matters. 

Yoga Detox Poses to Help Overindulgence

I'm pretty sure most of you overindulged yesterday amidst loved ones, food, and celebration. I know I have! So when I'm feeling heavier or slower than usual, instead of just trying to slog my way through the day and eating only salads, I turn to yoga to help me get back to my usual self. (image credit)

I focus on specific poses that help detox my body and relax myself. Yoga Journal describes explains how "[t]he heating and twisting sequences designed for [detox] can help move toxins from your tissues through your lymphatic and digestive systems so that they can be eliminated from the body" which is extremely helpful if you've imbibed a bit too much alcohol or ate one too many servings of mayo-laden potato salad.  

So how does the body detox? Kate Hanley of Gaiam Life describes it well: "There are three main systems of the body that play a crucial role in the elimination of wastes — circulatory, digestive and lymph. The circulatory system pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen to and carrying waste products away from cells. The digestive system processes the food we eat, separating nutrients from waste and eliminating anything the body doesn’t need. And the lymphatic system collects intracellular fluid from throughout the body and transports it to the lymph nodes where anything harmful (such as bacteria or other contaminants) can be removed before the lymphatic fluid is returned to the bloodstream." 

Our body is well-set up to do this already, but sometimes we beat it up and we need to offer a helping hand. Most types of vigorous exercise will help rev up your body's detoxification system, but yoga offers a unique method involving stretching and compressing that helps in very specific ways.

I tend to lean towards twists whether it's sitting, laying on my back, or standing in either chair position or lunge position. I guess I can say these are my favorite poses. These poses offer the benefits of improving digestion so I find myself doing a few of these at night before going to bed. Twists are a great example of a compression technique that helps with detoxes. View this page for variations on twists and step-by-step instructions. (image credit)

 

 Another great detox pose is the downward dog. I know most people hate this, even I dislike it most of the time. However, it's incredibly beneficial to our bodies which is why we find it time and time again in yoga routines. In getting your heart higher than your head, you reverse the gravitational blood flow and shake up the circulation of your blood and lymphatic system. It also slightly tones and strengthened your abs so digestion is improved as well. Click here to read and view a video of step-by-step instructions on how to do the downward dog.

Legs up the wall is another great pose that I've actually have not taken the time to do very much. Gaiam Life explains that this pose "[b]athes the abdomen in fresh blood, stimulating the digestive organs. Soothes the nervous system, allowing your body to shift its attention from warding off stress to daily bodily functions, including detox." It sounds kind of freaky, I know, but never underestimate the power of what simple poses can do for your physical and mental well-being. Click here to read step-by-step instructions on how to do this pose on the left.


What do you do to help your body recover from a day of overindulgence? Would you do these yoga poses? If you do, let me know how you felt afterwards!

Note: I am not a doctor or any type of medical/physical professional. My advice is given because it works for me, not because a doctor or professional said so. If you have any questions about your physical ability, please check with your doctor or physician first for all matters. 

The "Miracle" Workout

It seems like everyone's always on the lookout for the next "miracle" workout or the "perfect" diet. Remember the 90's and its aerobics and carb craze? Then, there was the Atkin's diet, kickboxing, Pilates, South Beach diet, you name it, someone's done it. In reality, there isn't a single one-size-fit-all method. It's all about what's a miracle for you and what's perfect for you. (Photo Source)

 

Let's talk about working out. I was not a big fan of working out until Guitar Boy came along with his bicycle and gym membership. He was active and all about eating right while I preferred the couch and didn't think twice about food. Eventually, I felt like a sluggish plump person next to his lean and strong physique. He didn't do anything to cause me to feel like that. I did it to myself and I hated it. It wreaked havoc on my self-esteem and well, that causes problems in a relationship whether you admit it or not.

So, I gave in and went along with him on some of his bike rides. I signed up at the gym and became the cardio queen. 30 minutes on the elliptical and I was out of there, but at least, I was doing something. Then, I built up the confidence to be able to head over to all the weight machines. (It took over a year, really.) It wasn't fun for me though. While I liked doing the cardio, it all eventually got boring. Which is why when I moved and had to end my membership, I was secretly relieved. No more dealing with a bunch of sweaty people; no more fighting for machines; no more feeling like you're being gawked at even when you're really not.

But... I had something else in the wings. Something that I couldn't wait to do, that made me excited, and without fail, made me feel amazing when I was done. I realized, that's what working out should be. It shouldn't be work, it should be just using your body and feeling great about how your body is functioning. My miracle workout is yoga.

Yoga should be for everyone. There's a million ways to go about it, it's very low in cost depending on what you choose to do, and its benefits are endless. You can use it as strength training or to exercise your heart. You can use it to aid in ailments and body aches. You can use it to relax yourself at the end of a long day and to relieve stress. Unfortunately, yoga has a reputation that most "macho" men don't want to go near with a ten foot pole. They're really missing out.

I want to introduce you to my favorite yoga flow. It's called Sun Salutation and it's just a great way to get a stretch in your whole body and to revive yourself. This graphic found through Pinterest is gorgeous and helps you remember all the steps. Plus, you can even do a series of these quickly to raise your heart rate for some cardio. Click to see a version for beginners at Yoga Journal.

 

It's quick, easy, and cheap to get started. You can look for local yoga classes at your gym, rec center, or yoga studio. Just do a search for yoga and your zip. Or, do what I do. I bought a $5 yoga mat (thank you, Five Below,) and I follow yoga routines found on Hulu (Yoga Zone is my favorite) and Netflix. Sometimes, I hit up YouTube for variety. Esther Ekhart is a great instructor. The only problem with doing it at home is that you're never really sure if you're hitting the positions. Having a mirror nearby helps. So is calling out to your significant other and asking if your "butt is in the right place and if not, can you help?" The answer is usually, "Oh, can I?" with a leer. But that's okay.

The point of yoga is doing it so you improve yourself little by little and feel good. It's not a competition and it's not an instant transformation. Without the pressure of getting results, you can actually enjoy it and that is the best type of workout one can ask for.

What's your miracle workout? Do you like to run for hours? Or are you a Pilates fan? Tell us about it in the comments below!