Posts

Posted on

Agility, core strength routine to reduce the risk of injury @lululemon

 
 

4h4 hours ago

 
 

Whether you’re a runner, cyclist, or yogi, supplement your sweat session with this routine a few times a week. By focusing on agility, core strength, and wrist and ankle rigidity, the plan helps to build overall power and reduce the risk of injury:

Posted on

A Yoga Practice for the Summer Solstice @Yoga_Journal

Yoga Journal

@Yoga_Journal
·





Looking for a practice for the summer solstice?

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Flowing Through Surya Namaskar A

If you only have 10 minutes to squeeze in your practice, flow through this ancient series of yoga postures, commonly known as Sun Salutations.

AUGUST 13, 2021

It’s been said—and memed—that “Movement without awareness is exercise. Movement with awareness is yoga.”

It’s easy to aspire to the latter. (Don’t we all?) It’s not always easy to achieve it, though. Especially when you’re taking yourself through your practice without a teacher cueing a sequence. Or when you’re desperately trying to cram 10 minutes of your practice in as your weekday meeting marathon looms.

There’s actually an ancient yogic antidote specifically designed for those mornings. It’s a series of yoga postures known as Surya Namaskar A, more commonly known as Sun Salutations. This set sequence of postures dates back more than 2,500 years to a time when ancient cultures revered the sun. Salutations are believed to have been regarded as a literal salute to sunrise and were perceived to ready the body for all that would happen during daylight. (Had they only known about Zoom…)

This sequence of postures is essentially a series of prescribed motions that begins and ends with Tadasana (Mountain Pose). The poses take you through all manner of stretches, forward folds, and backbends that build heat and happen in a rhythmic cadence that’s aligned with your breath. The start of an inhale initiates your transition from one pose to the next, followed by a lull in both the breath and body as you come into the pose, with the beginning of an exhale acting as a cue for your next transition. Breath, movement, and stillness fall into a rhythm. The trajectory of the sequence, like that of its namesake star, has a predictable arc and is cyclical, making it easy to become quietly absorbed in the looping repeated motions. A moving meditation.

Photo: Baleika Tamara

You may already be vaguely or intimately familiar with Surya Namaskar A but haven’t committed the poses and their order to memory. That’s OK! We lay it all out for you here. Less thinking. More flowing.

Posted on

Looking to firm up your abs and strengthen your core?

Whether you’re trying to build a six-pack or just trying to tone your body, ab workouts are a terrific way to get in shape and strengthen your core. Plus, ab exercises require no extra equipment and can be done from just about anywhere.

But there are many variations of ab workouts, so it can be hard to know which ones to try. To get a better idea of where to start, we talked to exercise physiologist Katie Lawton about six great ab workouts to add to your workout routine.

A few things to keep in mind

While these exercises all focus on your abdomen muscles, they also strengthen your entire core. Your abs are simply a component of the core muscle group, which includes the oblique muscles along your side, your gluteal muscles, certain muscles along your spine, your diaphragm, muscles of your pelvic floor and hip flexors. 

Your core provides stability for your entire body and impacts your movements. Core strength even affects your posture and back pain. The bottom line: A healthy, strong core is important for your overall health. 

Before getting down to the floor and getting your workouts in, though, Lawton has a few tips to remember. 

  1. Engage the core: “A lot of people start doing these exercises and don’t realize they’re not engaging their core as much as they should be. Sometimes they’re using their hips more than their abdomen, so they’re not getting that full workout,” she says.
  2. Tuck your pelvis: She also says you should be sure to tuck your pelvis in a little as you perform these exercises to help engage those core muscles. “Make sure that pelvis is tucked and you’re not arching your back.” 
  3. Smooth, controlled movements: Making controlled movements is also key to getting the most out of your workout. “If you’re moving faster, it’s going to feel a lot easier,” Lawton says. “If you’re doing slower, controlled movements, it feels a lot harder but that’s much better for strengthening those muscles.”
  4. Know when you’re fatigued: Finally, she says, “Know when you’re getting fatigued, especially if you’re new to these exercises. When your abdomen gets tired, that’s when you’re going to start using other muscles, like your hip flexors, more and your core muscles less.” 

Getting those abs in shape

Keeping these tips in mind, you can get started on all of these exercises. Be sure to wear comfortable workout clothing, but make sure your gear isn’t so loose it interferes with your movement. 

And since these workouts all involve being on the floor, make sure you’ve got a yoga or workout mat that provides some padding and can keep you comfortable while you go through your reps. 

Crunches

Crunches are probably the most well-known of the major ab workouts, a variation on the classic sit-up. They’re also very simple to do, though you need to take care you don’t exacerbate any back and neck injuries. 

“They’re a great workout that targets your abs and strengthens your core,” says Lawton. “But if you have any disc issues, complications or neck problems, you might want to skip crunches because of the stress that can be put on those parts of the body.”

@ClevelandClinic

Posted on

A Yoga Practice for the Summer Solstice @Yoga_Journal

Yoga Journal

@Yoga_Journal
·





Looking for a practice for the summer solstice?

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Flowing Through Surya Namaskar A

If you only have 10 minutes to squeeze in your practice, flow through this ancient series of yoga postures, commonly known as Sun Salutations.

AUGUST 13, 2021

It’s been said—and memed—that “Movement without awareness is exercise. Movement with awareness is yoga.”

It’s easy to aspire to the latter. (Don’t we all?) It’s not always easy to achieve it, though. Especially when you’re taking yourself through your practice without a teacher cueing a sequence. Or when you’re desperately trying to cram 10 minutes of your practice in as your weekday meeting marathon looms.

There’s actually an ancient yogic antidote specifically designed for those mornings. It’s a series of yoga postures known as Surya Namaskar A, more commonly known as Sun Salutations. This set sequence of postures dates back more than 2,500 years to a time when ancient cultures revered the sun. Salutations are believed to have been regarded as a literal salute to sunrise and were perceived to ready the body for all that would happen during daylight. (Had they only known about Zoom…)

This sequence of postures is essentially a series of prescribed motions that begins and ends with Tadasana (Mountain Pose). The poses take you through all manner of stretches, forward folds, and backbends that build heat and happen in a rhythmic cadence that’s aligned with your breath. The start of an inhale initiates your transition from one pose to the next, followed by a lull in both the breath and body as you come into the pose, with the beginning of an exhale acting as a cue for your next transition. Breath, movement, and stillness fall into a rhythm. The trajectory of the sequence, like that of its namesake star, has a predictable arc and is cyclical, making it easy to become quietly absorbed in the looping repeated motions. A moving meditation.

Photo: Baleika Tamara

You may already be vaguely or intimately familiar with Surya Namaskar A but haven’t committed the poses and their order to memory. That’s OK! We lay it all out for you here. Less thinking. More flowing.