Many of us work with computers or other types of equipment that keep us sitting or in another single body position for much of the day. If this is the case in your life, you are likely well aware of the physical discomfort this can cause due to sore and tight muscles.
Benefits:
Opens chest.
Stretches shoulders, arms, and front of body.
Improves balance.
Starter pose for Wheel pose.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Can start in wheel or laying flat on back. Bend arms at the elbows and place hands flat on ground.
Legs are straight with feet pointing away.
Arms are shoulders width apart.
Shoulders are engaged, push through armpits for deepest stretch.
Are you trying to gain strength in the gym, on the mat, on the wall, or on the trail without supplementing with BCAAs? You might be inadvertently doing your body a disservice.
Benefits:
Strengthens the wrists and arms.
Tones the belly muscles.
Improves balance.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Start in a sitting position, bring one leg up around bent elbow. Slowly lift other foot to meet lifted foot. Bring body up off ground and slowly lean forward.
Elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
Shoulders are engaged to keep body from tipping forward.
Shoulders are not curved forward, back is flat.
While it may seem very straightforward, the question “What is yoga?” is in fact rather complex to answer. Fewer things have more misconceptions than yoga does.
Benefits:
Strengthens arms, wrists, and legs.
Can also help tone belly and spine.
Improves balance.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Hands are shoulders width apart, one leg is up resting on arm, other legs lifts up slowly behind body and points backwards. Foot that is resting on legs points outwards.
Arms are bent at 90 degree angle.
Shoulders are back and away from ears.
Back is as straight as possible.
Benefits:
Stretches legs and hips.
Opens chest and shoulders.
Can also improve posture.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Start squatting, turn upper body one way and hook elbow around opposite knee. Twist hooked arm around legs and grab opposite arm behind back.
Press feet firmly into ground and activate feet.
Keep belly engaged.
Push outwards through chest to open chest and deepen stretch.
Keep shoulders down and away from ears.
Recently, a client was hauling it very quickly down a hill on his road bicycle and took a trip over the handlebars. Unfortunately, spandex doesn’t do much to protect the skin and he wound up with some pretty nasty road rashes, something most cyclists are familiar with (or may be at some point if not yet).
“I am fat. I am not the person you would typically imagine teaching or practicing yoga. Or even sitting behind a reception desk in a yoga studio.”
Benefits:
Strengthens shoulders.
Improves balance.
Can also help tone belly.
Foundation & General Alignment:
Start sitting on butt, bring legs around arms and hook feet together and lift bottom up.
To strengthen shoulders you must lift with the shoulders, to do this you have to push downward with your shoulders for the extra lift.
Keep body toned.
You should be using your core to lift your knees off the ground.