Yoga for Athletes: Class Summary 2-5-13

Yoga for athletes is based on 3 core principles—bringing strength, flexibility and focus into your training. However, it’s important to make note that yoga is a complement to your training and not an outlet to further push yourself. Through a consistent yoga practice you will become more balanced physically and mentally; allowing yourself to avoid injury and burn-out.

During class today, we focused on strength. Given that many of us are in our “base” building period this is a perfect time to use yoga as way to make us stronger.

The sequence from class is outlined below and is 45 minutes in length.

Homework: After your long/intense workout this week, move through the letting go/cooling down part of practice outlined below. Also feel free to intregrate the main body of practice into your weight lifting routine this week. It will make things more fun in the weight room!

Next week: We are continuing our strength based practice but will be focusing on core, lower back, legs and chest.

Class Sequence:

Opening:

• Supta (on our backs, soles of the feet together and knees apart to open hips)
• Inner thigh and core work (block between the thighs)
• Supine twist
• Rock and roll up and down spin (articulation of the spine, more core focus)
• Tadasana (mountain pose at the top of our mat)
• Forward folds (pulses, crossing of ankles for IT band stretch)

Intregration:

• Runner lunge pulses
• Low lunge, core twist added
• 1/2 split (straightening leg and folding forward)
• table top (cat/cow tilts)
• Child’s pose
• downward dog x plank (3 times)
• walk hands back to feet for forward fold
• tadanasa, repeat other side

Main Body:

• Tadasana
• 1/2 crescent lunge
• crescent lunge, add core twist
• crescent lunge
• warrior 2
• Reverse warrior
• Side angle pose
• Cresent lunge
• Tadasana, repeat other side

Letting go/Cooling Down:

• Legs up the wall
• figure 4 hip opener
• supine twist
• repeat other side
• Savansana