Yoga today...

What a workout today. I didn’t realize it until afterwards, but we worked pretty hard. I am very happy with my improved flexibility and core strength. My quads are significantly more flexible. We also work on parts of the body that I had never considered stretching before like the top of my feet and my shoulders. All of this has made a big difference in my running.

Prior to taking yoga, I was wasting a lot of my energy trying to maintain good form. I also suffered from some calf, shoulder and knee (IT Band) pain during longer runs. All of that is gone and I attribute it to my increased strength and flexibility. My breathing is also improved and allows me to control my pace better.

So, if you get the idea that I am now a big fan of Yoga, you are right. My instructor, Karen Noonan, gets a health history from you before you start and makes sure that you work within your limits. It is amazing how she keeps up with each student’s individual constraints during class.

Just like biking is a great ‘off day’ exercise for running because it works the opposing leg muscles, Yoga is great because it works on strengthening and stretching your whole body.