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Flexibiliy/Yoga Advice

Miller

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As I near middle age, I am noticing my flexibility and balance are not where I want them to be. I am in pretty decent shape (Crossfit 3-4 days a week, with either a ski day or bike ride on the weekend). I definitely have tight hamstrings and calves.

I would love to actually take some yoga classes, but I just don't have the time with my current workout schedule and other "life" responsibilities.

Has anyone run across some stretching/yoga videos that might address my weaknesses. I tried this one last night, but many of the movements were above my pay grade.

 

Jerez

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Or have used Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Every Day of the Week for years. The disc included 5 seperate 20.minite sessions. Short enough that you can fit it in pretty much every morning. Great instruction and nice variety.
 

karlo

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#1, anything that builds core strength
 

Brock Tice

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Gwen Lawrence DVDs from Amazon. Super cheap, good stuff. Really fix up my tight cycling muscles. One is Power Yoga for Runners. I'll look up the other one.
 

Steve

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Scruffy

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#1, anything that builds core strength

His core isn't the problem if he's doing Crossfit 2-3 times a week :) And that is most likely his problem, his muscles and ligaments are tighter than a high E string. You'll need to do an hour of Yoga stretching immediately after each CF workout.
 
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Miller

Miller

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His core isn't the problem if he's doing Crossfit 2-3 times a week :) And that is most likely his problem, his muscles and ligaments are tighter than a high E string. You'll need to do an hour of Yoga stretching immediately after each CF workout.
This is correct. I was never very flexible from mid back down (I couldn't touch my toes as a kid/teen). I am really trying to solve a few things:
1.General tightness that is exacerbated by exercise
2. Tight calves that paired with limited dorsiflexion has led to some episodes of painful Achilles tendonois in the heel over the past couple of years.
3. Better overall balance. The sports that I love (skiing and mountain biking) are weekend warrior options at this stage in my life.

I have found Yoga with Adrienne and have been adding a couple of sessions a week. Maybe it is too early to tell, but I do feel slightly looser.
 

Pequenita

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I don't have any video advice other than you probably don't want to do anything labeled vinyasa, flow, or power because it sounds like you want stretching rather than super active flow. I did teach yoga classes, including a stretch and strengthen class, for 3x a week for 5 years in a major city and can recommend a few poses that will help. I do this short sequence after every run; it's all standing, but you do need a wall:

1. Modified downward facing dog with hands on a wall. Face a wall and place your hands on the wall at about hip height, middle and index fingers facing up or out. Notice that the rotation in your hands is coming from your *shoulders*. Step back away from the wall so that your body can lengthen out, and take your feet hip width apart, toes pointing towards the fall. Straighten out your arms and your legs if you can (the legs can bend because the focus in this pose is on the trunk, shoulders and arms) and see if you can take your weight into your heels as you reach your palms to the wall. You will look like an upside-down L.
2. Calf stretch on a wall. From here, I stand up and take a step forward with one foot to the wall and place my toes on the wall and heel down on the ground. Change the back foot's distance from the wall to change intensity. Not a yoga pose, but a calf stretch nonetheless.

3. Pyramid pose on a wall. I then take that foot on the wall and place it flat on the ground, toes pointing forward. My back foot is turned out slightly or stepped out to the side to keep my hips facing forward. Hinge from the hips forward towards the wall and use the wall the same way you did in the first pose -- reaching with the arms and lengthening through the back. You can change the distance between your feet to change the intensity. The stretch is in the hamstrings, calves, possibly the glutes, and shoulders. This is not a back stretch. (https://www.tummee.com/yoga-poses/pyramid-pose-wall)

4. High to low lunge, with side bend. Still with the same foot forward, I step the back foot back and pivot onto the back toes to come into a lunge and open up the hip flexors. Both hip points are facing forward and try to keep them lifted. Make sure your front knee does not go forward of your front ankle and that toes and knees are facing the same way. Again, change the distance between your feet to change intensity. I often slightly bend the back leg to increase the stretch. I'll take the arm on the same side as the back leg up and over, and do a side bend to get a side body stretch. (https://www.tummee.com/yoga-poses/high-lunge-pose)

Do 2 thru 4 on the other side.

5. Half chair ankle to knee. Stand on your right leg and bend it slightly. Place your left ankle on your right thigh. Place your hand on a wall if balance is tricky. To increase the stretch in your glutes, either increase the bend in your standing leg or hinge more from your hips. Change legs. (https://www.tummee.com/yoga-poses/half-chair-pose)

[I usually throw in a traditional standing quad stretch here. https://www.fairview.org/patient-education/89929]

6. Standing forward fold. Take the feet hip-width apart, toes and knees pointing forward. Hinge at the hips and fold forward. ENGAGE the hamstrings as you fold. The sensation is in the belly of the hamstring (in the event that super flexible people are reading this, the sensation is NOT in your butt.) Bend your knees if the stretch in the hamstrings is too intense. (https://www.tummee.com/yoga-poses/standing-forward-fold-pose) btw, the limitation here is in the hamstrings usually, not the lower back. The lower back is actually super flexible, which is why it is easily injured. If you can't touch your toes, it's because the hamstrings are tight.
 
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Pequenita

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His core isn't the problem if he's doing Crossfit 2-3 times a week :) And that is most likely his problem, his muscles and ligaments are tighter than a high E string. You'll need to do an hour of Yoga stretching immediately after each CF workout.

You want tight ligaments.
 

Scruffy

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Stacks

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https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kino+yoga+for+beginners+

I've done ashtanga yoga for quite a few years and am a true believer. Kino has some pretty good 'ease' into stuff. Better to find a teacher (and that is a challenge in itself) only so much you can do and learn online but it is a good start. Yoga is mainly about breathing and discipline, you have to do the practice regularly (daily ideally). It teaches you ambition and humility. Hardest thing I've ever done/do.
 

Pequenita

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Yes, but too tight can cause inflexibility, and that may result in injury.

I'm pretty sure no one who has had a reconstructed ACL has ever complained about it being too tight. Stretched ligaments are sprains.
 
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Tom K.

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Whether you call it yoga, stretching, or whatever, as you age, it takes work to maintain flexibility. For me, twice a week religiously, I do what I call my Home Dumbell, Core and Stretching Routine. Takes all of a half hour, and pays off in spades.

Should I do more, and more frequently? Probably. Is twice a week better than zero? Undoubtedly.

Ease into it gently!
 

martyg

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Google Anne Healzer. She's a PT in Seattle and a PSIA L3 instructor.

Bottom line: No one here, and no video, can help you. You need an analysis of what you need to work on, and what your are plenty competent at to target and realize the most benefit. My guess (and my wife is a trainer of 30 years, with a few of our local elite athletes working with her): If you are resistance training that much you have all the strength that you need.

Anne can advise at a distance via Skype and an FMS eval from a PT near you. Better yet, take an end of season trip to ski Seattle - which is one of the bdst kept secrets on the ski world. Do an FMS session with Anne, book her for.a half-day private ski day, ski Crystal, Stevens, Alpental, Baker. Go home much wiser than you were before, and with a proper tool kit of what you need to do to be a better skier next year.

I have an article on this very subject, but related to the bike and featuring World Champion Ned Overend, that will post this week. I will re post here.
 

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