Is Yoga or Pilates the best one to start off with? I have been cycling for 20 years and always had pretty crap flexibility. I started doing Karate with my kids 2 years ago and am really enjoying it, but am finding that my crap flexibility (even in my wrists) is holding me back now it's getting more serious.
I also started boxing 6 months ago and the coach has commented that I need to work on my flexibility.
Time is a scarce resource so I am unlikely to be able to manage more then one session a week realistically - am I going to see any benefit from that?
hughjayteens - I'd go for Yoga over Pilates for flexibility.
You can do a very good yoga-based flexibility session at home in under 30 minutes, so even for the most hectic, more than one session a week should be possible.
Have a look for the "Power Yoga for Flexibility" video by Rodney Yee. Think it's 27 minutes long. Works for me!
Thanks Stevo - I'll look that up.
Time is a scarce resource so I am unlikely to be able to manage more then one session a week realistically - am I going to see any benefit from that?
get thee on youtube. if you can do a couple of sessions (even if only 30mins) at home during the week you'll get more benefit.
there are lots of good yoga vids on there you can follow at home (so long as you're motivated to do so). you can filter search results to only show "long" videos which helps filter through the 4min long ones 😉
here's a good video to warm you up....
numbnut - Member
here's a good video to warm you up....
Wow, she's certainly could warm me up!
@ stevomcd - nice write up and very interesting! Thanks!
I remember a conversation some years ago with some Canadian snowboard instructors who were of the opinion that too much yoga/stretching (esp in the legs) wasn't helpful for snowboarding as it made you too 'floppy' - and you were better off being 'stiff & p155ed' ... however these guys were young and it was interesting to note that as they got older and sustained more injuries through snowboarding, cycling and ice hockey etc that they needed to start looking after themselves - and so they started doing yoga.
I've been doing it for a few years now (I'm 46) and if I stop I can really tell the difference as I will get lower back pain, tight calves, tight hip-flexors etc within a few days.
So it's yoga that enables me to keep going!
I learned from Rocky Snyder's 'Fit to Surf' book and Barbara Currie's '10-Minute Yoga Workouts' book along with the DVD 'Yoga for cyclists' with Andria Baldovin.
I really should try a 'class' though, but I'll check out the Rodney Yee DVD! Ta! 🙂
