Teachers are educators, leaders, pseudo parents, heroes, friends and mentors. Their jobs are often thankless, yet teachers are those amazing people that help shape the future of our world.
Being a teacher takes a tremendous amount of commitment, and commitment requires a tremendous amount of energy. Presenting concepts, math equations and scientific theories while continuing to be a positive influence in the classroom can be challenging for the tired and overworked educationalist.
Thankfully, the magic of yoga can come to the rescue to refresh, rejuvenate and inspire before burn out ensues.
Bank a second wind well before you might actually need it with these simple suggestions that can be practiced in the teacher’s lounge or in the classroom.
It is hard to believe something so delightful and enjoyable has so many good benefits. Stretching, breathing and bending feels great, plus it alleviates many health issues naturally, without the use of modern medicine.
Yoga has been practiced as far back as 5,000 years for the purpose of attaining enlightenment. Today yoga is a widely popular way to reduce stress, increase flexibility and build strength, yet the cosmic element still exists. For some reason, when we practice yoga, we feel happy and content. It doesn’t need an explanation, just the mere enjoyment of rolling out the mat is enough to want to stick with it.
The following is a list of some of the greatest benefits a regular yoga practice provides, for all levels of abilities.
Flexibility
We do not have to be flexible to do yoga; we gain flexibility by doing yoga. With a consistent practice, those tight hamstrings lose their grip on our hips and, as a result, free up tension in our lower backs. A healthy lower back is an asset when we get older and yoga supports this.
In 1997, certified Pilates instructor Jonathan Urla combined yoga postures and Pilates exercises and named it Yogilates. Louise Solomon created her own blend of both and termed it Yogalates. Whatever you call it, hybrid classes like these are very popular in health clubs and studios across the country.
Yogilates and other hybrid yoga and Pilates workouts are designed for the purpose of gaining the benefits of core work from Pilates while mixing in the breath and flexibility training of yoga. Just as a yoga practice may not target all of the core muscles, a Pilates class may overlook certain stretches that promote a balanced and healthy body. Combining the two introduces a dynamic experience of connecting the breath with a new level of mind and body fitness.
It seems like running is the hip exercise lately! So many people that I know are lacing up and hitting the road to get in shape. Unfortunately, running can be tough on the body, but a good stretching routine can help balance out the impact from pounding the pavement.
Some exercisers like to stretch before and after a run. If you’re already stretching before you run, keep it up, but if that’s not part of your routine, there’s really no need to stretch before running. Walking for a few blocks before you pick up the pace should warm up your muscles just fine.
Proper stretching is just as important for your health as your workout, and because running is so high impact it’s a good idea to focus even more on stretches to help your body recover. When you run, you impact your hips, knees, calves, ankles, thighs, and feet, and it’s a good idea to give your upper body a good stretch after running, as well as hitting those problem areas. Here are some yoga-inspired stretches to help your body recover from running. (more…)
To stretch or not to stretch, that really isn’t a valid question for the runner. Perhaps the runner can ask “When should I stretch?” or “How do I stretch?” but, in my opinion, contemplating whether or not to stretch is a recipe for pain and injury.
The task of running is tremendous for the body. The heart works hard, the muscles work hard, the lungs get one of the best workouts possible during a run. While running is so great for a person’s health, it must be noted that all that work really stresses the body as well. After long runs, my muscles get very tight and sore, proving that they need some extra attention before you run on them again.
Stretching can help loosen up tight muscles and allow for more range of motion. Motion on loose muscle verses tight muscles seems to paint an obvious enough picture as to why runners should stretch. A well stretched and flexible runner has the potential to run faster with less effort or training verses the naughty, non-stretcher who knocks out several intense workouts in a week. That fact alone has inspired me to up my stretching game!
Surprising to many, research has yielded mixed findings regarding the health benefits of stretching and increasing flexibility. While there are questions regarding whether or not stretching increases athletic performance, there is general agreement that when done properly, stretching decreases the risk of activity-induced injury.
Flexibility is the range of motion (ROM) around a joint, while stretching is the activity we do to increase that range of motion. Joints have “ideal” ranges of motion which allow the body to move freely while maintaining stability. This ROM differs in each of us depending on the balance of our muscles due to factors such as over- or under-use of a muscle group and injury. So, for example, a cyclist will likely have much tighter hip flexors and hamstrings if they do not stretch adequately because of the repetitious use of the lower body. Likewise, a ballet dancer might have overstretched muscle and loose joints due to years of training from an early age. In either case, both joints that have limited or excessive ROM can contribute to injury due to the lack of stability in those joints. (more…)
How many women do you know who aren’t tired? Work, kids, running a household and usually getting less than eight hours of sleep leaves most American women feeling like we drag our bodies around with us. We crave sleep like we crave chocolate, girls night out and five minutes alone. And of that list, chocolate’s usually the one craving we can quickly and easily satisfy.
Denise Austin, a renowned and beloved fitness expert, wants us all to have more energy, and she’s telling us how to do it in Get Energy! Empower Your Body, Love Your Life, a new book that released January 7, 2024. The book is filled with useful ideas to live a healthier, happier, more energetic life. But, it’s also filled with a lot of ideas that seem common sense on the surface that we tend to forget about.
For instance, good posture. Denise explains that it opens up your lungs and allows you to take deeper breaths. These deeper breaths introduce more oxygen to your body, and this gives you more energy. “If you’re slouched over, your lungs don’t have the capacity to take a good deep breath,” says Denise. “So that’s why sitting up nice and tall, suck in the gut, tighten up your tummy… zip up your abs… and that’s why you get a nice toned tummy.”
We had a chance to talk to Denise about Get Energy! Listen now as she explains the underestimated importance of circulation, how stretching can replace your morning coffee, why a 30-minute workout is just right, and the foods you need to fuel your day.
Continue reading to learn more and win a copy of Get Energy! (more…)
Most health and fitness advice is full of don’ts: Don’t eat after 7, don’t eat fast food, don’t enjoy anything you eat, ever again. That negative connotation is why people view fitness and weight loss as a punishment, or something to be white-knuckled through.
Lasting change is made when you build a habit- and habits are made by systematically DOING something repeatedly until it becomes ingrained. Depriving yourself will not build habits, being proactive will.
So instead of pummeling you with more “don’ts” to make you feel like a failure, here are 50 things you can DO, today, that will improve your health. Pick one a day to try out, or choose one and repeat it everyday until it becomes a habit, but either way, these little “dos” will boost your health the second you do them.
If you’re anything like me, stretching is your least favorite part of a workout (even though you know you need to do it and it feels good!). Working on your flexibility is so important for injury prevention, improved circulation, alleviating muscle soreness and more! So, if you’re like me and have trouble finding time to stretch, try these three sneaky ways to squeeze stretching into your everyday routine. By working flexibility training into your usual routine, there are no excuses!
1. The great shower stretch. Stretching after you workout is so great because your muscles are warm. You know when else your muscles are warm? In the shower! Tack on a few extra minutes in the shower each morning to do some neck rolls, forward bends or even some chest or back stretches. Not only is it good for you, the warm water makes it feel fantastic!
Most of us take our toes and feet for granted, except for when we get a stellar pedicure that has us admiringly gazing at our polished and shining tootsies. But for dancers, yoga practitioners and even diabetics, the appreciation and care for these 10 digits goes far beyond the newest O.P.I. color.
Enter YogaToes. Different from yoga socks, which are slip-resistant five-toed socks that you can wear on or off the yoga mat, YogaToes are “a vacation for your feet.” Similar to the dividers your pedicurist will slip in between your toes as you wait for them to be exfoliated, buffed, polished and dried, YogaToes are that and much more. (more…)
Pilates has become increasingly popular in the fitness world with both men and women. Pilates is a fitness system developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. It focuses on core postural muscles, as well as proper breathing and correct spinal alignment.
The most common machine used for Pilates is the “reformer,” which was designed to provide finely tuned resistance exercises for the body as a whole. It focuses on proper alignment, core stability, and total body flexibility.
Pilates is great before, during and after pregnancy. It is beneficial during the pregnancy process due to the isolation of the core. (more…)
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