Cindy

Today was an easy day.  At yoga class, the focus was on sun salutations, forward bends, hip openers, triangle pose, half-moon, and plank push ups.  After my leg workout yesterday, the hip openers were a great way to stretch my glutes!  And, the calming of mind, body and spirit with relaxation time.  I encourage you to try yoga as a balance to other activities you are engaged in.

I found out yesterday my hip arthritis has worsened.  That explains the hip aches and pains I have so much.  Here’s what I must now eliminate from my exercise program: running, walking, walking/running stairs, and any kind of jumping activities.  I can keep riding my stationary bike, figure skating, using the eliptical and definitely can keep up the strength training.  Cross-training and variety is good so that the repetitive activity of one exercise mode doesn’t exacerbate hip symtoms.  Losing weight is a good idea, even though I have healthy body fat levels, it will still be helpful to have less bearing down on my pelvis.  Wish me luck!

Last night, I tried out the ‘Yoga for Athletes’ class, hoping it will help me with some left hip weakness I am noticing upon returning to figure skating after 30 years!   Wow! Was I right!  Some how I got into these amazing contortions with my legs that caused extreme stretch (for me, anyway) in my outer glutes and external rotators.  I literally had to pick my leg up out of the positions and today I am sore.  My yoga teacher confirmed that my many years of dance training forcing constant external hip rotation has shortened and tightened those muscles.  The moral of the story is that although it hurt and was tough, I believe it is really going to help unlock some of the problems I am noticing in my athletic endeavors.