Yoga Class Begins

February 17th, 2010
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As part of my flexibility self-change project I enrolled in a Yoga class that meets once a week in the dance studio at school. It is reasonably priced but I did find a less expensive class with the same instructor up at a local sports club on a different night of the week. Convenience is more valuable than money sometimes so I’ve opted to go with the class that fits into my schedule.

Yoga was one of my action planning strategies for increasing flexibility. I am motivated to go by the people in the class and enjoy the sessions. There are no other men in the class which is interesting from a demographic perspective but not a factor either way for me. As part of the HAPA process I intended to identify action coping strategies to barriers. The barriers I anticipated before diving into the project were more around scheduling and I admit having back up strategies in mind when the time just disappears has been useful. I am having trouble with my left wrist, however, in yoga which is very frustrating. I experience sharp shooting pain across the top of the joint during some of the repeated core poses of Vinyasa yoga. Fortunately my instructor today offered some alternative pose suggestions that focus the force across my forearms and not directly onto that wrist. This was not a barrier I anticipated however, so it was much more troubling than the scheduling issues I thought would be the real difficulty.

As the caption above says, I am stiff but am feeling better and better. I will carry on with home stretching between now and next Wednesday so hope to see some improvement between now and then.

Counselling Study, Health, Wellness, & Nutrition

Flexibility Workout 1 – (30 min) Yoga

February 15th, 2010
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This yoga sequence is part of a larger flexibility development project that I am involved in for a health psychology unit in graduate school. This is the first of 3 or 4 different workouts that I will do as part of my daily routine to build in stretching. This workout is one I know how to do and can realistically implement. I am not a yoga instructor and am a novice practitioner at best.

3 Sun Cycles to Warm-Up

After the warm-up more intense focus on these poses (Smeaton, 2009)

Intense Forward Bend – Uttanasana
Stand upright and, exhaling, bend forward from the waist keeping the legs taut and body weight equal on both feet. Aim to touch the floor and, if possible, place the palms on the floor. Breathe evenly and try to increase the stretch on each out-breath. Hold for one minute. This intense stretch is wonderful for the hamstrings and spine. Those who find it easy to rest the palms on the floor can increase the stretch still further by placing the hands behind the feet.

Downward Dog – Adhomukha Svanasana
Lie face down with palms by the chest. Exhale, raise the trunk upwards, straighten the arms and move the head towards the floor keeping the heels flat on the ground. Hold for 30–60 seconds.Performed correctly, this yoga stretch is both exhilarating and re-energizing and stretches the chest, spine and leg muscles.

Upward Dog – Urdhvamukha Svanasana
This is a counter yoga pose to the downward dog allowing the spine to be flexed in the opposite direction. Lie on the floor face down with feet flat and palms by the waist. Inhale and raise the head and trunk, pushing back on the flexed legs without lowering the knees to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds.This asana stretches the spine, thigh and calves and is a great cure for back problems caused by too many hours in the saddle.

Locust – Salabhasana
An invigorating but challenging backward bend. Lie face down with arms stretched back and palms upward. Exhale and simultaneously lift the head, chest and legs off the floor. Contract the buttocks and hold the pose for 5–8 breaths if possible. The locust position is excellent for relieving pain in the lumbar region as the spine is stretched backwards.

Cobra – Bhugangasana
Those who find the Locust pose difficult to hold can try the Cobra or Serpent pose instead. Lie on the floor facing downwards with the hands by the pelvis. Inhale, press the palms down and lift the trunk. Whilst the hands make this back bend easier, the aim is to raise the trunk without relying too much on the hands. The effect on the spine is the same as with the Locust pose.

Smeaton, H. (2009). Benefits of Yoga Stretches for Cyclists. Retrieved January 23, 2010 from Suite 101: http://bicycle-training.suite101.com/​article.cfm/​ benefits_of_yoga_stretches_for_cyclists.

Counselling Study, Health, Wellness, & Nutrition

Flexibility Test Design and Results

February 14th, 2010
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According to Schwarzer’s (2008) Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) I have been working on Action planning for the past five days with my flexibility self-project for graduate school. As part of this I re-enrolled in a weekly Yoga class that I went somewhat regularly to last year but had since dropped. I attended class on Wednesday night and found I really enjoyed getting back into it. This particular class involves a lot of core strength and seems to be addressing the flexibility I need to develop across the back of my legs and top of my quads. It will be interesting to see what progress is made through the class.

Before actually beginning any flexibility development exercise I gathered some baseline measurements using 4 lower body indirect flexibility tests and 4 upper body flexibility tests. The lower body tests consisted of: the sit and reach, the groin, calf and trunk rotation flexibility tests. The upper body tests consisted of a shoulder flexibility test and back scratch tests for both left and right sides.

My starting results -

Sit and Reach = 29 cm
Groin Flexibility = 17 cm
Calf Flexibility (left) = 11.5 cm
Calf Flexibility (right) = 10.5 cm
Trunk Rotation = 25 cm
Shoulder Flexibility = 100 cm
Right Arm Up Back Scratch = 15 cm
Left Arm Up Back Scratch = 21 cm

These results serve to quantify my starting place before implementing a daily maintenance stretching, work-out related stretching and weekly Yoga class. Following a three week program implementation phase I’ll repeat the tests to see how much or how little progress has been made.

Click here for an introduction to the project

Counselling Study, Health, Wellness, & Nutrition