yoga for gym members

Yoga For Gym Addicts

Get more from your fitness workout by working in these awesome yoga exercises...

by Tara Stiles, Women's Health

Try This Sequence

No matter what it is you do off the mat, the time you spend on it (even if it's just a little) will show. Gym junkies are typically tight in the hamstrings, quads, chest, and shoulders from traditional strength and cardio training.

Yoga can help open these areas up, making them more flexible (and less injury-prone) while strengthening them too.

Try this sequence of basic poses. Incorporating this practice into your weekly workout schedule will yield major gains in you flexibility, agility, and maybe even mind too.

Last updated: Wed, 2010-10-27 11:20

By Anonymous on 2010-05-04 16:08

But her right leg is on top and her left arm is reaching overhead and back? Which position is the right one?

By Frangy on 2010-05-16 18:15

I attebded the Yoga Pop up session in Sandton. I was so lebarating. When I got there and realised it was right in the middle of the sqiare with hundreds of people watching, i just want to walk past but seeing other people I thought let me give it a try. I enjoyed the whole session - it actualy taught me how to just concentrate on myself and my body. The instructor Yani was also very inspiring. Thanks againg Womeshealth - I'm looking forward to the next session.

By Anonymous on 2010-05-20 12:03

I am concerned about the foot placement shown in both Warrior I and Parsvokonasana (slide 3). The outside of the foot should be in line with the side of the mat (as the instructions say, straight ahead), not turned out to the side (shown here) as this will cause injury to the knee. With the outside of the foot in line with the side of the mat the knee bends correctly when coming into a perpendicular line with the ankle. In addition, the back leg should be straight in Warrior I in order to open the hip and lengthen the hip flexors.

And what's with the arch in the back? She's losing an opportunity to activate and strengthen her core! And her neck will take strain in that position. If she straightens the back leg and pulls her pubic bone to her sternum (activating the core) her gaze will be straight ahead, to intensify the stretch she can look up to her thumbs.

Please consult a trained yoga teacher when practicing these poses. They look easy, but every posture has levels and layers that cannot be learned from a picture and a paragraph.

By Thamar Houliston on 2010-06-17 11:49

The model in our pictures is a yoga instructor, but thank you for your concern.

By Anonymous on 2010-07-21 16:10

LET ME START OFF BY SAYING I LOVE YOUR MAG AND THIS WEBSITE, HOWEVER, CAN YOU POST SOME MORE AEROBIC STUFF? I AM ALL FOR YOGA AND USE SOME OF THE POSES IN COOLING DOWN, BUT WHAT ABOUT SOME HARD CORE AEROBICS? FOR EXAMPLE: STEP AEROBICS, BOOT CAMP INSPIRED AEROBICS AND WHAT ABOUT ALL OUT CARDIO SESSION? I AM AN AEROBICS INSTRUCTOR IN THE RURAL AREAS AND I AM CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR NEW MOVES, BUT YOGA IS TAKING OVER EVERYTHING!!!!