Yoga = Recovery Progress
Yesterday: taught Tae Bo class (had them doing some strength training ;)~). At home, did a 35-minute yoga session. Typically Monday is my "day off" from training but I am going to try to do at least a bit of yoga even on my "days off" from other workouts. I will need it now that I've started a new type of training (running) in order to help prevent injury and strengthen, and also given my ongoing neck issue I believe that the yoga will in time help rehab my neck.
The first time I did a full yoga session at home again last week, my flexibility and range of motion was considerably lower than it had been prior to my injury and I felt discouraged yet in the typical Jala fashion simultaneously determined to prove the doctor wrong. I will tell you that when I was working on the shoulder stand for the first time last week I could not even keep my legs up straight with my arms supporting me because my neck was inflexible. Unsupported shoulder stand, plow pose, and knee-to-ear pose were all out of reach. During yesterday's session, I was able to keep my legs up straight for the supported shoulder stand, and was able to muster an imperfect unsupported shoulder stand and even a tentative plow. My feet did not touch the ground behind my head and were several inches above the ground because my neck ran out of flexibility, but this was still a HUGE improvement to the session just a few days prior. THAT is why I must pursue yoga, if not every day like I used to do, than at least most days of the week. I think I will end up doing at least a short session of yoga daily -- the way I did when I first started losing weight. It has already helped my neck. It will continue to do so.
Halasana (Plow Pose)
Angie is moving house and randomly asked me if I wanted a Magic Bullet as she was given a Ninja (some other blender-like thing) as a late wedding gift that she likes better. Since I use my blender incessantly and the smaller containers for the Magic Bullet would be more appropriate for grinding and food processing, I totally took it. When I got home I washed everything and this morning after it dried I made room for it in my kitchen and put everything up. I haven’t used it yet but I know it will be awesome. :)
My legs have been hurting in random places since Sunday, but the weird thing is that the pain keeps moving around. During the day yesterday it was the side of my leg; at home it was my ankles and the tops of my feet; today it’s the front of my legs. I think my body is just spazzing out about my running as I haven’t ever done that before. I also think part of the ache is due to sitting on my butt in an office all day (the fluids all settle and I am not working any of the lactic acid out), and additionally because I have yet to get a full night’s sleep since our running session.
After work yesterday I went home, made some food, and read a bit of the Terminator novelization. I was very tired so I napped in my chair for an hour or so, and then got up and began a conversation with Kyle via text message, eventually calling him. Although I felt when I first woke up from my nap like I needed to just return to sleep, instead I ended up waking up during the conversation. I did 3 loads of laundry and made a recipe from Muscle Chow that Kyle wanted to try (he is now borrowing the book) for “Protein Mousse II,” did yoga, showered, and returned to read a bit more of my book. I was actually very glad to have galvanized myself into action as if I hadn’t gotten up to talk to Kyle I would not have done anything else last night. Although I didn’t get as much sleep, I did accomplish some things that I’d wanted to do.
Today I will finish up the final load of laundry (my bedding), cook for the week as I haven’t thus far, and do both walk/run intervals on my treadmill and another yoga session.
The first time I did a full yoga session at home again last week, my flexibility and range of motion was considerably lower than it had been prior to my injury and I felt discouraged yet in the typical Jala fashion simultaneously determined to prove the doctor wrong. I will tell you that when I was working on the shoulder stand for the first time last week I could not even keep my legs up straight with my arms supporting me because my neck was inflexible. Unsupported shoulder stand, plow pose, and knee-to-ear pose were all out of reach. During yesterday's session, I was able to keep my legs up straight for the supported shoulder stand, and was able to muster an imperfect unsupported shoulder stand and even a tentative plow. My feet did not touch the ground behind my head and were several inches above the ground because my neck ran out of flexibility, but this was still a HUGE improvement to the session just a few days prior. THAT is why I must pursue yoga, if not every day like I used to do, than at least most days of the week. I think I will end up doing at least a short session of yoga daily -- the way I did when I first started losing weight. It has already helped my neck. It will continue to do so.
Halasana (Plow Pose)
Angie is moving house and randomly asked me if I wanted a Magic Bullet as she was given a Ninja (some other blender-like thing) as a late wedding gift that she likes better. Since I use my blender incessantly and the smaller containers for the Magic Bullet would be more appropriate for grinding and food processing, I totally took it. When I got home I washed everything and this morning after it dried I made room for it in my kitchen and put everything up. I haven’t used it yet but I know it will be awesome. :)
My legs have been hurting in random places since Sunday, but the weird thing is that the pain keeps moving around. During the day yesterday it was the side of my leg; at home it was my ankles and the tops of my feet; today it’s the front of my legs. I think my body is just spazzing out about my running as I haven’t ever done that before. I also think part of the ache is due to sitting on my butt in an office all day (the fluids all settle and I am not working any of the lactic acid out), and additionally because I have yet to get a full night’s sleep since our running session.
After work yesterday I went home, made some food, and read a bit of the Terminator novelization. I was very tired so I napped in my chair for an hour or so, and then got up and began a conversation with Kyle via text message, eventually calling him. Although I felt when I first woke up from my nap like I needed to just return to sleep, instead I ended up waking up during the conversation. I did 3 loads of laundry and made a recipe from Muscle Chow that Kyle wanted to try (he is now borrowing the book) for “Protein Mousse II,” did yoga, showered, and returned to read a bit more of my book. I was actually very glad to have galvanized myself into action as if I hadn’t gotten up to talk to Kyle I would not have done anything else last night. Although I didn’t get as much sleep, I did accomplish some things that I’d wanted to do.
Today I will finish up the final load of laundry (my bedding), cook for the week as I haven’t thus far, and do both walk/run intervals on my treadmill and another yoga session.