Hey it's Lauren from SpinTalk. Life Style Sports are challenging me to bring #MyAgame in 2017. My aim is to stay injury free! I love all sports and really enjoy mixing up different ways to train and keep fit but that can means that sometimes I overdo it a bit. Just over a year ago I totalled my back and had to learn to listen to my body a little bit more. I found that yoga helps me do that so I try to work into my schedule whenever possible.
I met up with Molly from Sweaty Soul Studio in FlyeFit George's St to go through a yoga routine that would help me strengthen my back and core and also up My A Game and try some new poses!
Warm Up
Molly started me off with a really great spine warm up called "cat cow", here we started in table top position and as we breathed in we dropped our tail bones and heads and scooped our tummies up and rounded our backs creating lots of space between each vertebrae. Then on an exhale we lifted our tailbones and heads and dropped our bellies towards the floor, repeating this a few times is the most gentle way to wake your back up and we were set to go!
Spin Talk's Lauren met with @pocket_molly to practice yoga yesterday ðŸ™ðŸ» Keep an eye 👀 out for her blog this week #MyAGame @lifestylesports pic.twitter.com/V4udQKegzr
— SPIN 1038 (@spin1038) January 25, 2017
Planking
I do not boast very strong tummy muscles so a plank is always a struggle for me. I found Molly's directions here really helpful and I was able to concentrate a lot better than usual and me we held a strong plank position and was mindful not to let my upper back and tail bone drop
The gear I wore was really comfy and breathable, the stretchy material allowed great freedom of movement through the yoga poses. Click HERE for more info:
Head stand time!!!!
Molly thought it would be a good strength test to see how I might manage a headstand, I was dubious about it but I'm also super competitive with myself so I felt I had to at least TRY. Molly made getting into a headstand look so graceful and she talked me through the movements so clearly so in my head I looked super graceful but I don't think it was so pretty on camera!!!
The best thing I've learnt from yoga is don't worry what you look like, listen to your instructor and your own breath and go for it! If you fall out just hop back in 😉
Achieving balance
For my next trick Molly suggested we try a standing balancing posture. Some of you might know it as standing bow pose but Molly called it dancer pose. It involves balancing on one leg locked straight and holding the opposite foot at the ankle, placing your other arm straight up in the air and hinging over at your hip. The idea is for your torso to be parallel to the floor with your arm out in front of you with your other leg as high up in the air behind you. It's a great pose for balance, concentration and toning, it's not so easy when you get the giggles though 😂
Finally, Molly and I cooled down again with very simple child's pose, with your forehead resting on the floor it's a great way to ease your tired muscles and gently stretch your back out.
#MyAGame plan
Going forward I really want to up my game when it comes to yoga. Molly helped me feel more confident in myself so I'm eager to try some new poses that I was bit nervous about until now. While I'm still apprehensive at times about my back injury I feel like yoga has helped me get to know my own body a bit better and so I'm not as afraid to try new things as I once was. Onwards and upwards!
Brought to you by Life Style Sports
