Can Yoga make you a better Athlete

After 5 or 6 of my athletes and clients asked me about the recent NY Times article regarding yoga's negative effects, I finally read the article. I don't read any paper as much as I "should" (if its important someone will tell me about it). I am, however, a fan of the NYT Science Times on Tuesday and WSJ Personal Journal on Tues since they both cover the science (watered down though it is) of exercise and being healthy. So I read the article and it listed some major injuries but most of them have more to do with Yoga practitioners; something most training athletes don't have time for. If you are training 5-10hours/week as a triathlete, runner or cyclist then where would you find thte time for that much Yoga. That said: If you are finding that much time for serious sport training AND Yoga then you may have over-training and avoidance issues.

I take Kundalini Yoga at least twice a week, it is a form of therapy for me; not physical therapy, but emotional therapy. I have a bit of an aggressive streak (I mountain bike, trail run and race XTERRA what do you expect) and can be very competitive even in Yoga. Being competitive is NOT very yogic. Kundalini is one of the oldest forms of yoga and stresses AWARENESS, one of the keys to being a great athlete. In every class the teachers, who do not do the krias themselves, stress the importance of staying within your limits. We do little to no inversions, we DO chant, we DO meditate and we do stretch, jump up and down and sit cross legged, sometimes for long periods while holding one arm position. Most importantly for athletes we practice breath control.

An exercise called "60 Second breath" is practiced for 6-10min(sometimes more, but I am not there yet). In this you breathe in for 20 sec, hold for 20 sec, and breathe out for 20 sec. It is both physically and emotionally taxing because your last act as a living being is to Exhale and your subconscious mind knows this. This exercise is great if you are swimming, biking, running or doing an overhead press. I have enjoyed the benefits of this while on a trail run.

Awareness, unfortunately, is a missing element in the lives of many athletes. Too often exercise, to include yoga, is used to distract you from life and is considered a competitive pursuit - who can twist further, who has the best Crow, who can get into the most contorted position. I have been there. I'm an athlete who wants to win, yoga has no winners. Kundalini has no competition, but an inward search for calm, something endurance athletes need. Awareness of my competitiveness, and the lack of that guidance from many instructors(there are exceptions like Erica Mather of course ), led me away from yoga as I sought other means of undoing the hard efforts of off-road training. Kundalini brought me back for other reasons.

There is a way to be a better athlete, regardless of your sport. That way is through awareness: Awareness of your limit, Awareness of when your mind tells you to stop, Awareness of when you are in a panic, Awareness of when you are losing focus. Yoga can help you with these pursuits, but so can 10 min/day of visualization. Meditation, whether guided or self led, has been shown to improve athletic performance at all levels of competition. I build meditation into the programs of my athletes but it is often the first part of the weekly schedule to fall by the way, followed by stretching a close second. Training for an event is a well rounded pursuit that involves certain amounts stress and certain amounts of recovery. Meditation and stretching can be achieved in a yoga class or on your own with books like those from Sage Rountree . If you cannot leave your ego at the door of the studio, and avoid competition with the class, then break out your foam roller and meditate on how bad that hurts.

I don't think yoga itself is bad for you or can "Wreck Your Body" (as the NYT author wrote) any more so than riding your bike in traffic or running without conditioning or shoes. I have done more damage to myself training for triathlon than I have ever done in yoga. I also do not sit on my feet for hours a day or do headstands or twist further than what feels possible. I have been in the emergency room from doing something on my bike but never from yoga.

Can doing yoga hurt you? Sure, maybe. Can OVERdoing Yoga hurt you? You bet it can! But so can overdoing drinking water, taking too many spin classes, or doing anything to excess.

The take away here is that moderation and self awareness can take you very far. Use a bit of common sense in your pursuits. Yoga may feel good to you. But Is yoga your addiction?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?pagewanted=1&ref=general&src=me

andy@getfitnyc.com
twitter @tricoachandy
Facebook - Get Fit NYC

Is P90X2 good for outdoor athletes?

I don't usually promote other blogs on my own but this one is from Steve Edwards, co-creator of P90X. Steve is a great fitness person since he does some of the toughest sports out there (without actually racing in a Spartan Race, Ha Ha!). Steve bikes, runs, and climbs. He is also a sort of Renaissance Man as far as fitness goes. He does not stop with lifting or indoor cycling or running miles on end or keep his workouts confined to the gym. He lays out the P90X2 program a little but mostly as a tease.
There also a link to an evolution of the programs Steve has helped to develop. Take a read. I kept my blog short to give you time for his blog and time to get your sweat on today. Now read a little and go work out!

I can be a computer idiot sometimes so you might have to copy the link and paste it in your browser.

http://steve-edwards.blogspot.com/2011/12/p90x2-for-outdoor-athletes.html

http://steve-edwards.blogspot.com/search/label/P90x%20mc2

A little Vanity

A little background: I moved to NYC from GA in 1994 to pursue a modelling career. It did not work out well for that field. It worked out for my clients that I have now. I also re-found the love I had as a kid for running through the woods.

My friend Roy at www.RoyFriedmanPhotography.com took this picture. My form does not look like I want it to. He kept telling me to reach my foot out in front of me like I was flying down the trail.

Roy needs some of my coaching:
I run in Minimalist shoes because I get a better feel of when my foot hits the ground. From there I work to pull my heel straight up to my butt. It does not always work like that. Sometimes on the trail you have to jump over a log, rocks, roots or something. Leaving the foot on the ground for less time leads to less injury both on the road and off. There is some great science behind this but I will leave it out.

I run trails because they are close enough to NYC(if you know where to go) to feel like I have run away from the City that Never Sleeps. I feel like a kid in GA running through the woods again. I like to run fast so I use the track for speed and I use the woods to feel like a kid.

Thanks to Roy for the photo. Thanks to the New York State Parks system and Nature for providing a fun trail to run. Go out and enjoy the outdoors. Get yourself moving. Keep yourself moving. Go get some run coaching.

Still got Turkey?

Still Got Turkey?
by Andy Nelson for www.getfitnyc.com
andy@getfitnyc.com

My turkey Chili Recipe;
All spices are to taste. I like a lot of cayenne, chipotle, and smoked Spanish paprika.
2lbs turkey – if you have leftovers : Use them!
2tbsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion ( I prefer Red) – Sweet onions are for burgers – chopped in ¾ in pcs
1 each – red, orange, yellow, and Green peppers – chopped in 1 inch pcs
2 containers Pomi – chopped tomatoes
2 containers Pomi – strained tomatoes
2 cans black beans – organic please
2 cans Chick Peas/Garbanzos
2 cans Red Kidney Beans
1 can Pinto Beans
1 cup chopped into ½ in pcs carrots
¾ tsp Salt
Chilli Powder of choice
½ -1 tbsp Cayenne
½ -1 tbsp Ground Chipotle Peppers
½ -1 tbsp Smoked Spanish Paprika
2 chopped fresh jalapenos remove seeds for less heat

Cook Turkey unless it is cooked through already. Stir in onions, salt, and chili powder. When cooked through add in tomatoes, spices and beans. Add 1 Pomi container of water. Set on low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Add peppers and carrots, simmer for 1 more hour covered.
Cool and put in the fridge overnight. Re heat prior to eating the next day. This can be prepared in the morning and eaten in the evening but it is better over night.

Actually Losing Weight over the Holidays

You can start a diet and exercise program during the holidays but you should get some support.
Your friends who invite you to their party do not want you on a diet and you can bet they don't want you doing air squats between Karaoke Carols. So what are you to do? here are a few ways to begin or maintain a weight loss regimen this holiday season (if you can do it now then you can do it at any time during the year!):

1- Most important is to enlist a group of friends to begin together. There are great programs that offer community support, a key cause of success in any behavioral change. (http://www.teambeachbody.com/connect/beachbody-challenge?tracking=BEACHBODYCHALLENGEDOTCOM)

2- Take a before Photo! This alone scares the Hell out of most people. It is a phenomenal way to stay motivated. If you don't like how it looks then start today to change it. Imagine what you will look like in a year if you don't change your behavior today.(refer to #3)

3- Set a goal and put it on paper. Now to make it real: Imagine how you will feel if you achieve your goal. Now imagine how you feel in 1 year if you have not achieved your goal. Write this down or put it on your computer and print it! Look at it every day.

4- Take a picture of everything you eat. That's right! Everything! this will change your behavior by simply making you aware of what you are eating. Most People will choose a healthier option simply by being aware of what they are eating.

5- Make it a Competition! Put some money on the line! Don't like betting for money? Bet something else - sweeping, a movie, a trip. Bet all of your friends. Whoever loses the most or changes the most wins. More inches can then beat out more pounds lost to allow for muscle gain.

Now set yourself up for success by choosing 60 or 90 days. You and your friends can all keep at it for 60 - 90 days. If you start this Sat with me in NYC that will take you to about Valentines Day if you go for 90 days. That could be a great V-day celebration.

Details: Andy and Shay's NYC Fit Club
Shetler Studios
224 West 54th St #12
New York, NY 10019

Saturdays 10-11AM
We will be doing reVabs (since Shay is in it and it is amazing)

Motivation and Destruction

There are 2 important fitness and health details I remind my clients of:
1- Abs are made in the kitchen
2- You get stronger when you recover.

Abs are made in the Kitchen:
You can spend all day doing P90X, reV abs, or any other great workout program, but it if you don't eat properly for your goals then you will probably give up before you achieve your goals. We all love a "come from behind" story but you do not want to put yourself behind from the start. Seek a professional to help you get your eating in order. If you just have no power over bad food in your house then you should not bring that food into your home. If you smell Mc Donald's french fries and you "have to" stop in then find a different route to where you are going(you will burn extra calories just thinking about the new route).

You get stronger when you recover:
Have you ever picked up a weight that is light at first then gets really heavy after a minute or less? Of course you have at some point. That is how the body works; we lose strength as we exercise. the amazing thing about getting weaker during your exercise is that you get stronger when you recover properly. Your body will see that a stress has been placed on it, magically produce either more muscle or more energy producers withing the muscle cell and you get stronger next time. (There is a lot of Real science behind recovery but most readers don't care to know). As the muscles recover you have more strength, more energy, and more endurance than before.

The complaint I hear from most beginning exercisers is that they are so tired after working out that they don't have the energy for anything else. I tell them to be patient, it takes about 2 weeks of consistent training for your energy level to improve. As you begin to exercise remember to clean up your eating as well. Cleaner eating will make the results come faster.

Look at your eating and exercise habits to find room for improvement. There are quick and easy ways to make your life healthier: Deep Breathing can be done anywhere, drinking enough water is simple, sneaking in exercise is as easy as sitting down 10 times instead of just once each time you sit down at your desk.
To clean up your eating start with Shakeology, "the healthiest meal of the day", to fill the holes in your diet.

be healthy out there, there are toxins everywhere.

Make a Decision today

Most of us go through our day from task to task "letting" the world tell us where to make the next move. This is very reactive and not very empowering. This way is often low energy and does not stimulate the brain or the body. If you manage to squeeze in a workout then it does not leave you feeling energized or stronger.

Take the time at night to plan your day, scheduling in time for exercise and healthy eating. This can give you time for more family, less stress, and more energy. By scheduling and completing what you had scheduled, even if it as simple as eating a healthy lunch, stimulates the brain to accomplish more. You will actually want to do more and be able to do it.

The Beachbody motto is: Decide. Commit. Succeed.
Keeping these 3 things in mind can energize you to take control of our life. It is after all YOUR life. If you decide to want more. Commit to achieving more in your life then you can succeed at a level you never though possible. Keep your commitments fresh in your mind. Re-Commit as often as you need to. When I started taking more control of my life I had to remind myself several times a day that I was the one in charge of my future, my health and my time. Once you begin to take small steps at changing any aspect of your life, review to make sure you are headed in the right direction. Seek the help of others to stay on track. Make the critical decisions necessary to be successful.

now go out and do something good for yourself!