[Closed] Yoga-Is it worth it?

I did yoga for years. I only stopped when my teacher moved away and I couldn't find another who was as good. It helped in so many ways including core strength, breathing, balance and general well-being. I also found that I began to understand what I needed to eat and how to deal with random aches and pains by using yoga techniques. I would recommend it to anyone.

Ryan Giggs credits in part Yoga keeping him in premier league at the age of 37

Yoga is fantastic for core stability, strength, suppleness and general well being. Make sure you get a good teacher. The more active versions like ashtanga will be much more beneficial physically that the more gentle varieties. Even once a week will give benefits but several times a week is better. Try is for a couple of months before making a decision.

the gym near me does specific core stability classes

Is it good for keeping your tendons etc supple to avoid injuries?

have just started going to one hour ashtanga Yoga Classes (3rd class yesterday....) to build up strength and try and make a dodgy shoulder more supple..

And airy fairy it certainly isnt.. the first week i was sweating buckets! holding some of the poses is quite difficult..

Can feel my body becoming slightly more supple and stronger after just 3 classes.... i even managed to push up and hold a crab position (tried the first week and had no chance...) for about 20 seconds this week...!

Balance... core strength... posture.. floaty feeling when walking out after the relaxation session at the end..

id highly recommend it! 🙂

I've been doing Ashtanga yoga for just over a year now and, although I can't yet lick my balls whilst walking on my hands with my feet pointing at the ceiling it's definately make a considerable difference to my suppleness.

I've noticed that I've had virtually no running injuries, which I was particularly prone to before doing ashtanga, and my muscles never seem to ache any more after epic rides or long kayaking trips. I can also find it easier to spend longer in a kayak without getting the back ache that used to plague me after a couple of hours.

Just got back from my weekly class and I'm buzzing 🙂

I've very lightly scratched the surface of it, as it's part of the Wii Fit thing we've got, and I really enjoy it when I do it (about 3x 30 minutes per week at the moment). It's a good chill out, I feel I'm more aware of my (poor, but improving) posture and a few of the aches and pains that tend to nag me don't seem so prevalent. Imagine if I got off my butt and went to a class...

Same as gonetothehills, I used the wii version and noticed a difference in a short space of time. The wii is hard/boring to keep up after a while so classes would probably be better

I found doing a sun salutation every morning really helped stop my lower back aching when riding hard with my saddle up high. It's quite shocking to realise how stiff and weak your core is!

I started to improve flexibility and core strenth, I enjoy it now for its own sake, but it was important for me to find a class that wasnt all 'one with the universe'

Yes, but you'll have to find a decent class. I've not found a teacher I like since moving house 10 years ago (they are either too 'extreme' or too 'dreamy'), so whilst I still practice occasionally, the flexibility I once had is slowly disappearing and injuries/aches and pains are returning.

Also, I found I couldn't really do it in the summer months, it is a winter thing for me (god knows why)

Ben

Your physio is right. Yoga is ace.

Your legs have to drive against something every time they push a pedal around and that thing is your core. Yoga is also fun and a good thing to do as a couple.

as above - recommended.

I got this excellent cycling specific yoga dvd http://www.roughrideguide.co.uk/Yoga-for-Cyclists.html

never did a class as suggested (yes too many elderly ladies did put me off going to classes) but the dvd visuals and instructions work fine.

Does it not depend what time of yoga you do? I've done hatha yoga on and off for about 10 years now and its done nothing for my core strength (gym work/swiss ball and running have improved it far more than yoga). It keeps me flexible, but hasn't stopped any tendon injuries (sorry bushwacked - but it could just be me!). I love the mental calm and feeling of physical strength/alignment hatha gives me - have tried other styles but i don't like them. I like hatha for the length of time you hold a pose compared to say ashtanga as i feel really stretched out after it.

The hardest part is finding a decent teacher/class. Try a few different ones and types before making up your mind. I tried a class at my gym which was a combination of yoga, tai chi and pilates...that really worked my core and i ached the next day!

pilates would be better for core stability than yoga.

I do a bit of both class - the first time i went i thought it was nonsense but i stuck with it and now i'm hooked.

try it and as above - don't be scared tyo try a few classes. yoga is a broader church as cycling - there are many types.

Hatha is a bit 'wishy washy' compared to ashtanga. You don't get many old ladies in an ashtanga class, and those that do go will put you to shame.
However it hasn't helped my tendon injuries, in fact it may have made them worse as I'm always trying to stretch my tendons to be better at the Yoga which seems to make them more susceptible to running injuries.

nicknoxx - with you on the tendon running issues. I've been wondering if yoga has made mine worse recently - was trying out a reverse triangle the other day and i could feel my injured tendons complaining.

I did myself an injury (to my hip - no, I'm not 70) a couple of years ago and my physio put me through a load of pilates style exercises afterwards to restore core strength. I kept going with them and found it very useful for the next snowboarding trip - having all that extra core strength improved my stability and stamina no end.

I haven't noticed much impact on my riding though. Might be there, but I haven't been able to quantify it.

Hatha is a bit 'wishy washy' compared to ashtanga.

I’ve done a mix of Iyengar (Hatha) and Ashtanga/Dynamic and I reckon it’s well worth doing a bit of both. Inengar is very precise and tends to have a lot of teacher involvement which means your postures end up much better (meaning you get more out of them and are less likely to hurt yourself). Going straight into an Ashtanga class it can be hard to pick up exactly what you’re meant to be doing. Also, teaching styles (and degree of hippy-shit) vary massively, even when the styles are supposedly the same, so try as many as you can.

All (?) physio exercises exist in Yoga. Physio tends to focus just on the area you’re currently having a problem with, costs a lot, and most people don’t actually go home and do the exercises. A good yoga class covers everything, is cheaper, and because you’re in a group you don’t tend to slack

If anyone is interested in trying out Ashtanga yoga, and can make lunch times in Bath I totally recommend Yogabodhi. I think you can get the 1st one for a quid!

Teacher is great and there is only ever one or two students, so you almost get personal tuition.

Let me know if anyone wants more info.

For reference, Ashtanga is quite a hard workout. Combines flex, strength and to some degree cardio.

Go to clases but for most benefit try to make sure you do 20 minutes in the morning, thats when you begin to notice the real differences.

Pilates is also worth considering, helped my back injury considerably, bit more physical than yoga.

great for my hamstrings and core strength the latter being the secret ingredient in track-standing at the lights- take that trendy fixie fakengers!

in my eyes keeping supple and stretching is the fountain of youth and the key to keeping injury free

I've been doing Ashtanga now for just over a year and it is brilliant. As people have said it's blooming hard and the combination of strength, stability and core work is fantastic. It's pretty much fixed my niggly back problem. I would agree that you need a good teacher - I also go to a class in Bath but with this person http://www.diane-lee.com/ she is one of the few people qualfied in the biomechanics of yoga in sport and does work with the various athletes up at Bath Uni. Love it, cause once you get going there's a whole host of other benefits for your mental state that come from the breathing, focus etc that make it a totally holistic thing, can't recommend it highly enough. 😀

I'm all for Ashtanga as well, it's the only yoga worth doing as it builds strength as well as improving balance, lung power and your core muscles. There's not of that chanting business as well. However if you can't find an Ashtanga course/teacher Hatha might be a good second resort.

If that's a bit hard to come by as well try indoor bouldering. Again it's fantastic for building you core muscles improving strength and balance whilst being really good fun. It teaches you how to work with your own weight. When you get into it you can achieve a Zen like state as with yoga, then you can go to pub afterwards to discuss your technique.

anyone recommend a dvd to try at home rather than going to a class?

have a look on youtube, ive not looked specifically for ashtanga, but theres some good yoga. Find one that suits you.

lots of free podcasts on the [url= http://www.yogajournal.com/podcast/ ]Yoga Journal[/url] site. Perhaps best used in conjuction with real world tuition though, I think they assume some previous experience.

Pirates classes sound more appealing than yoga, especially if you get a parrot and stuff, Jim lad.

Another vote for Diane Lee. We've moved from Bath so can't get to her classes any more

John Scott's DVD is very good but it's essential you go to some classes as well as you'll never get the postures right without some help and will not get the most out of it and could create problems.

Short on info around here on Ashtanga Yoga classes/teachers...

Anyone recommend any in Guildford/Horsham/Midhurst area?

No - Move on... 😉

Due to back aches I started doing a bit of hatha just from a book about 5years ago, really helped with my back and also I found it just made me feel....well, happier! Cringe worthy I know. Sorry.

But anyway I stopped doing it after back got better and actually, I dont know why I stopped. In fact thanks to this thread I started again, tonight. Yay, happy again, no more grumpy old prat 😀