Summer Fitness Switch Up: 3 Yoga Poses to Help You Hurt Less
Gardening, biking, and summer sunset hikes are back! Unfortunately, so are shin splits, tights hips and aching calf muscles. This is how yoga can help you relieve the pain….
Victoria Day and the holiday weekend bring one sure thing with them gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts with have some really achy hips, sore butts and painful calf muscles come work on Tuesday morning. May is the first month that summer fitness and lifestyle activities are back in full force as our winter survival mindset melts away. It is finally time to enjoy our summer sunshine by being active outside. Is there any better feeling than the warmth of a spring sun on your vitamin D deficient skin? I don’t think so!
With the summer sun beckoning, the temperature rising and the landscape greening up, daily routines begin to change. Indoor fitness gets left behind and outdoor activities take over. Street biking rides replaces spin class, outdoor strolls replace mall walking, and trail running replaces treadmills. Lifestyle changes also arrive with the warm weather. Netflix binges begin to fade away to more time in the garden and Zumba dance party celebrations get moved to outdoor festivals. T-shirt and short season is short and Canadians embrace it with a passion!
I’m not immune to seasonal changes either. Hiking and paddle-boarding are huge loves of mine in the summer. They are both beautiful and challenging ways to see a wider range of the city and surrounding area, allowing me to get out of my head and take a little break from my day to day responsibilities. Even though hiking takes up more time in summer than winter (I’m definitely a cold weather avoider, no winter hikes for me!) I do find time to keep up my yoga practice throughout the summer….and it’s not because I am a yoga instructor. Yoga helps my summer activities not hurt as much!
Do you ever notice after a long winter that gardening, cycling and those glorious hours moving around outside can make you extremely sore the next day? Sometimes those are the mornings you might say to yourself ‘It’s just an age thing. It’s how it’s meant to be.’ But wait, not so fast! While I can’t stop you from getting older, I can help you hurt less. Summer activities don’t have to cause soreness. Soreness itself isn’t always a sign that you are older or out of shape. It’s often just a reminder you haven’t moved in that way for a while. Soreness is your clue to your body’s whispers and begin to move in more unique ways, more often.
Yoga is exactly the kind of activity that can help keep your muscles and joints moving in all directions all year roundBy having a consistent and dedicated yoga practice 12 months of the year you are keeping your body primed for movement. Whether it’s digging in the garden, hanging seasonal decorations, skating or water-skiing, when these activities arrive with the weather your body can be ready to conquer them, pain free!
Not sure if you believe me yet? Try these three yoga poses regularly this summer and let me know how you feel in the fall.
Find out more about these poses, with tips on where they come in handy in life off the mat, by continuing to read below!
Crescent Moon Lunge
Sanskrit Name: Anjaneyasana
If you are running, cycling or doing a lot of neighbourhood strolling on the pavement Crescent Moon will be your new best friend.
This pose helps opens the hips, lengthen your side body, stretches your quads, increases balance and warms up the shoulders!
Try a few lunges in the morning as a slow wake up to your day before running off to capture all those feel-good summer vibes.
Yoga Squat
Sanskrit Name: Malasana
Have you ever tried to garden with not allowing yourself to squat? It’s pretty hard! Getting low to the ground is a requirement when weeding and sitting in the dirt on your butt doesn’t always work out that well.
To keep your lower body strong and stable for your food and flower growing adventures, try practicing this yoga pose a few times a week. Your leg, butt, low back and core will thank you!
Next time you’re squatting in your garden try bringing your yoga outdoors. Close your eyes, feel the sensations in the air and appreciate the sounds and smells of the summer season.
More hiking brings new and different terrains to venture over. Large rocks, clumps of field grass, and the mini sand dunes that line our beautiful South Saskatchewan River can all wreak havoc with our balance.
Yesterday I almost tumbled into the still cold May river when the sand gave way beneath my foot. I credit my tree and warrior three yoga poses for my fast reaction in recovering my balance. Where do you find your balanced challenges in summer?
Tonight when you are cooking dinner, waiting for that pot of water to boil, add a little balancing to your recipe! Move away from the hot stove and find balance in tree pose for three breath cycles.
Giving your body the opportunity to challenge it’s balance on a regular basis will help you become more balanced in those unexpected situations that spring up on us throughout the summer days.
These are only three of the many yoga poses you can find a connection to in your day to day life. As you practice your yoga through all the seasons of the year you will discover just how many yoga poses can help you hurt less in your daily life. Discover new poses by signing up for class, reading articles online (clicking on the images above will take you to information about the poses in this article) or borrowing a book from your local library.
I’d love to hear how yoga winds itself into your life! Comment below to share how your favourite yoga pose helps hurt less throughout the summer season. Until we meet again continue to breathe, move & grow into your unique life story!
~Sarah
Owner, Breathe Move Grow
