4 Reasons Core Strength is Important for Runners

Our core is not just about the abdominals but includes all the muscles that wrap around our trunk as well as the glutes and pelvic floor. For runners we want to maintain stability in the trunk to allow the legs and arms to move easily, making the overall action less effortful.  A mixture of Pilates and yoga can offer us a well-rounded solution to support our running life.

Run tall, Breathe easy
We want to be able to ‘run tall’ and maintain a neutral spine, if our core is weak and we are running regularly our posture can be affected resulting in rounded shoulders and tighter chest muscles inhibiting our breathing.  Being able to breathe easily is vital for a comfortable run.
Exercises: Planks, chest stretches, cobra pose.

Strong glutes to run faster (and uphill)
The glutes (bum muscles) provide power to drive the body forwards – think of a sprinter’s physique.  Strength in our glutes (and overall core) will give runners more power and speed, useful for short sprints or when tackling hills and adding to overall resilience.
Exercises: Pelvic curls / glute bridges, walking lunges with weights, locust pose.

Creating stability in the trunk and limiting rotation
While the obliques – abdominals at either side of the trunk – are key for rotation of the trunk, they also help us stabilise, minimising the movement of the upper body while running. This stability creates more efficiency in the movement in a forwards only direction rather than swaying side to side.  Being able to stabilise the trunk when running also allows us to be more energy efficient.
Exercises Side plank (on hand or forearms) – add dips or side leg lifts, airplanes (kneeling with arms out to the side, flex laterally and bring yourself back to upright), chest lift with rotation.

Injury Prevention
Unfortunately, injuries are not uncommon amongst regular runners. A weak core can contribute to injury from pelvic floor issues to stressing knee joints, to lower back pain and even plantarfascitis.  Injuries can particularly effect runners who have desk-based jobs who may already have muscular imbalances effecting posture, glute strength, hamstring flexibility or lower back health.  A routine that includes core strengthening and stretching can help protect us from injury
All of the above recommendations plus, low lunges, supine hamstring stretches (use a strap or band to stretch leg up).

What's The Best Yoga Mat?

I get asked occasionally ‘what is the best yoga mat?’.  Rather than recommending a specific brand (although I am going to mention a some), I usually recommend yogis consider a few things when they’re choosing their mat. It’s not just about ‘what is the best yoga mat?’, ‘but what is the best yoga mat for you?’.

Thickness
For my first yoga teacher training which was a one month long 200-hour training course in India – I brought a regular run of the mill mat along, I gave no consideration really as to how long I was going to be spending on it, on a wooden floor.  Big mistake and my bones did not thank me.  While most of us aren’t going to be on the mat for hours a day, it’s still good to have a little bit of padding – but not too much either as trying to balance on one leg can be challenging enough without adding to that challenge with a mat that’s too thick or even spongy.  I find a thickness of between 4mm and 6mm works well.

Size & Weight
Length-wise – consider your own height of course, most mats will be around 183cm long x 61cm wide, which for me at 5’7” is spot on.  I do have a Liforme yoga mat however which is 185cm x 68cm and I really appreciate those extra few centimetres.

When you’re buying your mat, consider where you’re going to be using it.  If you’re travelling with it on foot or on your bike, you need to consider the weight.  I really like the aforementioned Liforme mat (which has really handy alignment markers) however at 2.5kg, I do find it a bit too heavy to sling over my shoulder and walk or cycle to the studio (they do have a travel mat option).  The weight of a regular mat is around 1.5kg - 2kg.   Consider where you’re going to be using it.   If you are actually travelling abroad (imagine that!), many brands do a lighter travel version, I have a Jade travel mat, which is very pliable and easy to fold up and fit in a bag or case.

Grip
This is important, you don’t want your downward dog sliding away from you thanks to sweaty palms.  My advice here is to look out for ‘anti-slip’ in the product description and read the reviews before buying.  If you already have a mat that’s a bit slippy, use a thin towel on top.

Sustainability & Price
Most brands will state upfront if their mats are sustainably made e.g. with ethically sourced natural rubber and either biodegradable or recyclable, if it’s not immediately clear just check out the product details.  Yoga mat prices range from around €25 to €180 and everything in between, no doubt beyond that too. You might expect to pay a bit more for an eco-friendly mat but I found this mat at an Irish Yoga store, Pure Mind online yoga store and it’s made from eco-friendly recyclable PVC and really good value at €39.90 and you’ll find funky sustainably produced mats at the Irish brand Downward Dog Club from €46 - €58.

Brands
It’s great to see homegrown Irish brands producing yoga mats, including Holder Eight – their designs are just gorgeous, there’s also Flow State with really graphic, dynamic designs and Greener Me who produce a cosy wool yoga mat.  Other good mat brands to watch out for include Jade, Manduka and Liforme. 

Have you found a mat that you really like and can recommend?

Yoga & Pilates - What's the Difference?

‘What’s the difference between Yoga & Pilates?’ is a question I am asked quite often. I sat down yesterday morning with the intention of writing a few words explaining the differences between Pilates and yoga. Who I was I kidding? Even though I tried to stick to the basics and keep it as simple as possible, including sticking with Pilates matwork, it still took me nearly two days to finish.

Origins

Yoga
The origins of Yoga (meaning ‘yoke’ or ‘union’) can be traced back to 5,000 years (or 10,000 depending on who you ask) ago in Northern India to the Vedas (or Rig Veda) a collection of sacred poems and hymns where yoga was first referenced.  Yoga progressed through the ages from what was originally a meditative and spiritual practice to incorporate asana ‘physical’ practice the discipline of ‘Hatha yoga’.  In the early 1900s, the Indian yoga teacher Krishnamacharya revolutionised the teaching of yoga. He and his protegés have greatly influenced how yoga is perceived and taught in the western world.

Pilates
Joseph Pilates (1883 – 1967) developed the Pilates technique (initally called ‘contrology’) in the 20th century.  Originally from Germany he started to develop his technique when he was interned on the Isle of Man during the first world war.  After the war he moved to New York where he set up his first studio with his wife Clara in 1926.   He used Pilates apparatus – specially made machines (what we know now as reformers, the barrel, Cadillac etc.) and to begin with many dancers came to his studio to rehabilitate injuries. Passionate about physical fitness and his method, by all accounts he was quite a character. He worked with and trained a group of teachers known as ‘The Elders’ who passed on his technique.

How Do Yoga & Pilates Classes Differ?

Yoga
Generally speaking – a standard studio class will very often involve an introduction with some guided meditation, a warm-up, possibly a sun salutation followed by a series of standing, seated and lying poses, which can all include forward folds, twists, backbends.  Possibly some breathwork and always relaxation ‘savasana’ at the end. 
You might be flowing through the poses quite quickly or holding them for a particular breath count.  Breath focus is always encouraged, some teachers may use chanting e.g. ‘Om’ which is a beautiful addition to any class. There are 84 classical yoga asana and many many variations.

Pilates
One of the differences between yoga and Pilates is with Pilates you are almost continuously moving in time with the breath. Often you will be maintaining stability through the trunk – using your core strength - while moving the arms and/or legs dynamically, challenging and building core strength and stability and joint mobility.  Other times you can be making quite small precise movements and wondering how on earth it can be so challenging?  There is a strong emphasis on spine mobility with movements including forward flexion, lateral flexion, extension and rotation.  Joseph Pilates famously said  ‘If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30 you are old, if your spine is completely flexible at 60, you are young’ (bear in mind he said this back in the day when 60 was considered old!). There are 34 exercises in the Pilates matwork classical series again with lots of variations.

What can Yoga & Pilates Offer Me?

Yoga - Mind Body Spirit Connection
For people starting yoga, they may be attracted to the physical practice and want to improve their flexibility or perhaps they are looking for a way to reduce their stress levels.  There is an extensive and ancient yoga philosophy that underpins the yoga tradition should you wish to pursue it.  The ‘Eight Limbs Of Yoga’ provide guidance for an entire lifestyle offering practices to connect and nourish your mind, body and spirit including asana (yoga poses), pranayama (breathwork), dhyana (meditation) but also principles for how to treat yourself and others and the theory that we are all connected to each other and the universe – yoga can be an extremely profound experience.

Pilates – Mind Body Connection
With Pilates there is great emphasis placed on the connection between the body movement and the breath (inhaling through the nose, exhaling through the mouth, breathin into the ribcage).  The principles of Pilates (which can vary a little from one school of Pilates to the next) include body awareness, breath, centering, concentration, balance, control, efficiency, flow, precision.  ‘Engage your core’ is a term you may hear often in a Pilates class, ‘core strength’ is a key focus in Pilates.  Correct alignment and posture often referenced in class. There isn’t an official ‘spiritual’ philosophy to Pilates, I have no doubt however that it has influenced many people’s lives in a very positive and life affirming way.

What About The Different Types of Yoga & Pilates?

Yoga
I’m going to keep this fairly simple (for all our sakes) - There are different types of yoga ibut the physical practice of Hatha yoga (Ha meaning sun and Tha meaning moon) is the type of yoga that is the most influential in the west. While studio ‘hatha yoga classes’ usually offer a more traditional practice of holding poses for a certain amount of breaths, under the Hatha Yoga umbrella there are many different types of yoga, from the very energetic ashtanga series and vinyasa flow to Iyengar and yin and restorative yoga and everything in between. You could say there is something for everyone within the yoga realm. 

Pilates
Pilates can be divided into ‘classical’ – those who follow Joseph Pilates original teachings quite strictly and ‘contemporary’ – Pilates which has been modified and modernised.  And then we have mat Pilates and equipment based Pilates which uses a series of machines using springs, straps and pullies and lots of fun stuff to add extra resistance. 

Within these two categories, there are many different schools of Pilates.  Without a doubt the influence of the physical practice of yoga can be seen in many of the exercises.  Pilates is often used as a form of rehabilitation and many Physios are trained as Pilates Teachers.

What Are The Benefits Of A Regular Practice?

Yoga

• Improved body & breath awareness.

• Stress reduction.

• Can help lower blood pressure.

• Can improve strength, flexibility, joint mobility & balance.

• Weight-bearing exercise aids bone health.

• Helps to reduce the risk of injury.

• Can help mental health with sense of overall well-being.

• Can provide a sense of spiritual connection.

Pilates

• Improved sense of body and breath awareness.

• Improves core and overall strength and muscle tone.

• Better joint mobility.

• Improved posture.

• Weight-bearing exercise – can help bone health.

• Can help improve focus.

• Better balance and stability.

• Can help mental health with happy hormone release.

• Can help build body confidence.

Should I Do Both Or Just Choose One?

That’s entirely up to you – perhaps you need one more than the other.  Many folk are firmly dedicated to either yoga or Pilates.  I was practicing yoga for many years before I started regularly practicing Pilates. The benefits of yoga I found were increased flexibility and mobility and I definitely benefited from the stress reduction, I slept like a top after my classes.

Building my core strength with Pilates perfectly complemented my yoga practice.  Some of the poses I had struggled with like ‘plough’ pose where I felt like I was collapsing in on myself benefited hugely because of my improved core strength.  So too did my balance – again thanks to the core strength.  

My flexibility from yoga has helped me greatly with many of the Pilates exercises.  I also love and find fascinating the yoga philosophy and many other elements that it encompasses and without a doubt would say it has had quite a profound effect on how I live my life.

Choose just one? I couldn’t possibly.

If you don’t have time to both, you could always try a Pilates Yoga Flow class - guess who teaches one?! Click here to find out more.

My Yoga Journey from Tag Rugby to Teacher Training

Hatha Yoga TTC Graduation Day at Samyak Yoga, Mysore.

Yoga.  For me it started with a weekly class to rehab a tag rugby knee injury and it worked, but it didn’t stop there.   I continued with my weekly class for years and so followed workshops, weekend yoga retreats, week long yoga retreats and eventually I found myself in India doing my 200 hour teacher training course.

 While researching the course I had been given the very useful advice that just because a yoga course is expensive doesn’t mean it is good and vice versa. The practicalities of work meant the month of December would suit best for a condensed course. I eventually found a hatha yoga teacher training course at ‘Samyak Yoga’ just outside Mysore in south central India. I liked their ethos, their speedy and helpful response to my inquiry and their reasonable fee included tuition, individual accommodation and food.  Their maximum of 18 students per course was the cherry on the cake.

As soon as I signed up I was sent a sequence of exercises, which I was instructed to practice everyday to prepare.  I took an ‘ah sure it’ll be grand’ approach to these. If I could have done one thing differently it would be to actually practice that sequence of exercises EVERYDAY. 

 The taxi journey from Bangalore airport to Samyak was truly unforgettable.  It was like a cross between wacky races and mad max.  Cars veering everywhere beeping relentlessly, random cows wandering across the road, people hanging off buses, bikes, each other, piles of rubbish along the roadside – a mad hotch potch of colour and chaos.

Samyak in contrast is located in the peaceful countryside beside a river and surrounded by rice and sugar cane fields. The yoga shala (studio) is situated on the top floor, palm treetops gently waving outside the windows, a frequent playground for a family of monkeys – providing students with a great source of distraction and entertainment.  The dining room is on the ground floor which we all galloped along to gleefully three times daily.   

The students on my course were a great bunch - mostly French, mostly female and mostly had practiced that sequence of exercises much more than I had.  Our teachers Rakesh, Trupta and Arvind taught asanas, pranayama. meditation and yoga philosophy. We were all looked after by the house manager, the ever smiling and always patient ‘Raj’.

 We greeted the sunrise each day with yoga practice for two hours from 6.30.  After breakfast we had yoga philosophy class – this was completely new to me and drew the occasional furrowed brow. Directly after was asana clinic where we examined the individual poses. Lunch followed and then a much appreciated break for a couple of hours.  We returned to the shala at 4pm for teacher training practice with time for a quick shower before kirtans / chanting along with pranayama and meditation.  Dinner was at 8pm followed by falling into bed.  This was the schedule six days a week.  

Physically I found it really challenging.  With so much yoga everyday there was little time for the muscles to recover and I found it hard to see progress because my body was in a constant state of ‘what are you doing to me?’! 

Thursday was our day off.  We all piled into taxis bound for the dusty, buzzy hustle and bustle of Mysore. Much appreciated massages were had, markets were explored, sights seen, many shops visited and purchases made.   The highlight for me was sitting in Devaraja market sipping deliciously hot, spicy, sweet, milky masala chai tea.    

Christmas week was our fourth and final week week and exam time.  Apart from an incredible Christmas dinner put on by the Samyak team it was heads down for the week as we practiced for our practical teaching exams.  Happily we all passed.  Graduation day arrived with a 6 am start to create our mandala with fresh orange, yellow, red and white flower petals for the event.   Speeches were made, certificates presented and many many photos taken.  By 11.00 we were all bidding fond farewells and departing for our next destination whether that was home or further travels.

The visit to India made me realise just how privileged and lucky I am in my daily life.  It was an incredibly intense experience, but a wonderful one. I made some dear friends and it took my understanding of yoga and perhaps of myself too, to another level. I’ll admit that my yoga practice is not an hour a day as my teacher recommended, some days it’s just ten minutes but even that makes a difference to me and to my yoga.  It’s been quite a journey and it’s only just begun.