Yoga sucks!!!! I know, that is practically heresy for many people. And yes, I am sour grapes because I feel like an idiot, clumsy and somehow cluttered in body parts when I attempt the “graceful poses.” Holy shit, give me a hot, sticky run any day of the week over this!
This morning I invested thirty minutes or so in attempting to rearrange my body into the poses that were suppose to be meant for beginner but challenging enough for an experienced yoga pretzel. When she got to the part where she was hopping on one foot, one leg straight out behind her and her arms “gracefully flowing” from her shoulders, I sat down. I was pouring sweat, which is a good thing, but I can do that with the Seven Minute Workout. Hell, I can sweat standing still, so I’m not so sure that is an indication of anything. Except maybe my fitness level.
Which is why I decided to try yoga in the first place. I have been having trouble taking a day off. In fact last week, I postponed a day off so long I didn’t take one. My reward was feeling really run down and pretty sick. But an addiction needs to be fed and I had become seriously addicted. Which shouldn’t be mistaken for actual fitness. This is still a goal I am working towards. I know this because what I am doing is really not a big deal. I mean it is, compared to what I had been doing – NOTHING. But seriously, fifty minutes or so of aerobic activity every day isn’t a big deal. It is a start. However, I thought that since I varied my activity between biking and running I didn’t need to take a day. Although one web site, seemed to think that aerobics every day was okay, the majority of sites that I researched recommended a day off. For beginners, the recommendation is to take a day off every third day. If you look at any fitness plan out there, a day off is built into the paradigm. One site I read explained that even if you work different muscle groups every day, your nervous system, which feeds the muscles needs time to recover. In fact, it is in the recovery time when you are building the muscle and getting fit. I knew this at one time, but I guess I just forgot it.
And of course this all depends on what type of athlete you are, I’m a football fan, and the intensity of your training. Which leads to the question, how the hell am I suppose to know? I am not training to play in the pros, and I am not training to even race for time. I want to be stronger and physically fit, not more fit, but actually fit. Whatever that means. I do what I can to work it into my schedule. And I tend to work as hard as I can during that time. Hard for me. This doesn’t mean that what I do many athletes or teenagers even couldn’t do in their sleep, but this is hard for me. Still.
So this leads me to thinking about rest days. And one of the allowed activities on rest days is yoga. I don’t think the people who decided yoga was a “restful” activity saw this video. Or maybe it is because it is called cardio yoga. Not exactly sure what that means, but I wasn’t jumping up and down, or breathing heavy. I was awkward. Which I hated, because it is another reminder of how far I have to go. Just to be clear, this isn’t a rest day, I just wanted to preview the possible rest day material.
So in conclusion, I hated the yoga. I am still going to try it again. And again. And again. I hated running in the beginning too. I just don’t like workout videos. So once I have the routine memorized, I will do it by myself. And I am going to try the thirty minute routine next time, not the sixty. I have this fantasy of really being able to look behind me the way I could as a child, you know, without turning my whole body. And I am going to take a rest day, although I haven’t decided exactly what that means to me yet. But I feel as though I am starting to flirt with burnout.
By the way, when I feel like giving up, I go back to this video over and over again. If he can do it, I can do it. And yes, I know he is doing yoga.
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