A majority of my coaching and personal training career has been mainly focused with various contact sports. This experience will quickly helps you realize the importance of recovery to sustain a rigorous season. Through Ann and Chris Fredericks I learned the importance of traction based stretching, which had helped myself and all my clients recover much quicker. So what does this have to do with Yoga? Hang tight we’ll get there. :p
I’m always on the hunt for new methods on recovery, strength training, diet, and anything else related to fitness. This past Friday it led me to Yoga Union’s “restorative” class in New York City. My back was bothering me a bit from a hard week of training, so after a quick glimpse I thought it’ll be well worth a look.
Yoga Union- “Restorative Class
Keep in mind I’ve never been in a full blown yoga class, I’ve done private training with yoga teachers working breathing and stretching methods but never in a class setting…to say this least this was all new to me. Truth be told, I was a bit fearful that it would be a yoga class full of oms and other chants, which I don’t do well with. THANK goodness they kept it to a minimum and focused on the good stuff = restorative :p. I also was a bit fearful of ripping one during a quiet class….Thankfully it was silent :p
The class was really focused on traction, which I’m a big fan of, based on my experience with Ann and Chris Fredericks of “Stretch to Win”, I believe it’s the best way to stretch. Before we jumped into the traction movements the teacher started with a focus test, by sitting down on blocks and/or blankets. She then had us focus on where our weight was distributed and built body awareness through various movements and manually realigning us. This is a really great way to start the class, as it not only helps you build awareness but keeps you focused on postural alignment.
After a few more warm up routines, she then had us lie back on the mat with the blankets suppurating our backs- think lying back with pillows supporting your upper torso up. We were then cued to elongate the neck away from the body and let the shoulders relax down. Interesting enough, the position we were placed, combined with the breathing exercises had allowed my neck and upper back to relax = awesome!
Then came the traction- we used various ropes and various positions that are bit difficult for me to put into words. Put simply the traction was much different from the inversion tables or band stretches I’m used to. The rope was hooked at our hips as we hung upside down, it really helped me focus the traction through the lower and upper back. While with the inversion table, I feel the traction more through the hips- femur tracking from the sacrum.
Benefits for Personal Trainers
As a NYC personal trainer, having a solid fitness network in Manhattan is very key for my clients and my own health. If you’re a personal trainer based in New York City, this would be great for your clients to supplement during recovery days. It’s difficult for me to get my clients to foam roll and do any type of restorative workout on their own. With that said, the “restorative” class from Yoga Union really fits our needs and I’m sure will do the same for you.
To be clear, I have no affiliation nor receive any type of compensation from Yoga Union for this post. I’m a big fan of traction based stretching and they fall directly in line with that type of mind set. So if you’re in New York City and want to get in a great restorative workout, go check them out.
Stay strong,
Team Fusion Trained
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