The title suggests exactly what it says. Yet so many and I have to include myself into this, spend such little time on our recovery and restoring our bodies. This is not some new age mambo jumbo shit. Our bodies need rest in order to grow stronger and recover from all the strength and conditioning work. In the world of fitness where “Tabata” and “HIIT” being the buzz word, we bash our bodies to the pulp without paying any attention to the “SELF”. Don’t get me wrong I love my metabolic conditioning work, my HIIT work and my max strength days but what good is that when you are walking like a Frankenstein. As well as being strong, we are also meant to have mobility and suppleness throughout our bodies. As a sports massage therapist I see this with plenty of folks that are regular strength trainers and office workers with similar problems, where their bodies are a wreck.
So with that in mind I decided to get in touch with Kristal Clark an Iyengar and Pranayama Yoga Teacher. It was a humbling one hour I spent. I can squat, deadlift a fair weight yet holding a yoga pose was incredibly difficult. I have practiced yoga for a while as end of workout stretch-out, yet being under the careful eyes of Kristal it was clear that there is much more to yoga that meets the eye. The finer technicalities that you can only learn under a great instruction.
Mark my words in a few years the next buzz word is going to be RECOVERY & RESTORATION, where our focus will turn back to on how to use our bodies in the most efficient way.
To find out more about Kristal Clark go to Yoga Teacher or contact your local Iyengar teacher. It is more difficult to find Pranayam Yog teachers however a good yoga teacher would help you discover breath control and more. This will all help you become a better kettlebell lifter, martial artist, help increase your mobility and range of motion, and over all make a better athlete.