yoga

Yoga Flow That’s Easy On Your Wrists

I just got back from teaching yoga in Mexico a couple of weeks ago and had an amazing time. It’s refreshing to step out of my normal teaching environment and try something new. I also don’t teach a lot of yoga anymore – so it was very refreshing to teach 2x a day again.

One of the things I like about teaching classes to people on vacation is that I always get some brand new beginners. It’s nice to have people come that have never tried yoga before and are being more adventurous because they are on vacay! One of the things I’ve noticed over the years is that many new beginners don’t stick with yoga if they have weak wrists. I tend to teach a vinyasa flow style class and it can be a little straining on your wrists with all of the sun salutations, inversions and flows. So, I wanted to share some alternative poses and tips if you have a hard time doing yoga due to weak or injured wrists. If you ever take a class and something doesn’t feel right – don’t be afraid to speak up and ask the instructor!

High Plank -> Forearm Plank

In a vinyasa flow class you will be doing variations of sun salutations and that means beginning in a high plank (or top of your “pushup”) position before you start your salutation: chaturanga, upward facing dog and then downward facing dog. In addition to the flow of class – you may have to hold your high plank longer and engage your core. You can get the same benefits just by lowering down to your forearms. You will still be working your core just as hard.

Downward Dog -> Dolphin

Downward Facing Dog is actually considered a “resting” pose in yoga and depending on your instructor and class style – you may be holding this pose for awhile and not just as part of your vinyasa flow. In this pose – you are making an upside-down “V” shape with your body with your hips at the highest point. Your arms are straight and you are on your wrists. So, it’s natural for your wrists to feel some pressure – especially if you have a few pounds to lose. If your wrists start to bother you, you can hold your down dog pose on your forearms – just like “dolphin” pose. Your hips will still be the highest point and you will get the benefits of the down dog inversion but just on your forearms. Also, it’s completely acceptable to just drop down to child’s pose if you need to give yourself a break.

Chaturanga -> Chaturanga On Knees

The chaturanga is a difficult pose to master in yoga because it requires proper form and upper body strength. It’s also very hard to do from plank position because you are using your triceps which are smaller muscles than your chest, shoulders or back. I usually recommend that beginners do their chaturangas on their knees anyway to build up their strength and form. If your wrists bother you, you can take some of the pressure off by just coming to your knees (like you are doing a pushup on your knees). Just keep your wrists right under your shoulders and try to keep your elbows glued to your sides. By being on your knees, you will not be placing as much of your body weight on your wrists. You can check out my blog post here with a step-by-step on how to chaturanga.

Grasshopper -> Grasshopper with Block

There are many other poses in yoga that require you to use your arms and press your palms into your mat – thus putting pressure on your wrists. One of these is grasshopper pose. Many people lack the flexibility to lower down to their forearms while in this pose but have a hard time just holding themselves up with their arms. A better way to do this is to use a block under your wrists to lengthen your arms (so you aren’t putting as much pressure on them) or you can use the block for your forearms so that you don’t have to come all the way to your mat.

5 Fun Workouts To Do On A Cruise Ship

One of the things I love most about cruising is being able to mix up my workouts and take advantage of all the fun workout environments on board the ship. On my last Carnival cruise a few weeks ago – I decided to do some of my workouts outside because I wanted to enjoy the view.Â I feel like I get a new perspective on my workouts and feel so much more alive just by having a completely different workout environment. It’s so amazing being able to workout in the middle of the ocean!

I recommend trying the ship’s gym as well – because most are very well equipped and even have great classes. But, if you want to mix things up, try theseÂ 5 fun ideas for workouts to do on your next cruise that are not in the gym.

*Please be careful when exercising outdoors on a cruise ship. Ships are often rocky, windy and unstable due to the weather conditions. Always be mindful and hold on to railings where applicable, or head indoors if it’s safer.Â

1. Outdoor Run + HIIT Circuit

This was my favorite. I took advantage of the ship’s outdoor track (almost all of them have an outdoor track) and decided to mix in some strength training. I started my Runkeeper app during my first run and soon found out that the gps was too accurate. It was factoring in the speed of my ship with my run and said I ran 8 miles in 25 minutes at a 3:03 min mile pace! If you aren’t familiar with running….let’s just say that would make me a world record holder and gold medalist! haha!

Warmup jog 5 minutes

Do 20 walking lunges along side of the track, do one loop around and then find a bench or stable chair and do 20 pushups + 20 tricep dips.
Run 3 minutes at a medium/fast pace.

*Repeat entire circuit 2-3 times.

2. Outdoor Stair Workout

Ships have LOTS of stairs. Most are 12+ floors high – so you can always get in a mini workout each day by taking the stairs alone! Sometimes it’s actually quicker too! The outdoor areas also have stairs leading from the lido deck and upper decks, etc. I found some stairs near the back of the boat along the jogging track. Here is a quick sample workout I did there:

Warmup walk or jog around the ship for 5 minutes.

15 elevated lunges on each leg (place your back foot behind you on the first or second step)
15 tricep pushups with hands on step (the lower the step – the harder)
Jog (or walk) stairs for 2 minutes

*Repeat entire circuit 2-3 times.

3. Yoga on The Upper Deck

I like to find a spot that’s a little more hidden. On Carnival they have the “Serenity Deck” and also areas outside on level 12 that sometimes are a little more private. If it’s too windy – you can just do a standing vinyasa flow, or if you are on a lower deck or less windy place you can grab your pool towel and even do a series on the “mat” (towel). Keep in mind – yoga you will do on the ship will be quite challenging since the ship is moving! This will make it harder to balance – but that makes it great for your core! Here is a Simple Yoga Workout you can do, or if you prefer something more challenging try This Hip Opener Sequence.

4. Mini Body Weight Circuit on Balcony

I did have a balcony room, but if you don’t you can do this same circuit out by the pool or on one of the upper decks. This was a workout I did sometimes while my kids were napping and it worked out great. I packed an extra resistance band to use to mix in some extras like bicep curls (you can borrow one from the ship’s gym) and then I used a towel to do core on the ground.

Warmup 5 minutes (do fast squats, go walk around the ship, etc)
20 pushups with hands on balcony railing (please be careful not to lean over!)
20 alternating reverse lunges
20 jump squats
20 tricep dips using the deck chair or table (make sure it is stable/sturdy first!) *another option is to do them on the ground (aka crab dips)
60 second plank hold on the ground

*Repeat entire circuit 2-3 times.

5. Swimming Workout In The Pool

Most of the pools on cruise ships aren’t very big – but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in a workout. During peak hours they are probably going to be too crowded to get in some laps – so I recommend going during an off-peak time like when they first open in the morning. Your “laps” will be very short – but you can still swim laps on one side of the pool away from the other swimmers, or just dodge your way around your family and kids and make it a fun game!

Swim laps or tread water for about 2 minutes.
Inner/Outer Thighs. Hold on to the side of the pool and do 25 standing hip abductions (push leg out to the side) and then 25 hip adductions (bring leg across your body to work inner thigh). Keep your legs pretty straight. Repeat on both legs.
Swim laps for 2 minutes.
Ab crunches. Tread water and do standing abdominal crunches (if you have to hold on to the side you can). Bring your knees up to your chest and do a mini “crunch” with your core, then straighten legs back out. Repeat 10 times.
Swim laps for 2 minutes.
Shoulder Raises. Stand or tread water and keep your hands by your sides (by legs). Make sure your shoulders are under the water and keep your palms your legs. Keep arms straight and raise them up so they come up to the top of the water, then press them back down to your legs. Repeat 20 times.
Swim laps 2 minutes.

*Repeat entire circuit 2-3 times.

Comment below and let me know what your favorite travel workouts or cruise ship workouts are!

*All opinions in this blog post are my own.

Step-by-Step: How to Chaturanga

The Chaturanga Dandasana or “yoga pushup” is one of the most challenging poses in a vinyasa yoga class. Most people think they are doing it correctly (because they can’t see what they are doing) but usually they are way off! Here is a step-by-step guide and my tips so that you look good chaturangaing (not really a word) in your next yoga class : )

Steps to perform a correct chaturanga:

Start in a high plank position (or “top of the pushup”) with your hands directly under your shoulders (vs. wider for a “regular” or chest pushup).
Engage your core and while keeping a flat back, slowly shift your weight forward just slightly where you come more on the tips of your toes (vs. the balls of your feet).
As you exhale, slowly bend your elbows and lower your torso towards the ground. This is where it gets tricky. Keep your elbows glued to your sides/rib cage and try to keep your back flat. If you feel your elbows wanting to bend out to the sides, drop to your knees and do a modified version (see tips below).
You should keep your gaze about 6 inches in front of your mat so you don’t strain your neck.
Pause at the bottom of the position or when your elbows are at the same height as your shoulders (arms at 90 degrees). Then, as you inhale move to upward dog or press back up to plank.

My top tips:

This pose is hard and it takes practice! It’s basically a tricep pushup! If you aren’t strong enough to do it correctly, it’s perfectly fine to do it on your knees! Just drop to your knees and perform the same movement as if you were doing a modified or “girl” pushup on your knees.
If you don’t want to do this on your knees – you can do a mini chaturanga and just drop your body about halfway down but still keep those elbows glued to your sides! Focus more on your core here and get those triceps stronger (see below) so each time you can lower farther down.
Be careful that you don’t lower too far down to the ground or where your elbows are higher than your shoulders. This is a good way to tear your rotator cuff (not good!). It’s all about the 90 degree angle.
In yoga we breathe in and out through our noses and for the chaturanga, the proper breathing is to exhale as we lower down and inhale on the way up. But, as a trainer – I’m used to telling people the opposite during pushups: inhale down and exhale up because it helps your muscles perform better. So, if you are struggling with this pose – it’s fine to flip flop the breathing and exhale on the way up…it will actually help give your muscles a little extra push.
Check out your form in a mirror!
To get stronger triceps so that this pose is easier – try incorporating some tricep kickbacks, seated tricep dips and overhead triceps extensions into your workout routine 2-3x per week.