by Alex O'Meara
Cross-training with Bikram --- or
hot --- yoga delivers an array of benefits. It builds core strength and
loosens leg muscles that may have become tight, or out of balance, from
running. Cross-training with Bikram also helps build mental tenacity and
sharpens focus --- important factors for any athlete, but particularly
for endurance athletes, such as marathon runners. Consult your doctor
before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Cross-training
employs various methods of exercising to strengthen and improve your
ability to do one specific exercise, explains Jessica Matthews,
continuing education coordinator for the American Council on Exercise.
Some benefits include reducing risks of injury and losing weight more
efficiently and faster. Yoga is an effective cross-training option
because, according to MayoClinic.com, it offers improved flexibility and
increased strength, two valuable assets for any athlete.
Bikram
yoga is a series of 26 hatha yoga poses in a space heated to 105
degrees F. Heating the room softens and loosens your muscles and
increases flexibility. According to New Jersey's Synergy Hot Yoga
studio, combining hatha yoga poses with such intense heat allows for
deeper tissue stretching, lengthening and strengthening than would be
possible at room temperature.
How
often you wish to incorporate Bikram yoga sessions into your exercise
regimen is a matter of personal preference. If you run three days a week
and cross-train two, you can make one or both of those days a day for Bikram, for example. Jada Wright, a marathoner and Bikram enthusiast,
was practicing Bikram twice a week training for a half-marathon. Writing
on the Alumni Wellness website, Wright credits Bikram's
recovery-enabling properties for allowing her to run a half-marathon and
a full marathon in consecutive weeks. After that experience, Wright
practiced bikram every day for 60 days straight and continued racing
successfully.
If
you're new to Bikram be sure to come to each Bikram session
well-hydrated. Bring water with you and prepare to drink at least a
quart of fluid during a class.
You are never required to complete, or even attempt, all 26 poses. If a
pose makes you uncomfortable or hurts, skip it, MayoClinic.com
recommends.
If you have blood pressure issues --- high or low --- or if you are
nursing, pregnant or if you have a low heat tolerance, check with a
doctor before you step into a Bikram studio.
