Jerry The Yogi

Since Clay’s injury we have had to find other ways to exercise. Running is something I enjoy doing and still do regularly but I think variation in the way that you exercise can make you a better athlete. Diversity in athleticism is what makes some of the greats, great. I love following Gwen Jorgensen on Instagram and seeing her posts about how she uses biking as her post surgery recovery tool. Or Colleen Quigley is huge right now referring to herself as “the mermaid” (don’t love the name but love the principle) because she does workouts in the pool after her runs. Did you know that Courtney Frerichs one of the greatest US Steeplechasers used to be gymnast?

It can be so valuable in shaping the type of athlete you are by simply adding some diversity into your routine. Now i’m not saying you need to be a triathlete or a gymnast. I’m saying go to one yoga class a week, hop in the pool and swim laps for half an hour, take a boxing class. Whatever you do regularly, find something different and try it. Clay has been swimming or doing the elliptical a couple times a week since his injury. It’s definitely not the same as running. But progress is progress and it looks different for everybody.

Something that I have always found joy in doing is yoga. Recently I started religiously going to yoga classes twice a week to add variation to my exercise routines. I have been in absolute heaven! I love the way I feel after I go to a long strength building class. I find that mixing up what kind of exercise I am doing actually helps improve my running performance!

This morning I woke up at 6AM and went to the early morning yoga class. We spent 30 minutes warming up our legs so that we could effectively do a pigeon pose. Now anyone that knows yoga knows that this pose takes freaking birthing hips to do effectively. The day before my yoga class I had done a long run and had sore legs/hips. One of my biggest problems that I face after long runs is the tightness in my hip flexors. I have found that if I am diligent with stretching and rolling out then my recovery in between runs is faster. It has been so fascinating incorporating yoga into my workout routines! I have found that actively participating in engaging stretches i.e. yoga that my recovery is sped up times ten!

It makes sense right? Diversifying your workouts, stretches, and routines can make you a better athlete! In the case of the runner boy participating in different forms of exercise can help aid in his recovery. Sometimes when you are injured it can be easy to get discouraged and unmotivated. Some athletes will swing on the pendulum of extremes between completely sitting around in laziness/depression or on the other end where they overtrain and make their injuries worse. Both extremes are obviously not places where you want to be.

When you experience injury it is a perfect time to start discovering what diverse forms of moderate exercise can keep you active, but are also within your limits. Overtraining and pushing it only makes your injury worse! Keeping in perspective that every form of exercise is bettering you as an athlete. Each time you go for a swim, or take your dog for a long walk you are punching in time to healthy and safe recovery. My point: Get out from your house, get off your couch, try a different kind of workout, don’t let injury discourage you. If Jerry can do yoga you can do anything.