Yoga
Lee Kennedy
If you’re planning to challenge yourself by taking part in any of the adventure races taking place in the west over the summer months, it’s important to look after yourself AFTER the event as well as before.
This deep tissue hip stretch can immediately help release any built-up muscle stress, so that you don’t have a mountain of muscle tension to untangle, helping your recovery and letting you reap the rewards of all that hard work.
Deep tissue hip stretch
- Start in the basic seated position (legs extended out in front).
- Bend the left knee, taking the left foot along side the right buttock.
- Bend the right knee and take the right thigh over the left one.
- Place the bent right knee on top of the bent left knee.
- Try to have your knees stacked one on top of the other.
- Heels are equidistant from each hip.
It is very important that you are fully grounded into the floor through both hips. If this is not possible, then sit your hips onto a folded blanket or a block to allow equal and even weight on both sitting bones.
- Fold the torso forward resting your chest on your knees, the floor, or a couple of folded blankets placed on the knees.
- Extending the arms out in front can help extend the torso forward some more.
- Rest in this position and feel the hips open.
- Release from this side and complete on the opposite side.
Don’t worry if you can’t cross your legs knee-to-knee. Take it slowly and focus on the pose you can do, not on the pose you wish you could do! Flexibility will come in time.
Recent research in muscle physiology has found that stretches need to be held for at least one minute in order to be effective. You may feel this stretch more on one side than the other. In fact, the longer you practice yoga, the more aware you will be of the differences between your right and left side and you may want to stretch the tighter side for longer.
For more information on the upcoming The Achill Half Marathon click here
Lee Kennedy qualified with The BKS Iyengar Yoga Association UK, the YTTC and Ana Forrest of Forrest Yoga. She specialises in pregnancy-related yoga and can be contacted at 086 3906343.
