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 I've been running for the past 10 years, weights for the 3-4 years. All my joints are still in good condition but i should be more supple. I know my problem is sometimes I will skimp on a good warm down after a run.
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 i'd suggest the things that the mystical indian gurus do? not kept up either for long, but yoga certainly increases flexibility and joint stability - quickly too, and genuinely improves your mood. pilates seems a bit faffier, although you notice you've done it the next day - but i didn't find i improved as quickly with that.
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.JPG) If you want to try yoga go for an Iyengar Yoga class (it's Hatha Yoga - bodywork and breathing). It's teachers are rigorously assessed and insured. The bodywork is very precise and scientific in it's application. I've had a couple of other yoga lessons and the teachers didn't really seem to be that bothered about the importance of the anatomical alignment of the body when practicing the positions. A bit hippydrippy
Some friends swear by Pilates, but my other half says it's just a yoga ripoff (shes an Iyengar Yoga Teacher ) I also get lower back problems and intermittent tennis elbow - my recommendation is to not run so much but walk with awareness (have recently begun nordic walking and found it to help back)
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 I am very guilty of not doing a cool down after a run, will be more conscious of it in future.
I will have a look into yoga as it seems to be the way to go, I will see what I can find out on the web. Im gonna start bouldering as well, as soon as I get some sticky rock shoes. I would rock climb but Im a big fearty when it comes to heights.
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| Edited: 04/01/09 21:07 |
 I play tennis with an A&E consultant and an orthopaedic surgeon as well as various nurses. They, and my chiropractor, all recommended glucosamine and omega 3 (either as supplement or from its fishy source) as a way of keeping joints supple. I don't know if it does any good, but then I don't know what my joints would be like if I didn't take them 
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 I don't know about yoga or pilates, but have found that doing these stretches helps me stay supple :- Start as if at 'bottom' of press-up, but raise up using only upper body, keeping legs and pelvis on floor, hold for 20-30 secs. don't force, just raise till feel stretch, relax and repeat twice. 2:- sit on floor legs straight, keeping back as straight as possible, reach forward as far as you can till you feel stretch, hold for 20-30secs. don't "bounce" just hold. If you can try and lift ankles up off floor. 3 :- standing upright, bend from waist and try and touch toes, keeping legs straight, doesn't matter if you can't, just get to where you feel stretch, again don't bounce! Do as often as you can, and after exercise. after a few weeks should notice an improvement in suppleness and flexibility, not to Olympic standards, but will help. I know there are loads more stretches, as a walker these 3 will help you keep your legs supple and your muscles from getting "tight". h
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  Tai Chi Chuan, or Qui Gong perhaps?
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| Edited: 05/01/09 07:43 |
I've found 1/4 bottle of good Irish whisky, taken internally, makes me ever so supple..... Seriously, regular, steady excercise....no special stretching etc....just use the stairs, not the lift, that kind of thing and I also take a cod-liver oil tablet every day. I used to be a gym bunny and my trainer was an ex-olympic triathelite. She wasnt keen on pushing excercise unless a competition was coming up as - her opinion - was that most people will stop the excercise eventually and end up worse off than before. Just do the everyday.....the hard way...!
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 What are good ways of keeping supple?Stay young. I used to be able to get into a full lotus very easily, get legs behind my head etc. Now I can only do half-lotus...I dare not push that particular pose any further into a full one as I have a ruined knee joint. Age. It's rubbish.
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 Yoga, pilates and dare I say it even ballet - and if you don't want to face the humiliation of a class there are some very good DVD's out there: try looking on Amazon for anything with Hemalayaa, Darcy Bussell, Shiva Rea or the New York City Ballet workout. I practice all of these and each offers something different rather than one being a poor imitation of the other.
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Thats what im talking about. Thanks. Can you learn Yoga from books or DVD's, or is it something you really need to learn from a class, as I dont think there are any classes around here. Hayley, I will give ballet a miss as my coordination is comparable to that of Frank Spencer! My swan lake would be a swan tsunami.
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Another vote for Yoga here ! Personally I'd recommend Ashtanga (aka Astanga) Yoga, as you get more of an all round work-out whilst doing it.
And quite possibly way of injuring yourself if you are a beginner No offense intended Mendip walker, but out of interest, did you start it as a complete beginner?
You need to walk before you can run. IMO most yoga teachers would advise practicing the basic yoga postures as an initial stage - especially for one who isn't supple.
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| Edited: 06/01/09 17:44 |
Bazza I reckon a regular class is the best way to start. You could try learning from a DVD or book, but I think they are probably used best as an extra aid rather than an initial way of learning. you might like to try this site for finding classes, and your local authority adult education list. Mole
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.jpg) I,ll back Kate regards the glucosamine, I did judo for about ten years so still do basic moves daily, I was advised to take Glucosamine 1.5 normal dosage it seems to work for me. And its cheap.[ glucosamine with chondroitin 1000mg.]is recommended, the chondoitrin assists the gluco. aparrently to be absorbed. All moves should be done slowly, no swinging or allowing the body weight or weight of the limb to take control .
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 Another vote for Yoga here ! Personally I'd recommend Ashtanga (aka Astanga) Yoga, as you get more of an all round work-out whilst doing it.
And quite possibly way of injuring yourself if you are a beginner No offense intended Mendip walker, but out of interest, did you start it as a complete beginner?
You need to walk before you can run. IMO most yoga teachers would advise practicing the basic yoga postures as an initial stage - especially for one who isn't supple.
No offence taken Mole And yes I did start as an absolute beginner. I could only just touch my knees when I started, and ended up being able to put my hands uder my feet. A good Ashtanga teacher will stick to the same sequence of postures for all the class, but should modify them for beginners, as mine did. I have also heard of some Ashtanga teachers who only teach Sun Salutations (a short series of postures usually done at the start of a yoga practice for all you non-yogis) to beginners for the first few months. BTW - another good one to look out for is Yin or Taoist Yoga. Very gentle and most poses are held for several minutes, so you can really relax into them 
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MW The Ashtanga video you linked to is very nice. The Ashtanga class I had seen on TV was a bit more 'power' with 'faster jumping into poses' than the folks on 'your' vid, and looked a bit dangerous to me. Imagine 'jumping' into a pose wrongly... Could be quite nasty if your body isn't up to it. Re the sun salutation - with the Iyengar yoga classes I have done, the basic component postures are taught over a period, then only put together as a sequence later in the course. This enables the learner to focus on precision and bodily alignment straightaway. It looks like slow gentle exercise, but I can vouch that it's a very hard workout which really makes you analyse the way your body works. Mr Iyengar is still around at 90!
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 T'ai chi (long form) and Xiqung works for me. I started nearly 20 years ago, glad I did.
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, I immediately took up running then hill running and got myself really fit
