Yoga X

I did the full Yoga X workout last night and I have to say that I kind of missed it. I have been doing a variety of shorter yoga workouts in its place, but I decided that since I am getting close to the end I could use the longer workout.

Yoga X is one of those workouts that when I started and saw that it was 90 minutes I was not excited. Many people I have talked to say they either skip it or only do part of it. It is definitely not a beginner yoga program, but it has really helped me to improve my sports performance, balance, and flexibility. When I did my first round I did the Yoga X workout every time it was scheduled. Since I was working out mostly in the morning it meant waking up at 4:30 to get done by 6 am to get ready for work. My other option was to do it at night which is what I often did, but even starting at 8:30 means I wouldn't get done until 10pm. Then I would get up at 5am the next morning to do my next day's workout.

I eventually found that Tony Horton had created some new yoga programs for his One on One series. He even mentions on one of the programs that there were a lot of complaints about the length of the yoga and that was why he made a shorter version. He has also stated that the yoga session on P90X2 will be 60 minutes. 90 minutes of yoga can be very refreshing at times, but it is not something I can do on a regular basis. There are two programs that I use the most in it's place and they are Fountain of Youth and Patience Hummingbird. They are between 30-45 minutes in length and are a little less extreme than Yoga X.

If I was going to name one thing that I think has accounted for me not getting injured in the past two track and field seasons it would be the yoga. My flexibility and balance have improved dramatically, but the other thing that is very important for a 400 meter runner is the ability to remain calm when your body is in an uncomfortable state. For anyone who has run a 400 meter race you know that the last 80 to 100 meters is a battle between your body telling you to stop and your brain telling you to keep going. Bill Cosby appropriately described it as rigor mortis setting in.

Using the techniques you learn in yoga can be extremely beneficial to getting you through that final stretch. It is important to remain relaxed when your muscles are tightening up. It has helped me in more ways than I probably know and has become a regular part of my workout program.