Tr.uCore Pain Free Fitness

A Holistic Approach to Yoga and Fitness

Hip Hip Hooray!

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Hip tightness or pain is a frequent complaint of many. Sometimes this arises from lifestyle patterns, and other times from a previous injury that needs a little TLC. There are indeed many causes of hip pain. If you suffer from any pain that causes you to abstain from activities you previously engaged in, a trip to your health care provider is warranted. For many people yoga and physical therapy can help.

The hip joint is an amazing structure. It is made up of the femur (thigh) bone, and the pelvis. The top of the femur has a knobby protrusion on it that fits snugly into a concave area in the pelvis. Muscles, ligaments and tendons all give stability to this joint. The design of the hip joint allows for lots of motion. Additionally, it is able to handle the load of the upper body, even as we carry heavy objects, walk up stairs, or engage in sports. It’s designed to do all this with efficiency and grace as we propel forward through our days on our two legs.

However, as with any fine machine, we need to take good care of the hip joints for them to be at their best. Today’s lifestyle of relative immobility can cause tension and tightness in the hips. Since we sit with our hips bent for hours on end, the hip flexors at the front of the thigh get tight. These muscles shorten which can cause pain in the low back, hips and knees. If you have tension in any of these areas, or feel pain while walking, then you may be able to find relief from movement, stretching, and strengthening. Ideally, you should try to stretch and strengthen all the muscles that attach at the hip….those on the front, back and sides of the thigh.

Tr.uCore Yoga can really help create both strength and openness in tight muscles. If you want to try a yoga or fitness class to help all your body parts feel better, subscribe to our newsletter for updates on our weekly offerings….or schedule your own class according to your schedule with our Flexbooking. To try some yoga postures on your own, some good choices to keep your hips happy and healthy are:

  • Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge)
  • Paraghasana (Gate Pose)
  • Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior 1)
  • Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
  • Figure 4 Stretch
  • Vasisthasana (Side Plank)
  • Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) (Also one-legged bridge for strengthening)
  • Gomukhasana (Cow-face pose)
  • Eka Pada Kapotasana (Pigeon Pose)
  • Bird Dog Pose

If you’d like a personalized sequence or an individual session focused on your health goals, please drop us a line at lorie@trucoremethod.com. You can also sign up for a class or private session by clicking here. For more tips on pain relief and injury prevention  sign up for our newsletter here, or follow us on social media

Take a Breath!

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Healthy breath is a vital component to fitness classes. Yoga and meditation instructors guide students in breath exercises and instruct how to use breath effectively during movement. Why is the breath such an important part of fitness, and how does it help with overall health?

First let’s understand what happens when we breathe. Simply put, as we inhale we bring oxygenated air into the lungs. Oxygen then goes through the blood via red blood cells to all areas of the body. The oxygen then converts glucose to energy, thus supporting physical activity and keeping tissues healthy. Carbon dioxide, which is the waste product in de-oxygenated blood, then leaves the body through the exhale.

Increasing the oxygenation in the body helps increase energy to the muscles and decrease pain, it also decreases the chance of injury. Exercise and movement increase red blood cells (remember they carry the oxygen throughout the body). To increase oxygen going to the muscles, one needs to engage in aerobic activities, such as dancing, running, or cycling.

Yoga does not get the heart pumping like these activities, but it still can give you great benefit in this process because it strengthens the capacity of the lungs by toning core muscles and the muscles that help with respiration.

So get up and do the aerobic exercise that speaks to you…..run, dance, hike or whatever. But first, try toning the respiratory muscles at Tr.uCore or with these practices:

  • Table Breath
    • Come to all fours in Table Pose with knees under hips and wrists under shoulders
    • Curve the spine up (like a Halloween cat)
    • Take a deep breath in to the torso, feeling the breath expand the ribcage and shoulder blades
    • Hold for a count or 5-10. Repeat 3-5 times.
  • Prone Diaphragmatic Toning
    • Lay on your belly and rest your head on folded hands
    • Take a breath into the rib space
    • Hold for a count of 5-10. Repeat 3-5 times.

For a yoga or fitness class according to your schedule, check out our Flexbooking, visit our website or give us a call at (720) 295-6091.