Hi all,
On Sundays, my Y has a 3 hour lap swim period--good chance to get in some extra yards--and since there's a yoga class which comes about an hour after I finish my swim workout, the two would seem to dovetail perfecctly into my Sunday schedule.
All good but a couple issues:
1. All the emphasis on breathing through the nose in yoga doesn't seem to square too well with the nasal allergy symptoms I get soon after swimming--no big deal after most swims, but not when I'm trying to concentrate on breath. Yoga seems actually to alleviate allergy symptoms somewhat, but I still find myself wanting a box of tissues beside me in the class... Fortunately, I've gotten through the classes all right but wouldn't mind feelinga bit more comfortable with the breathing.
2. A lot of holding poses + more yards than during the week = sore arms/shoulders the next day. I don't want to give up those Sun. morning swims... least crowded time for lap swimmers and three-hour stretch of time (not that I swim three hours, though, just nice not to have to rush to complete a workout)... and Sun. is when time most allows me to take the yoga class.
My yoga instructor feels that it's better to have the class be my only workout, but hey life has a way of being complicated like that. ;)
Do others here mix the two and how do you handle either or both of the afroementioned problems?
Good thread! I studied Yoga about 30 years ago with some Iyengar instructors in England and did some classes later in DC. I haven't done classes for a long time, but do some practice every day, especially an elongated Sun Salute as soon as I get up. If I did not do some, my back would be a tight mess. I guess it loosens me for swimming. The power stuff and that done in very high temperatures seem to be faddish to me. Don't like the idea and won't be a part of any of that. I agree that it is not particularly aerobic and would not give up swimming to do it. Consider them complementary. Being able to use relaxed concentration before races is also helpful. When I was a kid, I use to throw up or get sick before big races. (As another side effect, Yoga also helped my darts game a lot!)
To answer the other part of the query, I used to blow my nose most of the day after a long morning swim, and had other bouts of sinus trouble over the course of a year. Now after I do my Yoga and before I swim, I rinse my nose with a Neti pot, using lukewarm salt water (1 cup to 1/4 teaspoon). Since starting this about 4 years ago, I have had exactly one three-day bout of either a cold or allergy (who knows?) and I am not blowing my nose but once or twice at most after swimming, even after a 90 minute workout.
Hope you can figure out how to keep from the soreness. You could try being aware of the parts that get sore during the swim. Maybe some of those parts are too tense, or it could be that the Yoga instructor is not having you do the poses just right.
Good luck, and let us know what happens!
Good thread! I studied Yoga about 30 years ago with some Iyengar instructors in England and did some classes later in DC. I haven't done classes for a long time, but do some practice every day, especially an elongated Sun Salute as soon as I get up. If I did not do some, my back would be a tight mess. I guess it loosens me for swimming. The power stuff and that done in very high temperatures seem to be faddish to me. Don't like the idea and won't be a part of any of that. I agree that it is not particularly aerobic and would not give up swimming to do it. Consider them complementary. Being able to use relaxed concentration before races is also helpful. When I was a kid, I use to throw up or get sick before big races. (As another side effect, Yoga also helped my darts game a lot!)
To answer the other part of the query, I used to blow my nose most of the day after a long morning swim, and had other bouts of sinus trouble over the course of a year. Now after I do my Yoga and before I swim, I rinse my nose with a Neti pot, using lukewarm salt water (1 cup to 1/4 teaspoon). Since starting this about 4 years ago, I have had exactly one three-day bout of either a cold or allergy (who knows?) and I am not blowing my nose but once or twice at most after swimming, even after a 90 minute workout.
Hope you can figure out how to keep from the soreness. You could try being aware of the parts that get sore during the swim. Maybe some of those parts are too tense, or it could be that the Yoga instructor is not having you do the poses just right.
Good luck, and let us know what happens!
