Since I started roller derby, I have really appreciated yoga. I started my first yoga class probably a year and a half before I started derby. To me, yoga and derby go hand in hand. Balance, strength and flexibility...hellz yeah!
My first months in derby were the most painful. I quickly remembered that I had been doing a basic yoga workout from different online sources and tried it at night after practice. Voila! I was no longer sore...or as sore... after practice and my flexibility and balance were increasing.
Years ago when I discovered yoga, a friend of mine referred me to a free podcast on itunes called Yogamazing. Yogamazing focuses each under 30 minute workout on a specific area. Yoga for beginners,
skateboarders, back pain, digestion, runners...the list goes on. And all are wonderful. I find that yoga for beginners, runners and snowboarding/skateboarding are the most beneficial to my derby life. I also found that on Netflix, they have free streaming workouts. Early on I discovered that Crunch has a yoga workout called Candlelight Yoga that is PERFECT for after practice or before bed when I can't get to sleep. It's all stretching and relaxation based yoga. I have even been laying in bed at 2 in the morning unable to sleep, got up, did Candlelight Yoga, and woke up on the floor in the morning. It's that good.
There is also great yoga resources anywhere you look on the web. Try http://www.yogajournal.com/ or http://www.yogabasics.com/ just for starters.
Any which way, I want to say that yoga is a brilliant addition to roller derby. It will increase your flexibility, strength and balance and fitness level. There are tons of online workouts online for free that will benefit you in so many ways.
Cheers and happy Yoga-ing...
Halle PAIN Yo
