COVIDWeekly: Mindful Moments with Marita- Building Strength Through Your Practice

When you approach your personal trainer to begin a programme, one of the first questions they will ask is: whatt are your goals? This helps them to develop a programme specific to your needs. Even in the absence of a trainer, understanding your physical activity goals is important. Are you trying to lose weight? Maintain good health? Prepare for a fitness competition? Training programmes vary, depending on your objectives. 

There are four main areas of exercise training – muscle strengthening, endurance, balance, and flexibility. When a programme is written for you, your personal exercise recipe draws from these four key ingredients with styles and quantities based on your objectives (also medical and activity backgrounds). When I write, I approach from a space of maintaining good health, unless otherwise stated. 

Last week, we discussed how the physical aspect of yoga can assist with balance. This week, we’ll look at muscle strengthening. Organisations like the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend at least two muscle-strengthening sessions a week to maintain good health. It’s important to allow time in between sessions for recovery.

Your physical asana practice is a great tool for building strength; it essentially uses your body weight to create resistance. And just like any bodyweight training approach, you can increase the intensity by methods such as altering positioning, reducing rest time, or increasing reps. Your body is always with you, so bodyweight exercises are convenient and functional, as many replicate daily life movements. It’s also useful to note that we lose muscle mass as we age, hence ensuring muscle-building is a part of your fitness regime. 

A sequence focused on strength will be different from one predominantly focused on flexibility or restorative postures. However, it is a good idea to alternate strength-focused practices with restorative practices so the body has time to recover. 

Here are some great poses that are ideal for building strength:

*Do not embark on any physical movement programme without first consulting your doctor. 

Warrior II

This pose is empowering, even in simply the name. It is suitable for all levels and targets legs, back, core, and arms. Beyond the strength aspects, the pose is great for opening the chest, inner thighs, and hips. To increase intensity, try holding for longer. 

Plank Pose

If you thought you could escape planks with yoga, think again! Typically, they are used as quick transitional poses. However, you can choose to focus on planks by holding the pose for at least 30 seconds. Planks strengthen the upper body and core and can be modified in various ways to increase or decrease intensity. You can try on your forearms, on your knees, or even a side plank.

Dolphin Pose

Dolphin pose is very much like the well-known downward-facing dog pose, except you are on your forearms. It’s a good option for anyone with wrist issues. This pose strengthens arms, shoulders, upper body and legs. It’s also preparation or build up to more challenging inversions such as forearm stands and headstands. 

Forearm Stand

This is definitely a more advanced pose. This pose is still a work in progress for me – sometimes I am able to hold; other times, I fall over. This pose is great for strengthening shoulders, arms and back and is a challenging balancing pose. Building strength in these areas with poses such as dolphin and planks is recommended before advancing to this pose. You can opt to use a wall for assistance as well.  

Crow Pose

Another more advanced pose, the crow pose, strengthens the arms, upper back, core, and wrists. A lot of balance is involved here as well. Anyone seeking a greater challenge can try moving from crow pose into a headstand or from crow pose into chaturanga (think plank with bent elbows). Only try this if you have a comfort level with all these poses. Do not force your advancement and risk injury; listen to your body. 

About Marita Greenidge

Marita Greenidge is a certified yoga instructor and a former ACSM certified personal trainer. She is Sales Manager of the Health & Wellness Division of Bryden Stokes Ltd., responsible for Barbados and the OECS markets. She is also Vice President of the Barbados Chapter of Variety-The Children’s Charity. She can be contacted at mlgreenidge@gmail.com | Find her on Instagram @ekam.wellness or @thegardeningyogi or Facebook at ekamyogabb

This article appears in the May 3 edition of COVID Weekly. Read the full publication here.