Tag: cross training

the corona chronicles

the corona chronicles – day 3

i’ve got muscle aches. no, don’t worry, it’s the good kind. i’ve been exercising daily and the aches are just a sign i hadn’t been doing it enough, but also that at least i’m doing the right thing now.

another form of exercise, which is also excellent for enhancing your well-being is yoga. yoga improves strength, flexibility, balance and body awareness – all very useful in karate. yoga is also a good way to stretch aching muscles and leaves you feeling nourished and reinvigorated.

there is no shortage of videos and resources on the internet and i will let you do your own research to find something that’s suitable for you. if you’re not sure where to begin look for “yoga sun salutation”. that will help you sort out your down dogs from your up dogs.

one thing i do want to add is that good technique is as always crucial for maximising the benefits and avoiding injury. if you’ve never done yoga (and even if you have) the video below is a very good introduction to the basic movements and techniques in yoga. enjoy!

the corona chronicles

the corona chronicles – day 2

early days, but so far so good. no serious karate withdrawal symptoms so far. oh yes, and no corona either. anway, his came up on my feed which is quite apropos – a 12 week workout plan:

i’ve often stressed the importance of cross training and the current predicament could be the perfect opportunity to workout. i’ve tried it myself and it’s a good workout with a good emphasis on core strength and functional exercises, which make it a good complementary training to karate.

some important pointers:

  • briefly skim through the video before you start to check that you understand all the exercises. once you start training you don’t want to have to pause and rewind.
  • start at the pace you can maintain. each video is a 30 minute workout including warm-up and cool-down, with quite a few short breaks throughout, so net working time is 15-20 minutes. try to find a pace that will be challenging, but one that you can keep without stopping other than during built-in breaks.
  • maintain good posture. keep your spine straight as much as possible. this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s always upright, but it should be straight unless the exercise specifically demands otherwise (e.g. forward fold). when performing exercises such as squats hinge from the hips, but keep the spine long and your chest up.
  • engage your abs. not just for exercises like plank or crunches, but throughout. for example when doing leg lifts imagine it is the abs that pull the leg up. to engage your abs pull your bellybutton into your spine and keep it there! yes, throughout.
  • protect your knees. when performing exercises such as squats, lunges, side lunges etc, make sure your knees are in a good position. the knee or knees bearing the load of your body should be directly above your foot with the heel firmly planted. when doing squats send your weight back as if sitting on an invisible chair, with your weight into your heels, not your toes.
  • keep your shoulders soft and relaxed. when lifting your arms make sure not to engage your neck muscles but do engage your lats to keep your shoulders in.
  • quality and not quantity. whilst the pace is important for building endurance you will only benefit if you do the exercises correctly. you’ve got 12 weeks of this, so focus on doing it well and building from there.
  • if you enjoy the workout remember to give heather the thumbs up and like her video.

if you can’t tell your deltoids from your glutes here’s an overview: muscle groups of our body

enjoy the programme. your journey starts here: week 1 / day 1