Yoga for Runners
Posted: 2014/01/07 Filed under: Book Reviews, Early Review, NonFiction, Running, yoga | Tags: 2013, Christine Felstead, Early Review, exercise, fitness, librarything, NonFiction, november, run, Running, self help, yoga 2 CommentsFelstead, Christine. Yoga for Runners. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2014.
I loved this book so much I’m calling it my yoga bible. As a runner frequently plagued by injury, I was hopeful Felstead’s book would help me run with less pain. Notice I didn’t say “without pain.” This is not a miracle cure for those of us with hips and knees constantly out of alignment. But, having said all that, I took a long time to write the review for Yoga for Runners because I wanted to spend some time actually trying out the sequences more than once, especially the hour-long ones. Eager to get right to it, I had to rein myself in and actually read the chapters leading up to the sequences. Go figure. But, I’m glad I did. Each chapter builds upon the next, complete with photographs and testimonials. Each pose is broken down and thoroughly explained so that when you do (finally!) get to the sequences you have a better idea of what you are supposed to be doing (which is a good thing because holding the book open while trying to practice the entire sequence is nearly impossible. In fact, trying to read and move at the same time is the only drawback to Yoga for Runners. I ended up putting an 8-pound weight on the spine to keep the book open. I know, I know. Not good. I would have preferred a spiral bound book that lays flat when opened or, as someone else mentioned, a DVD to accompany the text.
But, back to the good stuff. The post-run sequence is easily my favorite go-to. It’s only 5-10 minutes long so there’s no excuse to skip it. My second favorite sequence is the maintenance routine. It’s over an hour long, but each pose is essential so your time is not wasted. The flow from pose to pose works well for all sequences. I know a runner who is a better yogi than runner. I would be curious to get her take on Yoga for Runners since she has been combining the two activities for years.
Reason read: this was sent to me as an Early Review selection, courtesy of LibraryThing.
fit + female
Posted: 2010/09/05 Filed under: Book Reviews, NonFiction | Tags: book review, diet, exercise, health, NonFiction, women Leave a commentcoopersmith, geralyn, b. fit +female: the perfect fitness and nutrition game plan for your unique body type. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2006.
Here’s what I liked best about the book:
Sense of humor: joking about having to get rid of her hydrostatic tank because it clashed with the couch.
Names for exercises are goofy: the Looky Looky for turning your head and looking to the right and left.
Informative: exercises are well illustrated; nutrition is carefully spelled out.
Unfortunately, the key to this whole book is figuring out your body type. Through a series of 32 questions you are supposed to figure out if you are:
- endo, eco or meso
- an apple or a pear
- advanced or beginner
In the end the key was, “if you answered mostly 4s you are endo,” “if you answered mostly Bs you are a pear” (as examples). After taking the test I knew only two out of the three categories. I am meso and advanced but I answered right down the middle for apple and pear qualifications so I’m either both or neither. I didn’t answer more one way than another. Frustrating. In all honesty I look like the chick on the cover, just 20 years older and with slightly smaller boobs. All in all, because I couldn’t definitively figure out my body type I couldn’t use the rest of the book.
