How to start an exercise

"I just realized what my 'rifga' stretching/yoga practice is, at it's heart. It's corrective yoga. My approach is to do the poses/stretches that open me up in the best way to get to anatomical neutral. That is my goal and that is why I stretch early and before exertion. I want to be as plumb and square as possible before I load my body. If I don't 're-open' my structure as exertion and activities tighten it back up, pain increases. A sure sign I am doing something wrong, especially when I can get the pain to diminish by getting closer to square all the time. That was the major mistake I have made all those years of heavy training and competing. I didn't fully address my serious myofascial imbalances enough and loaded the frame way to hard for how 'bent' it was. I have never seen any "magic" in basic yoga other than a series of poses held for varying lengths of time and focused on integrating breathing and open primal positions at the same time. Great stuff for sure but I never saw any supra physical mojo to being flexible enough to wrap both ankles around your neck. And I think that learning how to breathe, and hence relax, while working the body is the key component. When clients ask me about taking yoga my only reluctance is to say that it is not individualized enough for most of them and would overstretch some areas and understretch others. Not good for unstable spines or joint capsules. And certainly not the best and straightest path to "neutral body". The key is really being able to hold the poses and breathe deeply into them…

"Accumulated micro trauma gets almost all, regardless whether one is weak and can't hold themselves up against gravity anymore or one is strong and pushes the limits their frame can handle in the quest for super health, fitness or performance. So it's corrective/selective stretching/yoga for me. Just as I am 'corrective' in my approach to exercise selection that is the basis of my stretching yoga practice as well. Neutral is the goal.Not only neutral spine but neutral knee, shoulder, neck, elbow, etc. Chek was right."

If you don’t have a mirror, this is a really great way to Body Sense that you’re standing with correct posture. This will give you a good sense of "Creating your Column" – the last step of getting into proper posture by getting your shoulders aligned.

Once you’ve set up your posture, let your arm hang relaxed by your side. Check to see where the upper part of your arm (shoulder to elbow) is located. If the upper part of the arm is directly in line with the torso, your posture is probably right on. But if your upper arm is behind or in front of the torso – even slightly – you are out of alignment. To correct, use the steps of the posture rather than moving your arm. If you still have trouble, you might be holding too much tension in your shoulders, so just relax them and try again.

Lower Body Alignment for ChiRunning

Once you have checked in with your posture after beginning to run, feel the big toe and little toe leave the ground at the same time. This will help you feel the foot peel off the ground and keep you from "pushing" off. After practicing this for a little while, Body Sense how your pelvic rotation can facilitate letting your legs open up behind you. This big toe/little toe focus will help keep your knees tracking forward and align your foot so that it doesn’t splay outward.