Summer vacation is a great time to practice yoga. You have more time to relax and focus on your health, and there are many beautiful outdoor places to practice. Here are a few ideas for summer vacation yoga & our updated schedules for the Beaches
SUMMER Schedule & Official Facebook Pages and Website links
Manasota Beach: Is going into the Summer Break from June 1st on! We will be back MONDAY, October 2nd. Can’t wait! Keep following us: Facebook: Manasota Beach Yoga Tripadvisor Manasota Beach
North Jetty Beach: Schedule for JUNE MON Toby WED Julie FRI Toby SUN Sharon Be aware!! If it rains, the classes will take place at the pavilion. It’s not safe to be on the beach or under the pavilion during lightning or thunder. Please seek shelter until the weather improves. Follow our Official Facebook page for updates. Facebook: North Jetty Beach Yoga Tripadvisor North Jetty Beach
Traveling? Summer vacation is a great time to practice yoga. You have more time to relax and focus on your health, and there are many beautiful outdoor places to practice. Here are a few ideas for summer vacation yoga.
Practice in the morning. This is a great way to start your day off on the right foot. It will help you wake up, energize your body, and clear your mind.
Practice at your beach. Any beach is a great place to practice yoga because the sand is soft and supportive. You can also enjoy the sound of the waves and the fresh air. (We all know that one;-))
Practice in a park. Parks are a great place to practice yoga because they are usually quiet and peaceful. You can also find shade trees to help you stay cool.
Practice in your backyard. If you have a backyard, you can create your own yoga space. Just put down a yoga mat and you’re ready to go.
Practice on a boat. You can practice yoga on the water if you’re lucky enough to have a boat. This is a great way to enjoy the scenery and get some exercise at the same time. (Challenging Balance)
No matter where you choose to practice yoga, make sure to wear comfortable clothing and have Sun protection. You may also want to bring a water bottle and a towel.
Here are a few yoga poses that are perfect for Summer Vacation:
Downward-facing dog. This pose is a great way to stretch your back, hamstrings, and calves. It also helps to improve your balance.
Warrior pose. This pose is a great way to strengthen your legs, arms, and core. It also helps to improve your balance and flexibility
Plank pose. This pose is a great way to strengthen your core and improve your balance. It can also be a great way to cool down after a workout.
Bridge pose. This pose is a great way to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. It also helps to improve your flexibility.
Toe hold pose. This pose may not be your first pick balance but balance often and make it fun it helps with strengths and cognition.
Relaxation pose. This pose is a great way to relax your body and mind. It is also a great way to end your yoga practice.
No matter your experience level, there is a yoga pose that is perfect for you. So get out there and enjoy the benefits of yoga this summer, and don’t forget the Warm-up!
Did you know that if you sit or stand straight, you get more oxygen, work your core and relieve back pain?
Here are the 6 pillars of our Beach Yoga Routine:
Breathing, Balance, Flexibility, Spine, Strength, and Awareness. How do these 6 pillars relate to cycling and how can you improve your performance by including them in your exercise routine?
Yoga helps produce a strong, flexible body that is less prone to injury. Poses that build body strength, benefit cyclists, as many tend to have overdeveloped quads and backs but weaker abdominals, inner thighs, and often tight hamstrings and hip flexors.
Yoga can be used as an excellent dynamic warm-up before a ride or a cool-down after a ride but is also a highly recommended additional workout for cyclists. The beauty of yoga and specifically our Beach Yoga is that anyone with any level can enjoy the benefits.
Here are specific ways in which the practice of yoga can benefit cyclists.
1. Strength: Improved Core Strength
The core includes over 30 muscles connecting the pelvis from the hips to the spine.
•strength enables cyclists to maintain proper spinal alignment and posture – even when fatigue starts to set in on a long ride.
•decreases the pressure on the shoulders and wrists that come with riding postures.
•decreases the risk of lower back injuries.
Yoga is a great way to improve postural alignment and functional core strength.
2. Improving Neutral Spine (health)
While riding and doing Yoga
The back was not designed to be held in flexion (forward bend ) for long periods, yet this is exactly what cycling requires. The position causes the supporting ligaments to become overstretched and weakened. It also causes excess pressure on the intervertebral discs. This can lead to upper back, lower back, shoulder and neck pain.
Yoga poses that help realign the neutral spine position, like Mountain pose, benefit riders by providing a sense of spinal alignment both on and off the bike. Poses that focus on the wide range of movements in the spine allow the back to become flexible. They improve the pelvic tilt position to engage the core during correct cycling positions. A common challenge for cyclists is not falling victim to excessive upper body kyphosis due to excessive hours on the bike or sitting at computers and using cell phones. Over time, this posture causes cyclists to strain their necks to look at the road. This results in pain in the lower back, upper back, shoulders, and neck.
3. Flexibility can it be improved?
The simple answer is: Yes: Each body is different, but a body can lose its pliability because of posture, repeated similar exercises, or lack of movement. Regular stretch practice can improve flexibility. Increased flexibility in the hips, IT band, glutes, lower back, groin, external rotator, quads, and hamstrings. It also improves riding posture.
Flexibility and range of motion equal quality of life and less potential for injury.
4. Reduced Risk Of Injury
When yoga is used as a means of “prehab” training, common injuries in the back and legs are less likely to occur. Because yoga approaches movement from a place of balance, the common imbalances experienced in riding can be addressed and improved. In cycling, the leg never reaches full extension, thus giving the hamstrings little opportunity to lengthen fully. Over time, this reduces the elasticity of the hamstrings and puts them at greater risk of strains and tears. Poses such as the Standing Forward Fold help increase the hamstrings’ flexibility for riders.
As discussed above, improving core strength decreases the pressure placed on wrists while riding and decreases neck and shoulder pain.
5. More Efficient Breathing
Some bad news. Lungs don’t get bigger – no matter how hard you train. Lung capacity is dependent on height and gender. Taller people tend to have larger lungs and men’s lungs are bigger. Lung capacity decreases with age. Someone in their 80s has around half the lung capacity of cyclists in their 20s.
However, for most people, whatever age they are, chances are they only use a fraction of their lung capacity.
This is good news because it means you’ll perform better using more of your lung capacity.
Breathe from your stomach
Nasal breathing is substantially more efficient. Learning to breathe through your nose, even during most exercise levels, is not difficult. This leads to increased athletic performance.
Focus on breathing from your stomach, not your lungs.
How is your breath? Put your hand on your stomach and feel if it bulges out as you breathe in and if it pulls back on the exhale.
The simple yoga breath is slow, controlled, and asks the breather to focus. It is the opposite of the rapid breath many athletes take during higher-intensity bouts of exercise. Slowing their breath down and focusing on it will allow participants to release tension and control their actions.
Reminder Breathing better makes cyclists more efficient in their performance and allows quicker and more controlled recovery after hills and other high-intensity riding elements.
Why is correct breathing so important?
Individuals unfamiliar with focusing on their breath may find this portion of a yoga practice challenging and forgo its importance.
However, professional athletes are known to have major connections to movement and breath. This is especially important during challenging hill climbs, sprints, or accelerations.
If cyclists are aware of their breathing through their yoga practice, they may find their rides more efficient and comfortable.
Our Beach Yoga teaches Simple Yoga Breathing and includes it in each class
5. Balance and how to get better?
All athletes require balance skills, but cyclists are unique because they need to use those skills when their feet are off the ground.
Balance is drawn from having a well-developed and stable core consisting of the entire trunk (upper back and shoulder muscles to the lower abs, hips and glute muscles).
It also requires focus.
Beach Yoga offers many variations to practice balance in movement, one-footed, two-footed, or with closed eyes. Each student balances at their own level, which increases after a few weeks of regular Beach Yoga sessions.
The Elephant in the Room – Bone Density and Cycling-
Cycling is considered to be a highly beneficial sport for significantly enhancing cardiovascular fitness in individuals. Yet, studies show little or no corresponding improvements in bone mass as cycling is a non-weight-bearing exercise. Btw, swimming is similar.
It has been observed that adult road cyclists have a low bone mineral density in key regions, for example, the lumbar spine. Conversely, other types of cycling, such as mountain biking, or in combination with other sports, could reduce this unhealthy and unsafe side effect of an otherwise wonderful sport.
Now, the first exercise that comes to mind for weight bearing is weight training. The reality is, because of the possible unbalanced muscle development and some flexibility issues, many cyclists have, weights may not be the best choice.
Recommendation: Yoga, in comparison, has the benefit of weight-bearing exercises and combines them with the improvement of flexibility and Spinal Health.
Can Anyone do Beach Yoga?
•Yes, anyone can do Beach Yoga. If you can ride a bicycle, you can do Yoga. There is no age limit and no fitness Requirement. We have students in their 80’s and even 90’s.
•I am bad in balance how will that work? Your balance will improve in a very short time.
•Do men do yoga? Of course men do yoga, they benefit greatly from Yoga, often more than women. Btw, Yoga was a male dominated activity until about 100 years ago.
•I am not flexible can I come? Yes, you don’t have to be flexible at all. We will help you to become more flexible.
•Should I listen to my wife and go to Yoga? She wants the best for you and you know it. How does it work? Bring a large towel or blanket, water and come to class, that’s it.
•Are artificial joints a problem? Typically no. You only do what you are comfortable doing and what your physician gives you the ok to do.
Challenge The biggest hurdle is going to Beach Yoga for the first time. Just take it easy. Nothing to prove here, Yoga is not a competitive sport. Yoga and the beach will be good for you, your quality of life and your cycling performance. Beach Yoga will change your life in a very positive way.
Beach Yoga
Manasota Beach Monday through Saturday 8:30 AM
North Jetty Beach (1/2 mile South of Nokomis Beach) Daily 9AM
It was a beautiful Winter Solstice last night and we had a lovely get-together and a special beach yoga class taught by Eileen. We could here the drums from the Nokomis Beach Drum Circle in the far distance. The photos were taken by Karen and Kathy. Enjoy! We may do this again soon. We offer Daily classes at 9AM at any weather.
Winter Solstice Get Together Wednesday, December 21st, 4:30 PM to Sunset at North Jetty Beach. Mix and Mingle; bring a friend or family, your beverage and snack if desired. Chill, relax, do your own thing or join us for short Sun salutations led by teachers and students as the sun sets on the shortest day of the year.
One third of our class are men, So come on out guys, yoga is good on the beach. What’s not to like #northjettybeach #beachyoga #dolphins #nokomisbeach #yogapractice
reminder we are on the beach rain or shine. We enjoy the beach in all her moods. When it’s gray and chilly it’s often just us and the fishermen..and DOLPHINS – yep, they are out there fishin’! Here are some pics from this morning from Sharons yoga class
Some tips for surviving a “Florida freeze” on the beach from Sharon a yogi who is always cold(lol!!!).
Cover your ears, cover your neck, bring big fuzzy socks and wear layers- remember we move more when it’s colder so make sure you can move It really feels great to get that fresh cool air in our lungs and get in some invigorating yoga as we get into the cooler months contrasted with a slower practice when the weather is hot and humid.. and If it’s truly raining we are under cover- so every day is a good day for yoga! See you on the beach! Namaste!
The good news is, we have many nice beach yoga mornings on Manasota Beach, sometimes even clouds. Here’s a picture of the relaxation at the end of the class on Wednesday. On that note, no smell and no coughing. We have been lucky. Come back to the beach and enjoy the morning Beach Yoga. We will be there all through the holidays, even on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and on Saturday. Bring your guests. Anyone can participate and it is not difficult.
Starting Tuesday, November 1st, Manasota Beach Yoga class times will permanently change to one class, Monday thru Saturday at 8:30 AM.
Classes will be 30 to 45 minutes long. On select days, Katja, Jocelyn and Lou will offer a short intermediate to advanced program for those who want the challenge.
We are back on both Beaches with the Full Beach Yoga Schedule.
Manasota Beach: Monday through Saturday at 8:30 AM
North Jetty Beach: Daily at 9AM
We are welcoming all of the “old” and new Yogis for some relaxing exercise on the Beach. Bring a towel or blanket and join.
A short class to get the day started and make you feel more relaxed, but energetic, stronger and more flexible. You can start from any level of health or age. Just a few classes and you will feel the difference.
Beach Yoga at North Jetty Beach, here with Lou from last season.
Manasota Beach Yoga is on Summer Break, and North Jetty Beach Yoga is on the Summer Schedule. Have a great Summer and continue your exercise wherever you are this Summer. If you are an early bird, you can also go and join Venice Beach Yoga daily at 8AM. Some of our teachers will be acting as guest teachers there is Summer.