Posts Tagged ‘yoga for runners’

Yoga for Runners

November 7, 2016 at 1:00
Posted by Rachael Woolston

Suitable for all levels, including total beginners, our yoga classes are specifically aimed at those who run/cycle or are active. Mat based most of the class involves using props to help you maximise the release of your muscles. £12 drop in or book the full six week course for £60.



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Run Rehab/Prehab

October 28, 2016 at 7:15
Posted by Rachael Woolston

If you are injured, recovering from an injury OR you want to avoid getting an injury, this 45 minute class (or course of six) could be the solution. A mixture of myofascial release techniques, foam rolling and yoga combined with stability exercises to strengthen hips and core for strong, injury-free running. t

Taught by Rachael, a qualified yoga teacher who has run countless Parkruns, 10kms, half marathons along with seven marathons (Londonx2, Paris, Lake Garda, Mumbai and Paris) and is currently working her way through the World Majors, London  (completed) Tokyo, (February 2017), Berlin, (September 2017), New York, Chicago and Boston.  As a journalist for Runners World, there is not much she does not know about injury-prevention and recovery.

To get the most out of this, it is preferable to book the entire course. It is available however on a drop-in basis with class booking online closing by 7pm the evening before. Drop ins cost £12 or you can buy a class pass/season pass.



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Running for women – become a TrackStar!

June 3, 2016 at 1:23
Posted by Rachael Woolston

Running is one of the simplest and easiest ways of getting fit but learning new techniques and ways of running will help you to improve and keep boredom at bay. Here’s how…

 

When you first start running on one of our Learn to Run 5km courses or perhaps the Couch to 5km that you follow on your phone, it can seem like reaching that 5km is the only goal that you will ever achieve with running and you’ll be happy with it. Yet, little by little, that voice inside your head starts to say, ‘Ooh, it would be nice to run a little bit faster or further.’ Or, alternatively, ‘Why does this STILL feel difficult?’ or ‘If I run this route one more time, I’m going to go insane.’

Small wonder as while we like habits and routines to make us feel comfortable, as humans, we also need stimulus to keep us interested and most importantly to ensure we progress which is vital. Because whether you are competitive or you just run for fun, seeing yourself get faster or run further or simply run the same distance but for it to feel easier is the thing that inspires us to keep running.

So, if you are looking for something that will help you to improve your running, meet others not to mention get your pins looking tip-top for summer, why not try one of our NEW courses launching NEXT WEEK Monday June 6th.

TrackStars

Always wanted to see what it was like to run on an athletics track but been too intimidated to try? Well, now you can with our brand new, fun track sessions at Withdean Stadium.

The sessions are suitable for EVERY level from beginner to the advanced, the sessions will be a mixture of pace and interval work but in the usual Fitbitch style so they’ll have a little twist in the tale to make these sessions fun, innovative and super effective.

When: Mondays, 10am. Pay for the full course or single session drop in. On week one, please meet Tara in reception. Book here choosing courses or drop in as appropriate

Run for the Hills

Nothing gets you fitter or develops your running more than hill repeats. It builds strength in the legs and gluteal muscles and also mental fortitude, one of the most important elements for any runner. This course focuses on helping you to develop the correct technique for running up and down hills. And doing it in a group means it gets done!

This current summer course will also include yoga for runners after every session, weather dependent. This course in particular will get you ready for TrailBlazer 8km (July 30th) the Phoenix 10km, as well as laying the groundwork for any trail half marathons in September.

When: Weds, 7pm, Alternate weeks Hove Park and Preston Park, full course no drop ins

 



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The Runners’ Recovery Retreat

March 12, 2016 at 5:00
Posted by Rachael Woolston

Restore your body ready to run free

Join us for this 75 minute yoga workshop that will help you to restore and replenish your muscles and joints after a season of long run training. No experience is necessary. You will learn at least five postures designed for even the busiest runner to fit into their schedule after an endurance run to help you to recover and repair.

You will need to bring a yoga mat and a foam roller. For men and women. The perfect restoration retreat after the Brighton Half marathon.



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February Flexibility Challenge 2016

February 29, 2016 at 7:07
Posted by Rachael Woolston

What happens if you commit to completing a number of sun salutations and continue every day of the month? That’s the challenge that we set ourselves and our challenge community this month

We have all read how bad sitting can be for us. Add to that a regime of regular running and/or exercise as well as the ageing process, which can contribute to shortened muscles and we ALL know how useful yoga or stretching is for us. But with most yoga classes stretching to 75 – 90 minutes, plus the time to and from the studio and most of us give up thinking that we can’t fit it in and don’t do any stretching at all.

So at the beginning of February, we set our Fitbitch Challenge Community (which is free and open to enter for anyone at anytime) the goal of doing three sun salutations on Feb 1st and to add one every day until Feb 29th, finishing on a total of 31.

And because I am currently training for the London Marathon and spend a lot of my day sitting writing, I decided to take part too. And this is what I learned.

Mornings are the hardest

Your muscles become shortened while you are inactive in sleep mode and so it feels harder to stretch when you have just woken up.

Morning is also the best time

Despite it feeling harder, it’s far easier to do them in the morning. Your mind hasn’t woken up yet and began to whirl with all the tasks you simply MUST get done. Plus, wait until later in the day and you can often find yourself doing them while watching American Horror Story on Netflix after a glass of wine. Which is clearly not the goal.

Diagnostic Check

If you are a runner, even doing 10 sun salutations, which takes less than five minutes, helps to provide a daily diagnostic spot check on where your muscles are tight and what *may* flare into an injury if  you don’t keep stretching, or get a massage. This has helped see me sail through my marathon training injury-free.

To stay in the moment

Most  of all, the challenge has helped me stay in the present. Admittedly, at the beginning of the challenge, I’d be half way through the sun salutations and thinking, ‘Oh, I don’t have time for this. I’ve got to write X, email Y, and cook Z.’ Not to mention looking at the carpet while in downward dog thinking it needed a vacuum. But then this curious thing happened.

Once I got to 20 salutations and beyond, I began to switch off from all the tasks piling up in my head and the sun salutations became a little retreat all of their own (except after Brighton Half Marathon day when they were a bit creaky). It meant that I still got all the really important things done AND I had a break from working that was far more beneficial than a coffee break.

So, will I be continuing? I’m not going to carry adding on one per day but I will be sticking to 10-20 salutations a day from now on.

If you want to take part and become a member of our FREE Challenge Community where you can win rewards for completing fitness goals for beginners and beyond, click here.

To view a video of the sun salutations, click here.



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Join our FREE February Flexibility Challenge

February 1, 2016 at 8:57
Posted by Rachael Woolston

We all know that we should stretch but it often gets neglected in favour of sitting on the sofa, drinking a coffee or simply five minutes extra in bed. But our month long challenge can fit into even the busiest woman’s day and will help to improve your mobility and your mind-body connection.

Want to take part? Click here for more information and video tutorials.

 

Plus, this challenge forms part of our year long Fitbitch Challenge Community – commit to one challenge per month, from the simple – run 5km to the more advanced, take part in a triathlon. You will be rewarded points to be redeemed for money off our services. Read more about our Fitbitch Challenge Community and  how YOU can be part of it here.

 

 



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Essential Yoga Stretches & Self Massage Techniques for Runners

January 16, 2016 at 5:00
Posted by Rachael Woolston

yoga for whatever your level of flexibility

Staying fit to run is not just about putting in the miles and doing strength work, it’s about recovery and repair. And most runners typically ignore this important part of their training.

This 75 minute workshop will teach you five essential yoga stretches to help your body stay flexible, which will both help you to prevent injury and to ensure peak performance.

Even if you are the type of man or woman, who has never been able touch your toes and finds the thought of sitting cross-legged torture, these postures will help to unlock tight areas. And don’t worry, they can be adapted so that even the stiffest runner will benefit.

You will also learn self massage techniques to help keep you free of typical running injuries such as plantar fasciitis, calf injuries, ITB syndrome, backache and more.

You will need to bring a yoga mat, foam roller and a self massage ball or you can purchase these from us at our online checkout.

For men and women, spaces are strictly limited.

FB run members price £9. Normal price £15.

Or buy this workshop and our Runner’s Recovery Retreat Workshop March 5th together for £25.

Book via our booking page choosing workshops.



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3 Ways to Detox – and why it’s good for you

December 28, 2015 at 6:00
Posted by Rachael Woolston

Nowadays, it has become as fashionable to mock detoxing as it once was lauded. But ‘detoxing’ can be interpreted many ways and do it the right way and it can only be a good thing

It's a new day, it's a new dawn and I'm feeling fine

Diet Detox

According to science and physiologists, your body can do all the detoxing of bad toxins it needs to do without changing your diet. But having the focus on eating healthily – and for many this means addressing what they are REALLY eating, rather than what they think they are eating means you will not only feel better but look better too.

So, what are we talking about when we saying ‘really’ eating. Put it like this, you can often think you’re healthy because you go to a nice, organic cafe for lunch and you have a lovely dressed salad with a homemade quiche or pie.

Repeat this a few times a week, along with the piece of cake and coffee you have and this adds up to a lot of saturated, unhealthy fats, salts and sugars. Or maybe you don’t eat out as you don’t have time, but you pick over the kids foods, or wolf down toast in the morning because you don’t have time to eat anything else.

All these things will affect your health, weight and levels of energy because this food is NOT good for your body. So, trying a healthy, balanced eating plan of fresh cooked foods over 28 days, will and can be a hugely positive thing to help you refocus on what is good for you.

Mind Detox

Last January, I started putting my Iphone in the kitchen to charge overnight rather than by my bedside, and purchased an old skool radio alarm clock. That one single change has made a massive change to my life, helping to stop me looking at social media as I go to bed and first thing when I wake up.

Always looking at your phone can be bad for your posture, your ability to switch off and relationships too. Try this one change, even if for a month, and see how you go.

And if you don’t really think you have a social media problem, we dare you to try the app Big Red Stop.  Log in to the app, type a message ‘I’m unplugging for the 2nd January’ for instance, choose a length of time and then it will automatically silence your phone for that period of time.

(For more ideas on digital detoxing, read Ben Greenfield’s Beyond Training: Mastering Endurance, Health & Life which also covers how to fit endurance training into a busy life).

Body Detox

Your body takes a great deal of stress and strain depending on what your lifestyle is like. And making simple changes to do the opposite can really help you to get healthy and change bad postural or fitness habits.

If you sit down all day at work and never exercise, then changing this to include some kind of exercise every day, even if it’s just a walk will have a massive difference. If you run every day, try incorporating a yoga posture every day (our Essential Yoga Stretches for Runners Workshop is January 16th).

Allow your body the chance to detox simply by doing something different and it will have a huge effect not just on your body but your mind too.

 

If you’re a beginner to exercise or you need help to refocus your mind, body and spirit, our special small group four week Detox and Define course starts January 11th. Our early bird deal ends January 4th. 

Our courses are not exercise classes, they are a journey where we help you to change day by day and include an easy to follow eating plan which will help you detox without the need for deprivation.

Whenever people consider taking up a new exercise or eating plan, or running for the first time, most people worry about all the things that could go wrong or how hard it’s going to be. Instead, this year, why not focus on how amazing and fun making those changes will make you feel – because they will. You just have to be brave and take that first step. (Check out our testimonials for the change you can expect).

 



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Run Flex & Mobility

November 2, 2015 at 7:00
Posted by Rachael Woolston

 

 

This 30 minute class is aimed at runners & cyclists. Using yoga stretches as well as foam rollers and TRX to help mobilise and stretch the body for improved performance and injury-prevention.

It takes place indoors in a seafront studio in Brighton.

Open to all levels, no experience necessary, men and women. Please bring your own mat.

Each class is restricted to 8 people.

To book, choose HiiT SQUAD on our booking page and you will find the class there. You can use your HiiT class pass.



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L2R 10 miles

September 6, 2015 at 8:30
Posted by Rachael Woolston

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Have you entered Brighton’s NEW 10 mile road race? Or do you simply want to work on building endurance with a small women’s only group, with guided and professionally coached runs?

Then don’t miss this opportunity in joining our six week course, which will include two optional race events as part of the course (Firle 10km and Arena 10k).

Aimed at runners who can already run 10km, our first guided run will be on September 6th (the following two weeks will be the optional 10km races above to build race preparedness).

For training run locations, these will be listed on our calendar in due course but will be a mixture of road and trail runs.

You can buy all four guided and coached runs, £40 or three drop ins to be used within the course date for £36. (please note,  one run will be on Saturday).

Book HERE



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Weekend Run


Posted by Rachael Woolston

The first run (1/4) of our L2R Brighton 10 mile course, this will be a flat, out and back route along the seafront to help ease everyone back into running after the summer break.

Distance: Six miles

Extras: Yoga on the lawns, weather permitting

Meet: Marroccos, 8.20am for an 8.30am start. Parking King Alfred Centre



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Performance Half Marathon Training Camp Mon 28th Oct – Thurs 21st Nov (6am & 7am)

June 22, 2013 at 5:20
Posted by Rachael Woolston

Want to know more about this camp? Hover your mouse over the cursor on our Timetable for more information. This camp will run Mon, Tues, Thurs and is open to MEN AND WOMEN. Some sessions will be indoors. Early bird of whcih there are only three deals on this camp end 1st October.



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Running Classes

October 29, 2012 at 3:05
Posted by Rachael Woolston

 

BEGINNERS

Learn to Run 5km and Learn to Run 10km

You’ve never run before or have not run for a very long time? This course is for you helping you to build your distance and confidence.

Run Fit

This class uses resistance band and body weight exercises to help you get stronger for running and is combined with short two – four minute running intervals to help you either build your distance or speed, depending on what you want to work on. Fun, inclusive, supportive. (Combine with Learn to Run 5km to get two sessions per week absolutely free).

Run Rehab

If you regularly suffer from injuries, are recovering from one or always suffer from niggles, then this course is for you. Six or eight week courses that focus on building strength and stability in the core, gluteal muscles and legs. We use resistance bands, TRX, weights and incorporate yoga for runners stretches and myofascial release. Six or eight week blocks, we do not accept drop ins on these courses.

Yoga for Runners

Suitable for all levels, including total beginners, our yoga classes are specifically aimed at those who run/cycle or are active. Mat based most of the class involves using props to help you maximise the release of your muscles.

INTERMEDIATE

Improve to 10km

Can already run 5km and want to build your distance? Join our five week improvers course. All speeds welcome.

Run Rehab

As above.

Run Strong

If you are training for half marathon distance races or above, doing strength and conditioning work and building a strong core will help to make you stronger, faster and more efficient. And crucially help you to avoid injury. Eight week courses we do not accept drop ins on this course.

Smash Your PB

This course is designed to help you improve your speed with interval based pace and tempo sessions. It means that you may run something like 200m, 400m, 600m, and then 400m, 200m with a rest in between. We challenge you to work outside your comfort zone in order to improve your overall speed.  Each session is different and we also work on on the mental techniques to help you become comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Perfect if you are aiming for a personal best on a parkrun, 10km, half marathon or marathon.

Run for the Hills

Build your strength and speed with this course which involves doing interval sessions on inclines, hills and stairs. We work on techniques for hill running up and down, as well as mental strength and techniques to keep you going when your mind is telling you to stop!

TrackStars

Channel your inner Jessica Ennis with these fun track-based sessions which will help you to develop speed, tempo and great running technique.

Half Marathon Training: Building Distance

Our weekend running courses all start at 5km and build up week by week. We specialise in helping all levels of runners from first time entrants to races to experienced runners achieve their endurance goal with beautiful guided and supported trail runs with our qualified and very experienced running coaches. In Autumn-Winter, we train groups for the Bright10, Brighton Half Marathon, Worthing Half Marathon and the Eastbourne Half Marathon.

 

 

 



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