Athletes for Yoga Pro Team Talks COVID-19
As the shelter in place orders rolled across the US, but before the summer Olympics was officially postponed, we asked our Athletes for Yoga Pros how they were adapting their seasons. It was already clear nothing would be going as planned this spring. Professional and amateur athletes would need to adjust training, calendars, goals, and methods…
Professional athletes are well versed in rolling with the punches, it’s one of the strengths that gets them to the top, and this is no different. We continue to learn so much from the pros and take their inspiration as we transition again and again throughout this time.
WHERE ARE YOU SHELTERING IN PLACE + TRAINING?
Kendra Chambers | 800m Specialist
Texas
Stephanie Howe | Ultra-Runner
California
Ted Treise | Triathlete
Minnesota
Andie Cozzarelli
North Carolina
HOW HAS YOUR SCHEDULE BEEN AFFECTED BY COVID-19?
Kendra Chambers
All races have been cancelled.
Stephanie Howe
Everything has been cancelled!
Ted Treise
No races until June (as of March).
HOW ARE YOU RESPONDING AS AN ATHLETE?
Kendra Chambers
My coach and I are adjusting training to be ready later in the spring. We are having to adjust training and lifting.
Stephanie Howe
I'm just taking it as a forced reset. Time off/away isn't a bad thing for longevity in the sport. I'm just thankful for my health.
Ted Treise
About 50% of training volume. Laying off the gas so we can peak later in the year.
Andie Cozzarelli
Before the shutdown came, my coach and I had decided to pull things back. I hadn't been feeling as good as I would like and needed to pull back. It just so happened that this would be the reality regardless. I kind of saw this as my time to truly focus on feeling good again. This time would be used to work on myself in addition to giving my body some time to recover and get back on track. I spent the first few weeks with slightly lower mileage but just easy runs and then slowly built my mileage back up over the last couple of weeks. I have been incorporating more Athletes for Yoga into my training by using it more before I run and as a supplement to training. My breathing had been an issue so I have been working on that. I finish each run or lift with a quick reset and then some meditation. With no rush to get anywhere I have been taking my time and not worrying about paces. This is a stressful time for many but I have been focusing more on how I can use the down time to reset and prepare myself for when races do come back.
HOW ARE YOU USING ATHLETES FOR YOGA WHILE SHELTERING IN PLACE?
Kendra Chambers
Yes! The 5-Minute Resets are helping me so much and it’s easy to do before and after practice.
Stephanie Howe
I'm doing them more frequently, to address things that normally i'd see my "people" for.
Ted Treise
Daily Resets + Warm-Ups for at home lifting
Andie Cozzarelli
I have been doing more before I run. With a little less rigidity in when I run I have been taking extra time for body work before. I have also been doing a video after running or after lifting coupled with a quick meditation. As a strength training measure, I have been using the core balance & functional core videos. This time period has been focused on recovery while building mileage.
HOW DO YOU USE A4Y FOR STRENGTH WORK?
Kendra Chambers
Definitely balance! I use balance to work on my injuries. I love doing the core videos to keep up my strength.
Stephanie Howe
I LOVE the core vids and use them often for strength.
Ted Treise
Great way to segment into different parts of the day. IE, The time between waking up and first workout, body warm up. Time of day between last workout and dinner, rest.
Andie Cozzarelli
I am hip flexor dominant and weaker on my right side. When my hips get tight, my pelvis tends to rotate forward putting extra stress on my low back. This problem is of course made worse from sitting or working from the couch (a problem I have heard a lot of people working from home are dealing with). I have been using both the Core Balance video with the Functional Strength video as one of my strength days. This helps me to engage my stabilizing muscles so that I can use those muscles more regularly than my dominant hip flexors. My glutes have been extra tight/sore lately so I have been backing off some of the glute work and instead doing more glute/hip resets/stretches. When my glutes are tired or sore I don't engage them as well and other muscles jump in to keep me moving which could lead to injury.
HOW DO YOU USE A4Y FOR ANXIETY MANAGEMENT AT HOME?
Kendra Chambers
The meditation videos are perfect for relaxing my mind and getting focused too. Also just doing any type of yoga or slow stretching helps my mind recover after a long stressful day.
Stephanie Howe
I use A4Y to recenter and reduce my anxiety... especially when I do the vids outside.
Andie Cozzarelli
Meditation and recovery. I like to do them right after I workout or run as a way to absorb and reflect on what I have just done. This typically helps me to gain perspective and reduce my anxiety around things that my mind may be spiraling from.
ARE YOU USING A4Y TO PREVENT INJURY AT HOME?
Kendra Chambers
I use A4Y everyday to activate and strengthen my feet, lower legs and hips. This helps me get set and prepared for the work load I put on my body when I go run on the trail or the track. That way I’m not warming up sensitive spots during my warmup. I can activate certain areas before practice so they are ready when I need them.
Stephanie Howe
Using the Preventative Medicine for Lower Legs + Feet video to rehab my injury currently!
Ted Treise
Engaging in hip mobility, improving in shoulder flexibility
Andie Cozzarelli
Balance. I used to think that the work I did had to be hard to be beneficial. I have since realized that you can't always push your body in that way and recognizing when your supplemental work needs to be more of a reset or stretch has been key to injury prevention. I notice more of what is happening on runs when I feel my legs fatiguing. I can feel where I am weak and then use A4Y to re-balance or simply aide in recovery of the areas of my body that are screaming at me. Additionally, the functional core work strengthens my stabilizing muscles in a way that mimics the function I will use them for helping to create muscle memory. It is those deep stabilizing muscle that truly prevent injury.
HOW DO YOU USE A4Y FOR REAL AT HOME?
Kendra Chambers
I use A4Y at my house, in hotel rooms and at the track. I love using every stretch on preventive medicine for lower legs. I do most of those stretches on a daily basis and even get my teammates and coaches to do them with me.
Stephanie Howe
I always can find 5 minutes...
Ted Treise
It's on the app so wicked easy to take where ever (even though we're stuck in the apt!).
Andie Cozzarelli
I have been doing cat cow before every run and after every workout. My back tightness and breathing difficulty have improved with this and I love the way it feels. My fave mantra would be you are strong. I have been reminding myself of that because when I start to feel poorly about myself or any circumstance, I know that it's true and it makes me feel more relaxed.
ANY OTHER TIPS FOR ATHLETES DEALING WITH CANCELLED RACES, GYMS + BODY WORK CLOSED, AND ALL THE AFFECTS OF COVID-19?
Kendra Chambers
Control what you can control and leave everything else to faith. I hope we all can look back on this time and recall that we were strong even when things didn’t go our way, we stayed focused on our goals no matter what and we were loving towards others during a difficult & scary time. Always remember: You are more than your job, more than your athletic achievements and you are more than your current circumstances. I hope all athletes can find some time to dig deeper for this identity outside of sport during this break. Find comfort in knowing that nothing will ever take away the work we’ve already done or the passion we have for this sport. Delayed is not denial. Let’s stay prepared for the next opportunity whenever that will be. Stay Focused and Stay Safe!
Stephanie Howe
Take it in stride. Honestly, these are very small issues compared to the bigger picture of people getting sick and dying. I keep that in my mind as I go through each day.
Ted Treise
It's a great time to focus on things that one typically never had the time to do. For me in sport, time to get hip and shoulder routine into my schedule as a habit.
Andie Cozzarelli
I think that this is the time to give yourself some grace. This time is stressful and there is a lot of uncertainty but there is some good to be gained from slowing down right now. Take some time every day to do something that makes you feel good. Also take some time to recognize how the added stress may be affecting you. There is nothing to be gained from overdoing it but ultimately learning to balance everything that is going on can be beneficial when everything goes back to normal. You will be more refreshed and ready to go when the time comes.