Balanced Fitness: Building Strength, Flexibility, and Endurance on and off the Mat
Sunday through Friday, May 2–7, 2010
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health
Lenox, MA

Do you want to explore the limits of your favorite physical activity? Whether you are preparing for a fall marathon, bike tour, hiking trek, or charity distance walk, yoga can and should be an integral part of your endurance training. In this five-day workshop for athletes and active yogis of all levels, you'll learn to apply the exercise principles of frequency, progressive overload, intensity, and specificity to your training, yoga practice, and leading a balanced life.

In this program, you will learn how to periodize your training and your yoga practice to avoid burnout and injury, and you will head home equipped with ways to keep your training in balance as a useful and productive part of your life, rather than an obligation or an obsession.

Morning sessions will include a yoga warmup, a workout, and a yoga practice to cultivate core strength and flexibility to complement endurance activities. Each afternoon, we will discuss principles of balance for training, sports nutrition, and life. Topics for brief lectures will include how to choose workouts and races to balance your training cycle; eating well before, during, and after your training; avoiding injuries and managing them when they do occur; and mental strategies to put training and competition in the proper perspective. Daily meditation and breath work will sharpen our focus, and we will practice restorative poses to enhance recovery.

Group runs will include structured workouts at a variety of intensities, with all paces welcome. You are free to substitute hiking, cycling (bring your own bike, or rent from a local shop), or another modality if running won't work for you.

Recommended reading: The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga and The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga, both by Sage Rountree (VeloPress, 2008 and 2009).

price depends on your lodging choice for this residential retreat
call 800-471-7353 or register online