Beautiful run last night before the freeze set in.

Hi my name is Sarah and I am a running addict.  Phew.  I said it.  Not that I was ever in denial nor does anyone who knows me doubt this.  I certainly didn’t start out that way.  When my husband (boyfriend at the time) first joined a gym I lied and told him I had bad knees and couldn’t run.  I’m willing to bet a part of him misses those days!

So what happens when the high outside is -11 and we are strongly encouraged to stay indoors?  The problem is trying to find a workout that actually feels like a workout.

A few years ago I tried my first yoga session.  It was a rainy day and I was restless and I decided to give it a reluctant shot.  I came home and proudly announced that this is what I had been looking for the last few years.  I have always been frustrated with my bulky figure skater legs and tush.  I was surprised at how well the yoga class strengthened, toned, and stretched all of my muscles using my own body weight.  I even had a sweat going on.

Then I found www.yogaglo.com .  This site is far different from any other online yoga class you will find.  This is an actual yoga studio located in California.  Not only do they hire the top instructors in the country, but they hold classes during the week and tape their classes in HD.  Once a class has been taped, it is posted on their website along with a description, intensity level, duration, and the type of yoga class (vinyasa, hatha, etc.).

Trust me, this site is awesome.

You can scroll through current classes or do a search through their archives.  I prefer Vinyasa yoga so I often will search for a Vinyasa class.  The reason I prefer these classes is that they are more of a flowing athletic class that keeps you moving in and out of poses.  I like to feel like I am getting a workout in and this has the perfect balance of poses and flow while covering upper body, lower body, and a lot of core.  The best part is that if you are pressed for time you can look for a 30 minute class and go for a level 2/3 to get a quick burn going.

Better yet, one of teachers was a yoga instructor for Nike’s running program.  She often posts classes geared for runners to aid in recovery or to work specific muscle groups to improve your training.

Since these classes are usually held in an actual studio filled with other yogis, you never feel like you are doing a typical online streaming class which often feels a bit cheesy like the old aerobic workouts of yore.  You will feel as if you are actually part of the yoga class.

If you haven’t ever tried yoga, I recommend giving this a chance.  Yoga works on your breathing, balance, whole body muscle strengthening and stretching.  This is a total body workout and you really will sweat.

A few of my favorite instructors are Kathryn Budig, Jason Crandell, Dice Iida-Klein, Jo Tastula, Tiffany Cruikshank, and Noah Maze.  There are a ton of other awesome teachers, and a few famous instructors from the yoga world. I just prefer those instructors for their personalities and tendency to lead a good, strong yoga class.

Yogaglo offers a free 15 day trial.  The cost of Yogaglo is $18 a month.  The way I look at it, this is less than the cost of one class at a yoga studio.  If you know that the weather or lack of free time is going to keep you away from running for a while this is a great option.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.  Namaste!

I will be inside doing yoga today since cars were already buried on my run last night!