Find Yin-Yang balance in your fitness regimen

"If Yang is overly powerful, then Yin may be too weak. If Yin is particularly strong, then Yang is apt to be defective If the male force is overwhelming, then there will be excessive heat. If the female force is overwhelming, then there will be excessive cold. Exposure to repeated and severe heat will induce chills. Cold injures the body while heat injures the spirit When the spirit is hurt, severe pain will ensue. When the body is hurt, there will be swelling. Thus, when severe pain occurs first and swelling comes on later, one may infer that a disharmony in the spirit has done harm to the body. Likewise, when swelling appears first and severe pain is felt later on, one can say that a dysfunction in the body has injured the spirit....


(Yin-Yang in Medical Theory-http://fly.srk.fer.hr/~shlede/ying/yang.html)


October was a Yang month for me in terms of fitness. I did long and demanding runs, I went to short but intense spin classes and twice a week I would go to the intense Core Fusion classes which make me quiver in agony.  In retrospect,  it is no wonder I ended up with a slipped and bulging disc.  Aside from one short swim and a yin yoga class, my workout regimen was out of harmony.


I have to admit, is easy for me to advise people (and even myself) when training for an event because I can create a program that includes rest, easy days and intense days. If you aren't training for an event, it is probably harder to create balance in your fitness regimen. It is common for many to only do spin classes, only run or only lift weights. Or some just go "hard" at every workout. This yang approach balance can lead to burn out and injury.


Yin Yang are interconnected but I do see some workouts as more passive and gentle (Yin) and other workouts as intense and generates a lot of heat. (Yang) The goal is to consciously balance out your week, month and year of fitness with a Yin Yang approach.


It is interesting because I know plenty of others that only do Yin type workouts such as swim or yoga. While these workouts are so awesome for the body and generally do not lead to injury- they don't generate a lot of heat. And if you are someone looking to lose weight, you will need to do some Yang workouts to make that happen.


So, how do you Yin Yang your workout regimen? Following are my suggestions to achieving balance in your fitness:




1. If you are a runner or cyclist, try to replace a run or two a week with either a yoga class or swim session. For some people like my brother, who only bikes and does it every day, not riding for a day is hard for him mentally. If it hard for you to let go of your normal routine, I suggest thinking about the psychological benefit and strength that can be gained from having a balanced body. Also, it is better to miss a day off the bike or from a run for a Yin workout than a missing a few weeks from a Yang induced injury.


2. If  you power it up in spin class every day, try doing spin every other day and either resting days in-between or introducing a swim, pilates mat or yoga class on non-spin days.


3. If you are a weight lifter (non competitive), then your muscles most likely could use a stretch in a yoga or pilates class. This will help strengthen the core muscles and prevent injury.


4. If you are only doing Yoga or swimming and want to lose weight, try a cardio workout that gets your heart rate up such as kick boxing, running, elliptical, spin class, etc.


If you are starting a fitness regimen, here are some examples of how a Yin Yang workout week could look:


Monday-kick box class, spin class, bike or run for 45 minutes
Tuesday-yoga or pilates class, stretch on your own
Wednesday-Spin class or kick boxing
Thursday-rest day
Friday-walk or jog 30 minutes
Saturday-swim or yoga class
Sunday-rest day


If you are trying to incorporate balance into your workout, please feel free to leave a comment or email me!