Runner's Yoga 90210

Once upon a time I used to be a hardcore runner. Up at just past 5 am to do my 5 miles in rain, sleet, wind chill or even blizzards. After a while my knees started hurting, so I wore braces and kept running. But I finally came to a point where I knew continuing to run would require knee surgery, so I stopped.

Angie Stewart had a similar experience. A competitive athlete and runner for many years, she faced increasing discomfort while running--forcing her to come up with a solution in order to continue participating in a beloved activity. The solution was yoga.

According to Angie,

"I could have never imagined the impact that yoga would have on me as an athlete, especially as a competitive runner. Once I tailored the class for the specific needs of a runner's body and mentality, my own running improved, my chronic leg injuries disappeared and my long runs once again became my source of solace instead of pain."

Runner's Yoga 90210 is Angie's unique adaptation of traditional yoga poses. I was able to witness a demonstration of a class and found it more high energy than traditional yoga classes. Even more so than power yoga classes with their emphasis on building heat through constant flow. I told Angie, "I've been doing yoga for almost eight years and I think your class would kill me!" She laughed and told me that the class can be modified for any level. I asked her if the class was harder for a yoga student--used to a more traditional style and pace, or for a runner. She said without question it's harder for runners. She has one student who runs marathons in under three hours who said her 60 minute class was more strenuous than running 26 miles!

So if you really want to amp up your workout--whether you're a runner or a yogi or both--you can check out Angie Stewart's Runner's Yoga 90210 for FREE every Tuesday this month (February 2008) at lululemon athletica located at 334 N. Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. The class is held from 7:30 - 8:15 pm with an optional run prior at 6:45 - 7:30 pm. Contact Angie at angie@angiestewartfitness.com to register.