“Enjoyment and performance depend upon the body working as a unit,” says Pete Egoscue, co-creator of Elev8d Fitness, a new premium home fitness program brought to you by the experts of Sonima. Too many runners skip upper-body work in lieu of calf stretches, not just in their warm-ups but in general. Because of this, Egoscue can usually spot runners even in street clothes. “Their lower-body muscles such as the quads and calves are quite developed but their upper body is very slight,” he says. “Their shoulders are rounded forward and they’re in a forward flex position.”

That positioning can have countless detrimental effects, creating a feedback loop that perpetuates dysfunctional posture. “If you’re just concentrating on your lower body and not paying attention to your upper body, several things happen that provide inefficiency and degradation of performance,” Egoscue says.

The main issue is functionally: You lose efficiency of the counterbalance of the shoulder load joint, one of the eight major load joints in the body. Without proper shoulder functionality, runners often see a trickle-down effect.

For one, you lose the flexion-extension and straight ahead action of the leg. Runners in particular need to move forward in an efficient way, Egoscue says. Think about it: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. However, if your feet turn out (a common issue for many of us as modern day life doesn’t promote a vertical flexion-extension posture), you’re not able to access your full potential. “Your talent is writing a check and your body can’t cash it,” Egoscue says.

Related: How Much Muscle Soreness Is Too Much?

Connecting your body’s load joints can lead to running proficiency and performance. Elev8d Fitness warm-ups and cool-downs work your entire body and load-bearing joints through full ranges of motion. Plus, a post-workout cool-down puts the body back in ‘neutral’ when you’re finished, Egoscue says. This gives you the ability to meet your run talent with an efficient body, furthering an effective fitness routine.

Ready to be a better runner? Try this running primer:

Core Abs | 30 Seconds Each Side:

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Crunch to Hip Bridge | 30 Seconds:

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Elev8d Flying Trapezius | 30 Seconds:

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Da Vincis | 30 Seconds:

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Become a more efficient, faster runner with Elev8d Fitness! While any of the workouts can help, we recommend the Total-Body At-Home Workout Series or the 8-Minute Strength Workout Series for runners.

The post Why Elev8d Fitness Is the Perfect Warm-Up for Runners appeared first on Sonima.

For many of us, our imbalances elude us. We think we’re healthy, we think we’re aligned, but in fact, everything we do, all day, every day, contributes to our habitual patterns, which in turn affect our state of balance. So, for most of us, we’re perpetuating our misalignments simply by walking down the street. The way we walk, sit, and stand—key elements of daily life—can either hinder us or help us. When we learn to release tension, and distribute weight evenly in our feet and across sides, we are closer to finding center. As such, our walking, standing, and sitting can just as easily be our medicine as our poison.

This 20-minute cool-down, designed by alignment expert Pete Egoscue, will put your body in a neutral position by targeting common areas of weakness and tightness that lead to asymmetrical movement. Spending just a few minutes soothing tension in key areas such as the shoulders, neck, back and hips will allow the healing properties of walking to solidify their effects on the body. For best results, try this 15-minute warm-up sequence before you walk or exercise.

Related: An Alignment Sequence for Before and After Yoga

Follow along in the video above or download a PDF of these exercises below so you do this routine anywhere you go.

An Alignment Cool-DownFor After Walking

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Photo by Hailey Wist

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When you engage in any form of exercise you want your body to be as balanced as possible. When your body is in balance it can move evenly and symmetrically. Symmetrical movement ensures that your weight is distributed evenly and makes it less likely that you’ll become injured or plagued by pain. Balanced movement also makes you more efficient when you walk, meaning your energy is used optimally to get you from point A to point B, and you’ll reap the most physical benefits from your efforts.

While you may think your body is already in balance, the truth is that anyone who spends most of their time sitting at a desk or in a car is going to have some physical imbalances. This 15-minute warm-up is designed to put your body in a neutral position by targeting common areas of weakness and tightness that lead to asymmetrical movement. Spending just a few minutes creating openness and mobility in key areas such as the ankles, feet, and hips will allow you to make the most of your walk and enjoy yourself even more while you’re out there.

Related: An Alignment Sequence for Before and After Yoga

Follow along in the video above or download a PDF of these exercises below, with step-by-step directions so you do this routine anywhere you go.

An Active Alignment Warm-Upfor Before Walking

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When we practice yoga, we bring all of our habitual patterns with us. The practice has inherent neutralizing effects, but sometimes, whether because of extreme tightness, hyper-mobility, stress, or otherwise—our practice gets muddled by our current state. There are many ways to center the body and mind before practice including meditation, breathing practices, as well as moderate exercises to prepare the body. In this video, alignment expert Pete Egoscue, with the help of Sonima founder and long time Ashtanga Yoga practitioner, Sonia Jones, offers a pre- and post-yoga workout routine to help solidify the powerful effects of the practice.

Related: A Workout Meditation to Do Before Exercising

The pre-yoga active alignment sequence consists of stretches for the muscles in the arms, feet, and legs to help the body loosen up and get grounded for practice. Additionally, you’ll work through spinal undulations which will help prepare the body for back bending. Think of the post-yoga sequence as a cool-down that will feel great on the hips, work out any left over kinks in the back, and leave your hamstrings and legs feeling sturdy but soft.

Follow along in the video above or download a PDF of these exercises below, with step-by-step directions so you can take these sequences on the go.

Pre- and Post-YogaActive Alignment Sequence

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Photos by Hailey Wist

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It’s hard to know what advice you should really be following when it comes to health and fitness. One article says running is bad for your health, while the next hit on Google tells you it can increase your lifespan. In this video, Pete Egoscue, creator of the Egoscue Method, dispels many of the myths that people tend to believe about running. Pete explains that the human body is  designed to run long distances and to sustain more intense workouts, as long as it’s functioning properly. The renowned alignment expert then goes on to offer the most effective warm-up and post-run stretches to enhance your cardiovascular fitness and running capability. Try to do each of these stretches until your muscles feel equalized on both sides, and remember to breathe deeply and regularly during each position for best results.

Related: 6 Yoga-Inspired Moves to Help You Run Injury-Free

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As all golfers know, there’s much more to the sport than just standing around and intermittently whacking a small ball with a club. It takes an incredible amount of power and athleticism to drive that ball clear across the lush green lawn toward the tiniest, barely-visible target. To meet the demands of the underestimated sport, you need to be strong, flexible, and, most importantly, well-balanced.

In this 20-minute video, Pete Egoscue, an alignment expert and founder of the Egoscue Method, breaks down the key alignment and stretching exercises for golfers. Start with a 10-minute warm-up that includes some simple, yet crucial drills, such as foot circles and hip lifts, to promote stability and strength. From there, do a few cats and dogs to stretch your spine. It’s a good idea to do these in between each exercise to reset your body every time. Next, move onto kneeling groin stretches and upper spinal floor twists. Lastly, finish with a 30-second Downward Dog. Now you’re ready to go play like a champion.

Once you’ve worked the course and scored your hole-in-ones, take 10 minutes to cool down before getting into your car. Do a few easy and relaxing moves, including static back (careful not to doze off here!), cats and dogs, a counter stretch, and forward bends. Wrap it up with Downward Dog. Aim to hold the pose for a minute, if you can, before heading home.

Related: The 5 Most Important Minutes of Your Workout

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Riding a bike is a full body experience that activates and relies upon the major muscle groups in the body. Pete Egoscue, an alignment expert and founder of the Egoscue Method, designed this sequence of stretching exercises for cyclists to help reset and rejeuvinate the body for proper functioning. These warm-up and cool-down stretches will help stop injury or discomfort before it slows you down on the bike. You’ll open up the hip flexors, release tension in the shoulders and upper back, and lengthen the hamstrings, to prevent over-tightening while cycling. Some of these postures are more demanding than they appear, so be sure to approach them ease and mindfulness.

Related: An Incredible Fix for Neck and Shoulder Pain

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With all the back and fourth motions that are required in the game of tennis, it’s easy for our bodies to get off balanced and worn down. Pete Egoscue, an alignment expert and founder of the Egoscue Method, designed this stretching sequence to help reset and rejuvinate the body for proper functioning. These warm-up and cool-down stretches were created specifically for tennis players in order to stop injury or discomfort before it begins. Further, these moves will help you feel more agile, relieve any joint or muscle tightness, and ensure that you are ready for any shot that comes your way.

Related: A Yoga Warm-Up and Cool-Down for Athletes

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Today more and more athletes of all backgrounds are embracing yoga practices to help condition their mind and body for the game. In this video, Stanford Football’s sports performance director Shannon Turley shares with Sonia Jones his favorite pre- and post-training yoga sequence—including the Warrior Pose series, Triangle Pose, Pyramid Pose, and Chair Pose—for his players.

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If you only have a few minutes to exercise, start your day with this inventive dance routine that will get your whole body moving. In this video Ayo Janeen Jackson, a dancer and choreographer based in New York City, will teach you a few simple movements that will help you move confidently to a beat so you feel strong and energized.

Related: A Fun Step-by-Step Line Dancing Tutorial

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Before you move your body, let’s get your body moving! In this video Ayo Janeen Jackson, a dancer and choreographer in New York City, demonstrates a simple dance warm-up to do before a workout or dance class. The movements in this sequence will activate the core and loosen up your body so you’re ready to impress on the dance floor, at Zumba, or during this at-home dance workout.

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The breath is one thing that is with you your entire life—from the moment you cry out as a baby to your final exhale. The body changes, and so does the mind, but the breath is always consistent. While working out, the breath is essential for endurance and strength. This postworkout meditation will help you appreciate your hard work, and enable you to cool down with attention to the breath. Scan the body to notice any areas of tension, and with your mind, let go of anything that’s not serving you.

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Meditating before you work out or play a sport can be tremendously helpful for increasing focus and attention. In this meditation, Jamie Zimmerman, M.D., invites you to recognize the sensations in your body and acknowledge that you’ve made a commitment to nurture and strengthen your body by exercising. Before you begin your next workout, take an opportunity to notice what’s happening inside your body and thank yourself for committing yourself to health.

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