I love the outdoors and playing in the outdoors—that includes hiking and running. (I call it running but it is actually jogging—slowly). So why do I spend my time in a hot, stuffy room several times a week? To keep me injury free. Like me, I think most people involved with running know that they are supposed to stretch. I stretch after a run—for maybe two minutes. I hate stretching. I got away with not stretching in my 20’s and 30’s, had a few injuries in my 40’s but hello 50’s! Doctors, x-rays, physiotherapy, MRI, arthritis, bursitis, more physiotherapy—you get the picture. The physiotherapist taught me that my knee problems stemmed from my ankles and hips. She gave me exercises to do and a friend persuaded me to go to hot yoga. I realized that yoga complemented the exercises the physiotherapist gave me. And remember—I hate stretching but suffering in a hot room with other people is a lot easier for me than stretching at home on my own. I keep talking about stretching but yoga is much more than stretching. However, you have to find that out on your own. If you’re a runner, give hot yoga a try. Stick with it and you’ll get hooked, your body will crave it. The TC10K is coming up soon and I’ll be there. I started hot yoga to keep me injury free but it does so much more.

Irene E. – Student of Bikram Yoga Sidney