I Love Core Fusion Yoga

I love Core Fusion Yoga. I just love it. I look forward to Sundays because that is the only day I can take it with my schedule. Which works out really well because I am training for the NYC Half Marathon and Sundays are my long run days. So I run for over an hour in the morning, go home to shower, rest and ice my knees and then go to Core Fusion Yoga in the afternoon.

I just want to explain quickly that I have had knee issues for years. An MRI showed patella femoral pain syndrome and bursitis. My physical therapist, upon examination, explained that I have valgus, which means my knees each bend inwards. This poor alignment is likely part of the reason my knees hurt. The other reason? Weak muscles! The muscles around my knee were never strong and therefore not able to support my body. This, in turn, put all the weight of my body on my knees. Not good!

Part of the reason I was so excited for this Core Fusion Challenge was because I knew if anything can strengthen up the muscles around my knees and build stability around my joints, it is Core Fusion. The thighs section is tough and you WILL build muscle from doing it.

That said, I need to stick with Core Fusion longer. My left knee, which I consider my “bad” knee, does not hurt at all. But now I have the same pain in my right knee only after long runs. It gets better each week, though.

So Core Fusion Yoga is the perfect post-run stretch (which I probably wouldn’t do very well on my own) and it is also easier on my knees than Core Fusion. There are some movements in the class that hurt my knees on a long run day, particularly when we are on our hands and knees and stretch one leg behind us, then bend it, stretch it, bend it again. During this, I just can’t bend my leg because the knee hurts, so instead I keep my leg straight and lift it when the class bends. Still a great movement for my butt!

Barbara is just so awesome. She makes me feel very comfortable and gives words of encouragement throughout the class. The hour goes by quickly and I really can’t believe how much I sweat during Core Fusion Yoga. It is crazy! Such a great workout.

When we got to the C Curve, though, I had a very tough time. Even more so than usual. Part of the problem is that we hold the heavy cork yoga block, but even after I decided to abandon it, I still struggled. A lot. I knew I wasn’t in the right position and when I got myself lower, I couldn’t hold myself up. I need more help with this.

And then class was over and of course I felt amazing. Other than my struggles with the abs section, I really enjoyed this class and loved every second of it. Sometimes before class I feel like I’d rather just stay home and be lazy on a Sunday, but as soon as it is over I am just so happy I went.