June 26, 2017

Anatomy 101 – The Ankle

This July we are focusing on a joint rather than a muscle – The Ankle. The ankle plays an important role in knee and foot health. If you are an athlete that is prone to ankle injury or foot pain, listen up!

Together the foot and the ankle are comprised of more than two dozen bones and 3 joints. The ankle absorbs all the pressure of the body with each step you take, no matter the terrain. More than 9 million Americans sprain their ankle each year. Most injuries occurring between the ages of 15 and 24 and rarely do they every fully heal – leading to long term mobility and stability issues. The good news? There’s yoga and FMS for that!

With the help of the Yoga Journal, we can get to know the bones:

Tibia (Shin Bone) The larger of the two bones that make up the lower leg
Fibula The thinner, smaller bone on the outside of the lower leg
Calcaneus The heel bone
Talus A wedge-shaped bone of the ankle joint that is located between the heel bone and the fibula and tibia; it forges a connection between the leg and the foot, aiding in ankle movements and helping maintain balance when weight is transferred from the ankle to the leg
Metatarsals A set of five long bones in the mid-foot that connect the ankle to the toe
Tarsals A set of seven hind- and mid-foot bones that exist to help bear weight; two of the most notable tarsals are the navicular and cuboid bones
Navicular A boat-shaped bone on the inner foot that creates the foot’s arch and assists with weight distribution
Cuboid A cube-shaped bone that connects and provides stability to the outer foot and ankle

And, the joints: 

Talocrural The technical term for the ankle joint, which is the point where the tibia, fibula, and talus meet
Transverse tarsal joint Where the talus, calcaneus, navicular, and cuboid bones meet
Subtalar joint Where the talus and calcaneus meet

The ankle has six different movements available to it:

1. Dorsiflexion: the top of the foot moves toward the knee
2. Plantar flexion: the sole of the foot moves toward the calf
3. Eversion: the outside of the ankle moves toward your hip
4. Inversion: the inside of your ankle moves toward your groin
5. Abduction: a movement at the ankle causing the toes to move away from the body
6. Adduction: a movement at the ankle resulting in the toes moving in toward the midline

Fun fact: When you combine dorsiflexion, eversion, and abduction, your foot pronates; when you combine plantar flexion, inversion, and adduction, your foot supinates.

So, how does this apply to you? We want you to keep your ankles healthy by getting on your mat with us. If you haven’t done your FMS screen yet, do it! If you have, work the exercises so they can work for you. Need a little more? Get on your mat with these poses to strengthen the ankle.

1. Tree Pose
2. Hero Pose
3. Staff Pose: w/ namaste feet + reverse namaste feet (lateral flexion and extension)
4. Calf Raise

You can find all these postures in a number of our classes this month. Let’s sweat + shavasana together!

June 26, 2017

New Policies – Early Bird Check Ins

Hello YAXers! We are enforcing a new check-in rule to better serve our teaching staff and you! We kindly ask that you check in on Mindbody at least 2 hours before class starts – especially if you are 5 or 6 am-er. Starting this July, if no one is checked in to class online, we will have to cancel the class. So, hit the “book” button before you hit the hay and we’ll be ready to sweat + shavasana with you bright and early!

To show how much it means to have you check in, we are adding Check-Ins to our rewards program! That’s right, you can earn points every time you check in and show up for class! Rack up the points to rack up the prizes. Stay tuned for rewards program launch details.

We really appreciate you helping us improve our process and love training with you! We are so grateful for each and every one of you on this journey to wellness! We are in this together and are making BIG impacts in others lives (whether you know it or not)!

If you have any issues with the app, just give us a shout!

Call: 346.204.5711 | Text: 713.824.9635 | Email: info@yogaathletex.com

June 22, 2017

YAX Membership Rewards – Coming SOON…

Welcome to the Yoga Athletex member rewards program.

It’s a fun and easy way to earn rewards for working out, getting on your mat, referring friends and raving about us on Facebook and Twitter.

How do I earn wellness reward points?

You can easily earn reward points by checking into the studio, referring friends who join, completing personal training sessions, tweeting and much more!

Plus you get bonus reward points for completing specific activities, like 50 points just for joining!

What deals can I get with my points?

You can redeem points at any time for deals such as:

• Retail discounts
• Free classes
• FMS discounts
• Free Personal Training sessions

It’s quick, easy and free, plus you get 50 bonus points just for registering!  This is one of the best wellness deals around!

June 12, 2017

STUDENT SUMMER SPECIAL

Are you a high school or college student out for the summer?? We have the perfect summer special for you, to attend UNLIMITED yoga & group circuit training classes for $165/ 3 months!!!

Sign up HERE!

June 12, 2017

SUMMER 2017 CHALLENGE

Our SuMMeR ChaLLengE starts Monday, June 12! Take (ANY) 30 classes in 60 days (June 12 – August 11) and be entered into a raffle to win 3 FREE Months of Unlimited Yoga + Group Training!!!

But that’s not all we’ve got going on this summer. Join us every Wednesday night at 5:30 for What’s Up Wednesday! It’s time to get out of the heat and stay cool at Yoga Athletex. 😉

Looking for a way to get started? Learn about our STUDENT SUMMER SPECIAL by clicking HERE.

June 12, 2017

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAYS

It’s summer time! That means it’s time to celebrate, and most importantly… play, work, and restore! That’s why we’re so excited to announce something new this summer!

Along with our 30-in-60 Summer Challenge, we will be having What’s Up Wednesdays during our 5:30 pm YAX class every Wednesday all summer long. We are all about having fun with friends and celebrating our health and fitness together, which is why members are welcome to bring a friend for FREE to this class each week!

What is What’s Up Wednesday?
We’re glad you asked! Each week will have a different theme that you and your fellow YAXers can dress up and participate in. We will have fun attire and music during our workout, along with surprise snacks, refreshments, and health-tips to conclude the celebration.

Week 1
Surf’s Up: Have fun with this one! Dress nautical, beach-ready, luau inspired, or anything ocean-related.
Week 2
Wake Up: Gooood morning! Summer is a great time to sleep-in late, so come on over to class in your PJ’s.
Week 3
Mix Up: Time to get wacky! Mix and match shirts, socks, bottoms, anything that might look a little off. OR, bring a friend and swap looks, dress like your workout buddy for the day!
Week 4
Dress Up: Time to step it up a notch. Pull out your most classy, preppy workout gear. This could be a collared shirt, tennis skirt, or fancy accessories.
Week 5
Pump Up: Pull out your most cheesy, stereotypical workout attire. Muscle shirts, motivating slogans, sweatbands, KT tape… it’s time to get pumped!
Week 6
Batter Up: Hey batter batter, swing! This class is all about baseball, so feel free to come in wearing your favorite baseball team swag.
Week 7
Made Up: Dress like ANY fictional character you want! Or make one up! Get creative with it! (HINT: Wonder Woman, Superman)
Week 8
W(rap) Up: Think about what you might wear to a hip-hop class… sneakers, baggy clothes, get real trendy with it, y’all.

Are you a student and ready to come play with us? Read about our STUDENT SUMMER SPECIAL here! 🙂

May 22, 2017

YAX Internship Program

The Yoga Athletex internship program is designed to prepare students for careers as trainers, administrators and managers in the sport industry, as well as entry-level management positions in high school, college and professional athletic organizations. Through this program, students are prepared for a diversity of roles in the areas of sport marketing and promotions, facility management and planning, activity programming and events management. The full time internship, following coursework, provides students with on-the-job experience and networking opportunities.

The 400 hour (minimum) internship will provide the intern with professional training in a protected and supervised environment. The YAX team will empower and support the intern through active participation and guidance within the program. It is our goal to enhance the skills of the intern, increase their knowledge base and help to build a solid networking foundation for a future career. We also commit to encouraging personal growth, confidence and positive body image by requiring the intern to attend classes and acquire a daily yoga practice and fitness regime.

We are seeking passionate, service-oriented, positive and hard-working individuals with a love for health and fitness and an excitement for our brand. We are a high-growth company looking for hyper-organized, efficient, forward-thinking problem-solvers with exceptional interpersonal skills and attention to detail. A very driven individual with a background playing competitive sports, lives a healthy & active lifestyle, a goal getter, and a self starter with a passion to help others. Someone who has a background in yoga and physical fitness with a their own visions and dreams, who is not afraid to share them with the team. A unique individual who is self motivated and takes pride in their work. Someone who wants to continually learn and educate themselves through self study and attending trainings. This candidate will have a commanding presence and find ease with jumping into a training session. A leader. A coach. A true team player.

If you believe you would be a great addition to our team, send your resume to info@yogaathletex.com!

AREAS OF FOCUS
I. SPORT MARKETING & PROMOTIONS

II. FACILITY MANAGEMENT & PLANNING

III. ACTIVITY PROGRAMMING

IV. EVENTS MANAGEMENT

V. CUSTOMER SERVICE

VI. TRAINING

OF NOTE:
Internship is unpaid.

May 22, 2017

Kaci Kimbrough, B.S., NASM-CPT

We are so excited to announce our newest team member, Kaci K. You can get your sweat on with her every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at noon – during our Athletex class. In addition, Kaci offers private personal training lessons. If you are looking for a more focused and personalized program, Kaci is your gal!

Kaci attended Baylor University in her hometown of Waco, TX where she earned a B.S. in Health, Human Performance, and Recreation. During her time as a student, she opened and operated her own dance studio, but after graduating she moved to Houston to pursue a career as a freelance choreographer and dance instructor. Shortly after moving to Houston, Kaci transitioned her focus to fitness, teaching TRX, Barre, Boot Camp, and Pilates Reformer classes. In 2015 she completed her NASM personal trainer certification and became a full-time fitness professional in 2016.

Kaci believes that practicing discipline in fitness develops motivation in all areas of life – home, career, social, and spiritual. She is dedicated to walking alongside her clients as they work toward and achieve their fitness goals, creating individualized programs for each client in order to help them find their own balance.

In her free time Kaci and her husband, Jeremy, enjoy spending time with family, friends, and their dog, Max. Spring Branch is her home and she is passionate about being a part of the local community at Yoga Athletex.

Sign up for her classes HERE.

May 22, 2017

Muscle of the Month – The Quadriceps

The quadriceps, or “quads”, are a group of four muscles located on the front (anterior) of the thigh. The four muscles include the rectus femoris, the vastus lateralis, the vastus medialis, and the vastus intermedialis. All of these muscles attach on their bottom (distal) end to the tibial tuberosity by the patellar ligament. On their top (proximal) end, the vastus medialis and lateralis attach to the back of the femur. The vastus intermadialis attaches to the anterior surface of the femur. The rectus femoris is the only muscle that crosses the hip joint.

All four muscles participate to straighten (extend) the knee joint and support the patella. You might see the quads working, or contracting, in chair pose, warrior I, or standing from the squat position. Great postures to lengthen the quads include frog pose, dancers pose or hero pose.

Common injury to the quad can include various levels of contusion. This occurs when force is hit up against the quad to press it against the femur. If this occurs, an individual may feel symptoms similar to a strain or tear, including sharp immediate pain. Swelling and bruising typically occur depending on the severity of the hit. Another common injury is petellofemoral joint syndrome. This is thought to be caused by weakness or fatigue of the vastus medialis. Symptoms include front or back knee pain especially when squatting or going down a stair case. Strengthening the vastus medialis is typically part of the recovery process, along with legs up the wall (as always)!

This week you can strengthen your quads in our hustle room with slamballs, mountain climbers, cycling and more! Find length through the poses mentioned above in our flow room. Yoga 4 athletes is where it’s at!

Sign up for classes here.

May 2, 2017

Muscle of the Month – The Rotator Cuff

The shoulder girdle is the most mobile and arguably the most vulnerable joint in the body. It’s mobility was designed to help us climb, hang and even crawl. As we age and are accustomed to the western lifestyle, our shoulders typically tend to move in one direction – forward. We spend the majority of our day on a computer, using our cell phones, driving or pushing a shopping cart. The result is that we are not consistently taking our shoulder through its full range of motion. This repetitive forward reaching causes certain muscles to become overactive while weakening others. According to Jill Miller (a Yoga Journal contributor), this creates chronic misalignments of multiple muscles in the shoulder complex and eventually leads to pain and injury.

The shoulder is made up of more than a dozen muscles. We will focus on the four that make up the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff surrounds the glenohumeral joint and helps negotiate the position of the humeral head within it’s socket. The muscles that originate on the scapula and latch onto the humerus are:

Subscapularis: Located on the front side of the scapula; internally rotates the arm.
Supraspinatus: Located on the top side of the scapula; initiates abduction – lifting the arm away from the body.
Infraspinatus: Largest muscle located on the back side of the scapula; externally rotates the arm and stabilizes the shoulder joint.
Teres Minor: Smallest muscle located on the back side of the scapula; externally rotates the shoulder.

According the Yoga Journal – To keep the rotator cuff injury free, it’s crucial to stabilize the entire shoulder girdle when you place weight on your hands – like in High Plank. The two key muscles that stabilize the scapulae against your rib cage at the scapulocostal (ScC) joints are the serratus anterior muscles (which protract the shoulder blades, pulling them away from the spine) and rhomboids (which retract the shoulder blades, pulling them toward the spine). While the serratus anterior and rhomboids have opposing actions, they work together to help keep your scapulae from winging off your back and wreaking havoc on the rest of your shoulder joints and muscles. You can find this motion in our Hustle room THIS WEEK! We work scapular stability during our active rest stations.

There are two very prevalent shoulder injuries that occur in most athletes – rotator cuff bursitis/impingement and biceps tendinitis. Rotator cuff bursitis/impingement typically refers to inflammation caused by excessive use. If the shoulders are out of alignment repeatedly in weight bearing poses and exercises, the supraspinatus and its bursa can become impinged. The result is pain. The answer is FMS. When pain exists in the front of the shoulder, it can mean the biceps tendons are irritated. Again, this is probably due to misalignment in movements such as chataranga. You can achieve proper alignment and injury prevention through any of our classes at YAX. Not sure where to start? Schedule an FMS screen or give us a call today! 346.204.5711