Yoga = Better Balance and confidence while wading.

bigslackwater

bigslackwater

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Jul 7, 2011
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I have to admit I was having a tough time wading over the past year or two. I took a spill ONE time and it destroyed my confidence. I also noticed that I have a hard time keeping up with other guys my age when out on the water. I'm constantly reaching for my wading staff or over thinking each boulder. Yes, it's good to be cautious but this was getting ridiculous!! I'm 39 years old, and while that's not really old, I have noticed a significant decline in my agility from when I was in my early 20s. Being 6'4" also adds balance challenges as well.

About 2 months ago I started working out at home with youtube videos. I started doing Yoga to begin my daily workout. My intent was never to improve my balance and enhance my fishing, but it was a pleasant surprise to find that this is helping me on the stream!! I recommend this to anyone who is looking to improve their balance. Seriously give it a go! 15 to 30 minutes each evening is not that much time to set aside. It can only help you.
 
I've noticed the same thing.

I took yoga classes at the YMCA as a cheap form of physical therapy to alleviate sciatica and lower back pain. Which worked.

A side benefit was that the balancing poses they do in those classes improved my balance when wading quite a lot.
 
That's great! I also did it to strengthen my back. No more throwing my back out over little things...used to be a regular occurrence. I'd pick up a heavy box and be in pain for a week!
 
My wife would love for me to do yoga with her. I just won't tell her what I'm doing it for...
 
Yes, yoga can have many benefits including better balance.

There is nothing magical about it. Much of the poses recruit core muscles. Balance comes from the core. There is a lot of body mass from the clavicle up (shoulders, arms head). If that mass is not stable or outside the center of your base of support, you will be less than optimally balanced.

The best things about yoga, IMO:
1. It is a system so you don't have to think about what muscles are working and which improve wading.
2. There can be a social element that draws a person back to continue and improve.

I use an iPad app for the core workout called Ab Trainer X. It works and is not to intense at the beginner level. I have not tried others b/c I like this one.

Bottom line: keep your base of support (feet) as wide as is practical and keep your core tight, especially in tricky wading situations.
 
I noticed that when I am snow skiing more regularly in the winter that wading is much easier those years. Same idea, different approach.
 
I hear all things good about yoga although I've never taken a class. For a quick balance exercise which also strengthens quads I was shown this:

Standing with both feet together we'll call this the home position. Take your right foot and extend it as far as you can straight out and tap your toe on the floor. Return it home. Then tap to 45 degree, then home, keep going around to 90, 135, 180. Do one last tap bringing your foot around in back of you to 225 degrees. Reach each tap out as far as you can. Just tap your toe, not putting weight on it before returning to home position. Do as many reps as you can with one foot/leg then repeat the movements with the other.
 
If I wanted dance lessons I would go to PADANCING.COM.
 
Interesting!

I'd never heard of a correlation between yoga and greater success and confidence at wading. I suppose it makes sense for the reasons identified above. My guess would be that any form of excercise ought to help with this sort of thing, but perhpas the methods practiced in yoga are especially beneficial to wading prowess. Might also prove handy for negotiating those steep or muddy banks that we spend so much time stumbling up and down as well.
Hhmmmm. . .
 
The improvements in balance come from exercises that are specifically designed to improve balance.

Basically you stand on one foot and balance. And variations of that.

To start out, just stand on one foot, and put the other foot against the inside of your calf. (Do not put your foot against the inside of the knee, as that can stress the knee joint.)

That's pretty much it. You can keep your arms down, or extend them out horizontally to your side, or raise them overhead.

Stand on one foot for awhile, then switch to the other.

When starting out, stand next to a wall, so you can steady yourself with your fingertips when needed.
 
And when you're all done, let me know when you want your man card back.

j/k.
 
steveo wrote:
I noticed that when I am snow skiing more regularly in the winter that wading is much easier those years. Same idea, different approach.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. Probably ice skating would help also.

Any type of activity where balance is required will improve balance.

Some workouts include agility training. I believe they use these in football, soccer, basketball.

That would probably help improve wading ability also.

The thing about the simple standing balance poses is that they require no equipment and you can just do them in the kitchen while waiting for the toaster or microwave.

Just stand on one foot and lift the other foot for awhile. That's a standing balance pose. And if done regularly your balance and wading ability will improve.
 
pcray - But I look great in Yoga pants.
 
and a man bun.
 
Remember if the belly is over the belt buckle it is a "Weight forward line".

CONSISTANT (Daily or every other) Exercise of any kind that helps in strengthening muscles along with a good cardio program is essential with today's diets.
 
Anyone that hasn't done yoga, try it. U can still keep your "man card" if you DON'T sweat. Good luck.

After doing p90x twice, I'll never rip someone up for doing yoga. Respect.
 
Relax, it was a joke.

I took ball-room dance lessons for a while... Doesn't mean I can't joke about it.
 
Hahaha. Namaste, my man.
 
There may be other exercise regimes that provide similar benefits in terms of stretching and improving flexibility, posture and walking gait, and balance and preventing back pain and sciatica.

If you all know of any, post em up.

I went to an event where people from various martial arts classes did demonstrations, and those people had developed a great deal of flexibility, agility, balance, etc.

So I think the benefits are probably similar. The disadvantage could be in increased chance of injury, though, from striking, throwing, grappling, etc.

 
I have never seen a sumo wrestler wading, but I bet they rarely fall.
 
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