Athlete's Pocket Guide to Yoga

Multi-tasking is not very yogic, but not doing any yoga at all is even less so. For time-crunched yogis and jocks who don’t even identify with the term “yogi” but want a good stretch or cross-training workout, take a look at “The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga.”

Written by Sage Rountree, a yoga teacher and certified USA Triathlon coach who offers yoga workshops for endurance athletes, this book delivers on its subtitle of “50 Routines for Flexibility, Balance, and Focus.”

According to the press release, the book, “Offers runners, triathletes, and cyclists a convenient way to gain the benefits of yoga.”

Does it? Heck yeah. With no need to attend a class or even watch a DVD, there’s no excuse to not get a few poses in, whether you want to work on your balance, wind down with a deep stretch after an event, or work your core.

I’ve had the book on my coffee table since it was released earlier this summer on Velo News’ imprint, Velo Press, and it was a good, gentle nudge to get a stretch or yoga session in now and again. And I’ll admit that sometimes I just chose a few routines while the latest from Netflix played in the background.

Not terribly yogic, I know. But a little stretching can go a long way to prevent overuse injuries. The book is written with cyclists, runners and swimmers in mind, including quick warm-ups and cool-downs and 20-minute flexibility routines to relieve muscle tightness. There are longer strength sessions for the off-season. There are focus exercises to sharpen “mental toughness.”

Since the spiral book lays flat and includes enough photos for even the brand new yogi, it’s very user friendly. You can put it in front of you as you work through the poses. At $15.95, the book is an inexpensive addition to any athlete’s library. (www.velopress.com)

—Stephen Krcmar