Uta’s Blog
I Invite YOU to Take The Magic Step® With Me...
Uta's Blog
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Uta’s Blog is for all who believe in getting fitter, living longer, and being happier. I hope you enjoy the fitness, health, and training advice as well as inspirational stories and updates of my training, speaking and charity events. I am excited to share these insights and I invite you to Take The Magic Step® with me.
Uta’s Blog Archive
Recent Insights
A Magical, Healthy, and Joyous New Year to YOU
I am so thankful for having been able to spend some wonderful time together. You brought laughter and joy, and I admired seeing you refusing to give up when times in training or everyday life were a little challenging. Here is a salute to a magical New Year to YOU!
Uta’s Summary for Your Marathon Preparation. Part I: Training
I hope this series of related marathon topics, focusing on training, nutrition, health, and inspiration, will support you on your way to any marathon destination you have chosen. In Part I, we explore the different training periods of your marathon preparation, and how you can use them to enjoy and improve your running fitness culminating in a most memorable and successful race experience. I wish you good workouts and injury-free running: may all your marathon dreams come true.
Running To Freedom™ — Berliners Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Our “City Without Borders”
25 years ago—together with millions of people worldwide—Berliners celebrated the fall of the infamous Berlin Wall. Those who witnessed it will probably never forget the celebration, joy, and hope of November 1989. Uta’s personal memories…
‘Strausseelauf’ — On Autumn Trails to Memories of my Childhood and Youth
Earlier this month, I took part once again in the ‘Strausseelauf’—and was overwhelmed with many fond memories from my youth. This 9.2K race was, after all, my first running competition representing my former youth sports club, “TSG Blau-Weiß Petershagen.” At this year’s 78th edition, we had a great time again and I believe many runners’ dreams came true…
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 15. Corpse Pose
The Corpse pose is a wonderful asana to help you recover and rejuvenate after a demanding workout or a long workday. It enables you to calmly and fully absorb and assimilate the benefits of your yoga session, and allows you to finish in a relaxed and refreshed state.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 14. Plow Pose
I enjoy practicing Halasana—the plow—towards the end of my yoga program because I appreciate its calming effect and the way it can reduce fatigue. It is an excellent stretch for your spine, opening space between the vertebrae. It also increases blood circulation and releases tension in the neck and shoulders.
Running: How to Decide on Your Next Day’s Workout
Listening to your body and determining how you feel before a workout will increase the effectiveness of your training. Learning to react to the signs your body gives you is invaluable in helping you to be the best you can be. I wish you good luck for your next workout!
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 13. Spinal Twist
The Spinal Twist increases flexibility in the neck, shoulders, and spine and gives a nice stretch to the gluteus muscles. It also releases tension and has a calming effect, while improving lung capacity and relieving muscle tightness—all reasons why I enjoy practicing this asana with my fellow runners.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 12. Head Beyond the Knee Pose
The Head Beyond the Knee pose provides a variety of benefits: It stretches the hamstrings and lower back muscles, stimulates the spleen, kidneys, and liver, and improves digestion. It also has a calming effect on the mind that is therapeutic for insomnia.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 11. Bridge Pose
Setu Bandhasana is fun to do with a partner and provides wonderful benefits, especially for people who have to spend a lot of time sitting at work. It opens up the front of the body, and strengthens the hamstrings and gluteus muscles as well as the lumbar spine and hips.
An On-The-Run Checklist for Your Running Technique
Uta’s on-the-run checklist includes key points to help you to keep a proper running technique. You can use it while working out to ensure your body is aligned and you develop your own unique style to get the most enjoyment out of your running.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 10. A Modified Pigeon Pose
A modified Eka Pada Rajakapotasana is an advanced yoga pose I like to practice with our fellow runners from Kenya. It is a wonderful hip opener, and stretches the gluteus and upper hamstring muscles as well as hip flexors. It also opens the chest and helps to increase lung capacity.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 9. Cobra Pose
Bhujangasana improves posture, gives the spine a powerful backward stretch, and strengthens the surrounding muscles. This asana has a wonderful energizing effect, while it also tones up and massages the abdominal organs, and I enjoy practicing it in conjunction with the Downward Facing Dog pose.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 8. Child’s Pose
Balasana gently stretches your lower back, hips, thighs, knees, and ankles while also helping to relax your spine, shoulders, and neck. I usually enjoy practicing this asana in the middle of my yoga program to deeply relax for a while before switching to the floor poses.
The Cyclists of the Beautiful Colorado-Eagle River Ride Say Thank You to the Children and Students of SOS Outreach
The Colorado-Eagle River Ride is the largest annual fundraiser for SOS Outreach, the wonderful organization that gives underprivileged kids the chance to experience winter sports like snowboarding and skiing. And in summer, their Meet the Wilderness program introduces the youngsters to activities like rock climbing, hiking, and camping.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 7. Gate Pose
The Gate pose is a wonderful lateral stretch for your torso, strengthening the muscles of the waist, especially the external oblique muscles, and the intercostal muscle groups. Practicing this asana more often will help you to improve your breathing capability.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 6. Side Angle Pose
Parsvakonasana is a wonderful stretch that not only strengthens ankles and knee joints, and leg muscles, but also encourages increased blood circulation to the spinal nerves and abdominal organs.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 5. Triangle Pose
This “multi-stretch” is especially wonderful because it stretches the hamstring muscle, the adductors, and the lateral torso. It is also helpful in improving balance and concentration as well as opening the chest for better breathing.
The Many Benefits of Yoga
Historically, yoga has been believed to heal on multiple levels. Explore some of the many benefits yoga has to offer to combat the stresses that too often accompany modern day life. Take a detailed look at the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of a regular yoga practice.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 4. Warrior Two
The “warrior” character of this pose encourages focus and concentration. It is wonderful in restoring a feeling of strength because it connects us with the integral power of the legs and helps propel us to action. It also supports strengthening of the hamstrings and quadriceps, stretches the adductor muscle and improves the function of the hips.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 3. Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Downward-Facing Dog Pose is fantastic for lengthening the hamstrings and calves. It also opens the chest and stretches and strengthens the shoulders, belly, and back. And it aids in releasing tension in the body, especially along the spine and neck.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 2. Tree Pose
The second pose I would like to explore with you is the Tree-Pose—Vrksasana, one of yoga’s classic balancing exercises. This fun and challenging asana increases focus, quiets the mind, helps to strengthen the muscles of the supporting foot, and aids in rediscovering the body’s balance.
Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week ― 1. Mountain Pose
In the coming weeks, I would like to share with you yoga poses and stretching exercises that I practice with my fellow runners from Kenya as well as my friends and clients who are runners and triathletes. I also would like to extend a warm invitation to those who are new to yoga. Our first “Yoga Pose of the Week” is Mountain Pose (Tadasana).
Yoga With My Fellow Runners From Kenya
Teaching yoga stretching and stabilization to my fellow runners from Kenya has become one of my favorite things to do in coaching. It is a time during which they can relax and recover, and at the same time be happy about another day of training. The beauty of our yoga program is that we enjoy exercising slowly. It is like a spiritual get-together.
Celebrating the Human Spirit and Freedom of the Boston Marathon
Since last April, we lived, we breathed, and we ran with an unwavering belief that good will ultimately be victorious and our freedoms will always prevail. And in just a short time from now, that belief will be realized and celebrated, as our journeys will unite in support of a city and its people who show so much courage, strength, and love.
Nutrition: A Vital Element of Your Marathon Preparation. Part II — Post-Exercise Nutritional Routine and Hydration
A well-planned and nutritious post-exercise routine will help speed up your recovery after working out and give back important nutrients your muscles devour during strenuous activity. Also, be sure to hydrate well before, during, and right after your workout—especially during and after your longer runs.
Nutrition: A Vital Element of Your Marathon Preparation. Part I — Diet, Breakfast, and Carbohydrates
In preparation for your marathon, change your daily calorie intake to include important carbohydrates that will give you energy and provide your muscles with much needed fuel. And a good breakfast can help you to be fit throughout the day.