While I was working out at the gym today, I was realizing how easy it is to incorporate yogic principles even when you are using machines! Yes, even the yoga teacher uses the gym — it’s a good balance to the yoga stretching and strengthening. Anyway, here are a few tips for you when you are at the gym (please be advised these are only suggestions I am making from my own personal gym experience and as a yoga teacher and not from any medical perspective; if you are under medical supervision, you should never try anything without the approval of your primary care physician):

ELLIPTICAL MACHINE — This is one of my favorites because you can get a super aerobic workout, without wrecking your knees! Having said that, however, I can’t tell you the number of times I see people using the machine incorrectly!!

YOUR FEET SHOULD ALWAYS BE HIP WIDTH APART, NO MORE! Yes, just like in good old Mountain pose. Think about it: your legs need to be able to support your body as evenly as possible, so help them out — watch your leg span as you are on this machine and your hips, pelvis, spine, head, neck and shoulders thank you… So, that means you need to pay attention to where and how you are placing your feet in the holders — are your legs too far apart? (The holders are large and we tend to gravitate toward the middle as being the best place for our feet, but if you have a small build and your hips are not that wide, the middle may not be the best place for those peds. )

And how about those toes? Are they pointed straight ahead? If you tend to turn out your feet like a dancer, or are knock-kneed/pigeon-toed, and try to push forward with the pedals, you put too much torque on the knee joint. It’s like trying to walk straight ahead, but your feet are angled out or in too much, so you simply can’t get too far too fast. You take away from your workout, and you will tear the cartilage in the knee joints! It may not happen right away, in fact most cartilage injuries that I know of have been gradual — you tear and tear, little by little until you’ve really got a mess in there. Beware! Keep those toes in straight — it might feel a little weird to get used to, but it will feel better in the long run and you will then be in proper position to work and strengthen those quadrucep muscles

TRY TUCKING THE TAILBONE AND LEANING BACK SLIGHTLY (hold on to those stationary handles for support) — just as I encourage everyone to do in yoga class. You will be surprised to find that this actually puts you in proper alignment and you are now standing up “straight”. If you have a mirror near you, check out your side view and you will see that I am telling you the truth on this one. I constantly see people leaning forward when they are on the elliptical — not only is it unnecessary (because you are not running and the machine does not really simulate natural walking/running), it can take away from your workout. If you tuck the tailbone, you will definitely feel the gluteals (your butt muscles) working harder, and your quadruceps (upper thighs) will also get stronger by pushing through each step in this alignment. All I can say is try it out for yourself and I think you will understand what I am getting at!!

These two suggestions above may also be useful on the treadmill (if walking fast or slow, not running) or the stairmaster.

WEIGHT MACHINES (LIKE NAUTILUS & CYBEX). Are you one of those people who just sit down, don’t really bother to adjust the machine to your body, pick a random weight for the pin and just pump about 10 times fast and hop to the next machine? I see so many people do this it is a shame!! I am not (yet) a certified trainer, but I have worked with a few trainers over the years and have appreciated being taught the correct way to use these machines. If you can’t afford the trainer, just READ the little diagram and instructions on every machine — they are quite straightforward or you can always ask someone for extra help.

MAKE SURE YOU ADJUST EACH MACHINE TO YOUR HEIGHT, ARM AND LEG LENGTH, as needed. Everything should feel fairly comfortable and supported before you start. Watch that lower back! Is your seat too far forward? Too far back? Too low? Too high? How do your arms and legs feel?

PICK A REASONABLE WEIGHT TO START — if you are a woman, our legs tend to be much stronger than our arms and upper bodies. About 40 pounds for the legs is a good starter weight if you are out of shape and just getting back into it. If you try it and it seems too easy, add on in increments of 5 pounds until you find that place where it’s challenging, but you can do it and it feels good!

About 20 pounds on upper body machines is usually a good place to start if you are just getting back into shape. (Free weights are different; please consult a trainer at your gym for assistance.)

TRY COORDINATING BREATH WITH MOVEMENT, just like in yoga class. INHALE as you exert (pushing or pulling the weight) and EXHALE as you slowly release back to starting position — let the exhale help you slow down and control the release. The RELEASE is really where you build the strength and get your work out; it’s very important to do it in this way to get the most out of your workout.

Yoga can be a great complement to your workout and vice versa. I try to get to the gym at least twice a week right now, three times would be ideal, in addition to teaching my yoga classes and doing some ab work and walking.