REGINA -- Jeff Bolen couldn’t believe the response.

The Regina Thunder receiver and kicker, who is entering his fifth season with the team, was the driving force behind setting up weekly yoga sessions for the team even though he didn’t know what kind of reaction it would receive.

“Surprisingly there were quite a few guys who got interested in it and quite a few who actually like it,” said Bolen. “It’s not just the receivers and defensive backs. There are offensive linemen that have been out. The big guys get into it too.”

One of those big guys, 6-foot-3 and 270-pound offensive lineman Jordy Kyle, admitted he had reservations at first, but quickly got over them.

“I think it was the perception of it (that made me hesitant),” said Kyle. “But it’s really just designed for flexibility and anything to improve your game over the offseason is worth a shot.

“People get over (that perception) pretty quick when they realize what hard work it is.”

If any other players — there are 15 to 20 who show up every week — had any reservations prior to the first session, they were no doubt erased when the sweat poured down their faces after their first minutes on a yoga mat.

“The first couple times we did it — and even now sometimes — I have some trouble with those poses,” offered running back Brennan Kasbrick.

“It’s a lot of stretching and a lot of strength and you’re using muscles you may not have even known you have,” added Bolen.

For Bolen, adopting yoga as a part of his training routine is not just a means of getting in shape for the 2009 Prairie Football Conference season. The 21-year-old is thinking further down the line as well. While he plans to return to the Thunder if he is back in junior football in the fall, he has also spoken with CIS universities about going that route in the coming months.

Bolen is also hoping for another invite to Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp. He went to the 2008 edition as a kicker, but was asked to work out with the receivers as well.

During his four weeks training on Taylor Field, Bolen got the tip about yoga from Riders placekicker Luca Congi and began to understand what it takes to become a professional football player.

“Those guys are going 12 months of the year to keep the level they’re at,” said Bolen.

That realization is coming to more Thunder players all the time. In addition to the weekly yoga workouts, Thunder players are also at their clubhouse every Tuesday for weight-room sessions — a practice that has brought the team together more than ever before.

“Football players are built in the offseason, especially offensive linemen,” said Kyle. “Getting together just once or twice a week really keeps you focused on the season ahead and always thinking about the program. Plus we’re building team chemistry and we’ve become a tight-knit group in our locker room.”

tswitzer@leaderpost.canwest.com