When one thinks of yoga, you have images of people doing all types and stretches and “painful” postures.
But there's more to yoga than that. Yoga is an ancient practice that involves physical poses, concentration, and breathing.
Yoga allows you to increase difficulty levels continuously but promotes different aspects of exercise, such as endurance, strength, calmness, flexibility, and well-being.
Over the years, yoga has grown in popularity among athletes across all sports. It has become an invaluable part of their training regime.
Here are the many benefits of Yoga for Athletes:
Recovery
Many athletic or sporting injuries happen from repetitive motions and actions. The repetitive jumping, running, and twisting of most sports can take a toll on your body. Yoga can help by strengthening the muscles, increasing blood flow, and relieving tension in the joint's injury-prone areas.
Increases Body Awareness
Yoga helps young athletes develop a better sense of where their bodies are in space. It will give them more control over how their body moves and performs. It will help increase their balance, stability, and proprioception.
As a coach and trainer, you will see improvement in performance and training.
Better Endurance
Yoga can improve your stamina, cardio-respiratory, and general fitness levels. These physical attributes are essential for all athletes.
Through yoga, we practice breathing and improve our oxygen intake. This, in turn, allows our muscles and cells to receive adequate oxygen when performing activities.
Yoga has also been proven to enhance circulation, digestion, and motion efficiency, improving energy and endurance.
Build Core Strength
A strong core can increase your athletic performance and decrease the risk of injury. Strong abdominal and back muscles help to develop good posture, which leads to a more regulated nervous system.
This will help the brain produce more feelings of peace and calm, which is vital for any athlete.
If you are thinking of adding Yoga to your training regime but are unsure, how about trying the following poses to get you started:
Tree Pose, Plank Pose, Seated Twist, Downward Dog, Child Pose
Or,r If you are looking to get started, click on the links below to find a Yoga class for you in Discovery Bay:
No matter your age or athletic ability, yoga is for everyone. Give it a go and add it to your training regime to improve your physical and mental well-being.
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