Yoga is a term we are familiar with for good reasons. Magazines, friends, or television, there is an abundance to provide information about yoga. Children, adults, and seniors all get into yoga classes hoping to develop strength. But, yoga does not extend its goodness to people who want to stay healthy. Yoga has tremendous interests to offer to athletes.
But, wait!
Aren’t athletes fit?
Athletes are vulnerable to injuries and overexertion. It is also no surprise to know that they need to maintain their mental health as well.
So, yoga can be a savior to them, with its manifold benefits.
Why should athletes choose yoga?
Yoga serves as a tool to develop and transform athletic performance.
When you aim at improving flexibility along with posture, yoga can work wonders to achieve it.
Preventing injuries
Warming up is simple stretching and opening up. The repetitive movements in one plane of motion for sports can be a recipe for injuries. The moves develop some muscles ignoring the others. It leads to an imbalance that later causes injuries. Yoga has actions in planes that lessen such risks. The apparent changes are in competitive persistence as well as progress in the practice. Read this article on yoga certification online on YOGI TIMES
Builds endurance
Yoga remarkably boosts respiratory capacity. It is of great importance to athletes. Yoga takes care of blood circulation and metabolism too. The asanas and kriyas also support healing time as well as re-growth. Repetitive or reactive sports athletes are both vulnerable to endurance loss.
Develops focus
Yoga does well for physical strength. It has miraculous effects on improving hormonal balance. The kriyas can provide you the perception and attention for taking performance to the next level. The physical postures allow more peace and pave the path for better concentration.
Practicing yoga asanas for an hour daily rather than a rigorous 3-4 hour workout session at once is rewarding. Even better when one can incorporate it as a lifelong practice. I feel balancing strenuous athletic activities with gentle yoga can be fruitful for the body.
What types of yoga should athletes consider?
Professionals have busy schedules when the competition is on. What works best for them is balancing. The idea is to go for intense yoga only when their contest requires less. However, they can also engage in intense yoga if the schedule allows time. There are Vinyasa and power yoga that are popular for gaining energy, endurance, and balance. Then, there are restorative and Yin yoga. These are the slower yet patience demanding yoga styles for athletes. They involve abundant repetitive motions and help discover other dimensions of yoga practice.
I recommend going for general and targeted yoga practices for athletes who strive for all-round development.
The verdict
Yoga for athletes helps at gaining the combination of strength with flexibility. They may seem to be strength-hungry. Further, their activities demand balance and better body awareness. So, for professionals searching for a better range of motion and mobility, yoga appears convenient. So, for the athletes out there, get into a routine and make some time for yoga practice.