Yoga...The Athlete's Best Friend

Yoga may have a long and mysterious history, but its recent application to athletic training makes sense for several reasons.  A good athlete is not just a physical machine on the field. Finding a way to make the all-important connection between the mind and the body will result in better performance, increased focus and longer endurance.

One of the key components of a yoga workout is the emphasis on controlled breathing. By practicing correct, intentional breathing, the athlete learns how to stay “in the moment.” Pre-game jitters and performance anxiety will be better managed. As breathing is slowed and controlled, the ability to concentrate and to endure increases even when the demands of the sport or the level of intensity rises. Deep, relaxed breathing allows greater mental focus and mental clarity. Staying calm and grounded could make the difference between a successfully executed move and a sloppy, panicky action.

Yoga exercises are designed to create increased flexibility. Stretching muscles not only relieves muscle tension, but increases available range of motion for the athlete. This extended mobility can greatly affect performance in sports as varied as golf or marathon running. Yoga stretches are also ideal transition movements before or after a highly-intensive workout or competition.

Almost every athletic sport requires a strong, stable core, but not all activities work these important muscle groups. Yoga, however, focuses many of its positions on strengthening the body’s trunk muscles. Because the movements are focused and deliberate, the body responds by growing stronger. With a powerful mid-section, an athlete is better able to perform in a variety of sports activities.

The isometric contractions involved in yoga exercises can also be used as a nice change from the more traditional resistance exercises. Since boredom is an enemy of many workouts, yoga provides a welcome variety, and with literally hundreds of positions of varying degrees of difficulty, there is always room to change out any exercise routine. Most athletes today value cross training to increase their overall levels of physical fitness, and yoga exercises are useful for this purpose.

Good athletes also need to be able to maintain their balance in a variety of positions and performance tasks. Often, specific muscle groups are worked extensively in a particular sport while others are virtually ignored. Yoga can correct these unintentional muscle imbalances and resulting body mechanics problems. The results are valuable musco-skeletal realignment and restoration.  

Another benefit of yoga is its adaptability to a wide range of athletic sports. It can be done at high or low-intensity levels and adjusted to varying levels of flexibility and difficulty. Yoga exercises can be performed by all ages and those in varying levels of physical health. For athletes who are recovering from injuries, yoga exercises can be gentle but helpful in speeding recovery.  

Specific yoga exercises can be targeted to particular sports requirements. For example, golfers and tennis players need to build core muscle strength and endurance. Yoga poses such as the Plank, Side Plank and Warrior Positions can be beneficial. Skaters often deal with tight groin or hip adductor muscles. The Happy Baby, Lying Bound Angle and Straddle Forward Bend can be useful for these athletes. For runners with tight hamstrings, the Forward Fold, Seated Fold and Downward Facing Dog can improve calf, hip and lower-back flexibility as well as strengthening the hamstrings and glutes.

In terms of general benefits that apply to both the athlete and the non-athlete, yoga exercises increase blood circulation and organ function. They speed up the metabolism of stored fat and aid in muscle recovery. A stronger, healthier body will be less prone to injury, more powerful and more efficient. Working out with yoga exercises should be a serious consideration for every athlete.