[pullquote style=”left” quote=”dark”] Some would consider Yoga and Sport to be worlds apart but I have brought the two together to add a whole new dimension to your sport training.[/pullquote]
Benefits of Sportsyoga In The Sports World
For many years now athletes and sports people have largely focused on strength training through weight resistance. This approach while highly effective to increase muscle mass also results in athletes lacking muscle flexibility.
At Sportsyoga .ie I encourage athletes to take a therapeutic approach to training where some time less is more.
Muscle Flexibility/Mobility – Sportsyoga stretches vary from very gentle movement to deep stretches working into the connective tissue thus releasing lactic acid that causes pain and stiffness in the muscle and joints. As a person continues with yoga practice, his/her body becomes more relaxed and in addition using deep rhythmic breathing, creates better body flexibility and increases the range of motion and mobility.
Increase Stamina with the use of Pranayama- Pranayama is the name given to the breathing practices utilized in yoga. In Sport, it is vital to use lungs to their full capacity and the yoga breath helps achieve this. The yoga breath circulates and detoxifies the lymph fluid to speed up recovery time, therefore recovery is quicker after training and fatigue reduced. It also increases one’s overall energy (beyond what is derived from caloric intake solely) thus boosting power and determination.
Mental focus– To complete the circle, a person must have clear mental focus on their game and on their goals. Athletes who work on their psychological strength as well as their fitness levels definitely have the edge that makes the difference. Please see separate article on yoga nidra and sport.
Increase Body Awareness– Body awareness is a very important aspect of sportsyoga because yoga is movement and breath combined. When you come into a posture, you use your breath to allow adjustments to take place either to make the posture more comfortable or more challenging. The most important rule in yoga is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.
Sometimes training in a specific sport can make you physically unbalanced as you work one side of the body more than the other and so body awareness is not achieved. Yoga helps you realize what movements come quite easily to you and what you need to work on.
Rehabilitation- Injuries occur because muscles become rigid; therefore other muscles compensate and can be overused. Again, yoga gives better awareness of this strain quickly and so is the perfect tool to prevent sport injuries.
There are many different styles of yoga and you use these at different times in your sporting endeavors. For example, when an injury occurs, an athlete may rest for a day or two and then start gentle stretching. A skilled yoga practitioner can use the technique of directing the breath to the affected area in order that the muscle heals quicker.
My background….
[pullquote style=”right” quote=”dark”]Sportsyoga is the ultimate form of training – It covers all aspects from a strong healthy body to a strong healthy mind.[/pullquote]
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