Why Yoga is Good For Athletes
Did you know that proper yoga practice can greatly improve your overall health and athletic performance? The benefits include an increase in strength, flexibility, focus, endurance, and control over the body and mind. These are just a few vital requirements of a good athlete. So let’s take a closer look at why yoga is good for athletes.
Flexibility:
When yoga is included in your regular fitness regimen, it not only helps stretch your muscles, but also the joints. Practicing yogic stretching gives the muscles and joints a greater range of motion, which helps the body’s general structural soundness. Improved flexibility is something every athlete needs to excel at their sport.
Along with improving body mechanics, yoga helps prevent sore muscles, as well as injuries, which can be a major setback for any athlete.
Greater Strength:
It’s a common myth that strength training comes only from lifting weights. Many people wonder: how does yoga qualify as strength training?
Well, it puts the body in positions that have to be supported by the muscles. This is no different from lifting weights. Thus, practicing the right asanas or yoga poses is just as effective as weight training. The improved strength that comes from lifting one’s own body weight is generally equal to, or greater than, that which comes from working out in the gym.
Improved Endurance:
Endurance sports (swimming, cycling, running, etc.) require great stamina. Yoga is an excellent way to help attain such extended endurance, along with the ability to be slow and steady when required. By training oneself to hold the body in one pose for a defined period of time, muscular endurance can skyrocket.
Better Balance:
Flexibility alone is not enough. Whether a swimmer, golfer, wrestler, shooter, surfer or a cricketer, all athletes need balance and coordination to achieve success in their field. Consistent yoga practice can be the key to better balance, and the enhanced coordination that’s required for controlled body movement. It helps engrain things into your “muscle memory,” improving techniques for any sport. Additionally, a well- balanced body is less prone to falls and injuries as it knows how to go with the flow.
Superior Mental Control:
Yoga is not only a physical activity, but also mental. Meditative yoga positions, such as savasana or the corpse pose, can greatly improve your patience, focus, and impulse control. They train your mind to cut out the unnecessary chatter, promoting calmness and bringing out your best self that resides within.
Improved focus is a key reason why yoga is good for athletes. It allows them to concentrate on what’s really important by driving away the fear, impulsive thoughts, and negativity trapped inside the mind. By clearing and freeing the mind, yoga can help unlock hidden potential.