While many of us still think of yoga as a stretch, it is much more than that. For many elite athletes, such as NFL players and ultramarathon runners, it has become a part of their training. Practicing yoga can help improve one’s performance in various ways, such as increasing one’s endurance and overall health. In this article, we’ll talk about the basics of yoga and its benefits to sports.
Benefits of Yoga For Athletes
If you’ve watched a few videos or articles about yoga, you might be skeptical about its benefits. However, even intense yoga routines can’t compare to other activities, such as interval training. These include hill sprints, sandbag training, and sledgehammer work. Contrary to popular belief, yoga isn’t replacing conventional training. It can help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of various forms of exercise by improving one’s posture, awareness, and body mechanics.
An Increase In Power
The alignment of our bodies is crucial for our performance. When our bodies are adequately aligned, we can efficiently carry out our tasks and improve our strength and power. For athletes, yoga can help them improve their performance by returning their bodies to their optimal alignment. It can help them reduce the power leakage in their cleans and deads, improve their running gait, and boost their explosiveness.
Better Endurance
Practicing yoga can help athletes improve their respiratory capacity. It can help them overcome various respiratory conditions, such as asthma.
In addition to improving respiratory capacity, yoga can also help athletes improve their digestion, efficiency of motion, and circulation.
Better Balance
Besides opening the body, yoga provides a deeper understanding of stability, balance, and proprioception. This allows our bodies to perform at their best.
Helps With Injury Prevention
The most significant factor that prevents athletes from achieving their goals is injury. By improving their body mechanics and awareness, yoga can help reduce the risk of injury. In addition to preventing injuries, yoga can also help them improve their competitive longevity.
Quicker Recovery
One of the most significant advantages of yoga is its ability to improve recovery. It increases strength and endurance and can also help muscles process metabolic byproducts faster, which can help speed up the healing process.