Speed drills, agility training, weight lifting: sure, you’ll get a lot of benefit from doing those traditional exercises. But to become a well-balanced athlete, strong in both mind and body, you should also be doing yoga.
1. Yoga Helps You Focus. Traditional training often provides a lot of mental “background noise” as you shift and split your focus. Yoga helps train your mind to get rid of distraction and concentrate on what your body is doing. The held poses allow you to pay attention to and know your muscles in such a way that you can begin to tell if there is fatigue or overuse before you sustain an injury.
2. Yoga Encourages Flexibility. Being able to stand on one foot with your other raised behind and over your head is not required, though it can be a fun pose to learn! Each stance teaches flexibility through holding the muscles in the position for a length of time. The flexibility gained is useful in your sprints, leaps, and other movements, whether in training or in the game.
3. Yoga Strengthens Your Body. Strength and flexibility are often opposite ends of the spectrum, but yoga trains your body to have both. The strength you gain from yoga is not the raw power you get from weight lifting; instead it is the strength that protects your core and spine from injury, and the power to keep pushing your body.
At STACK Sports Performance & Therapy, we’ve seen the positive effects yoga has on athletes. Classes start in October. All levels are welcome; make plans to join us as you focus your body and mind!
Posted on behalf of STACK Sports Performance & Therapy