How can yoga improve my athletic ability?

Training doesn’t make us fitter or stronger. Recovery does. Recovery is where your body/muscles adapt to your training load and muscles repair stronger.

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Recovery can either be passive or active.

• Passive = do nothing

• Active = doing your usual sport or yoga at a moderate intensity

Training places huge amount of stress on your body and hard sessions produce the hormone cortisol. Whilst it is an anti inflammatory,

if it hangs around in the blood too long it can interfere with muscle regeneration.

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Yoga can assist with active recovery to enable your body to:

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• Clear the metabolic waste resulting from exercise.

• Provide higher level of blood flow to muscles in need of nutrients, allowing them to repair themselves.

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As well as:

1. After a training session it is important to take your muscles through full range of movement

    

2. Prevents injury, aids rehabilitation, builds flexibility and increases strength to enable you to perform at your best

    

3. Increases wellbeing, mental toughness, aids sleep and therefore recovery.

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Other benefits of yoga for athletes:

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• Improves quality of sleep which in turn aids muscle recover and repair

• Increases strength, conditioning and endurance through body weight exercises and flowing from one pose to another:

  • Stronger Core: Obliques and abdominals are refined and toned

  • Arm and shoulder strength

  • Lats, traps and other back muscles begin to support the spine better than before

  • Hip flexors are stretched and strengthened

  • Stronger glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves

• Bike position becomes more aerodynamic through increased flexibility, stronger core and better spin alignment

• Better mobility especially around arms and shoulders for swimmers

• Reduces risk of injury and aids recovery

• Improved flexibility which allows greater range of muscle motion resulting in increased speed and power

• Mental endurance & physical stamina are tested through holding postures for extended breaths

• Posture begins to correct itself over time

• Relief of neck pain caused by time trialing and ridign in the aero position

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