Yoga for Athletes by Kimberly Fowler
What is the difference between yoga and stretching?
Oct 29, 2008The benefits of yoga for athletes
When you think of stretching, most of the time,
it’s jerky and forced movement, right? But when you think of yoga, it’s
slow and controlled. I’m sure you have all seen runners grab their
ankles and jerk their leg back and bounce it up and down.
When I see that, I want to tackle the person and say “Please stop, you
are going to hurt yourself!” but I guess that probably wouldn’t go over
very well?
In old-school stretching you are trying
to force your body to do something it’s not ready to do. In yoga there
is a lot more body awareness and attention to alignment—you NEVER want
to force yourself into a pose. Athletes are competitive, wanting to
touch their toes “NOW!” That’s one reason they get injured: they are
trying to make their body do something it’s not ready to
do.
Yoga also has a body-mind connection that
you don’t find in stretching. The constant focus on the breath and the
development of breath awareness will eventually give you greater body
control, which is necessary in the participation of all sports. The
breathing work in yoga will enhance your ability to carry oxygen to
your muscles when you participate in sports. This translates into
quicker reactions to unexpected situations encountered in running, like
being chased by a pit bull or accidentally stepping into a pot hole.
Unfortunately I’ve experienced both.
So instead
of just stretching, try a little yoga.
For more,
see my previous entry, The
5 Best Yoga Poses for
Athletes.
Benefits of
Yoga
:
1. Injury Prevention
2. Better
Performance
3. Flexibility (Range of Motion)
4.
Lung Capacity (Easier to Breathe)
5. Mental
Focus
6. Longevity
7. Endurance
8.
Strength
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