Yoga is the ideal supplement to your athletes training plan. Whether you love to lift weights, climb, run, or hit balls, the proper poses make you more flexible, balanced, and more robust.
Saying you’re too stiff for yoga is like saying you’re too dirty to bathe
You also go to tennis or dance, for example, to learn or to improve – and not because you are already perfect, right?
So: When muscles, tendons, and ligaments are just as tense as your nerves, then put the racket aside, take a deep breath, and twist, stretch and stretch.
The great thing: Yoga is not only good for your well-being but also makes you better in your actual sport – all along the line.
“Yoga is a sensible, effective training supplement for athletes,” who has also been working with professional athletes for several years and shares her knowledge as an author, for example of “My Yoga Essentials. “
Lennart compares yoga to a toolbox that contains the right tool for everyone: “With regular practice, you can use the asanas (poses) in a targeted manner to stretch the body where it pinches, or to strengthen it where it is stressed . You can use certain sequences to relax or to get an energy boost.”
Positive Effects Of Yoga
For golf professionals, for example, it is fascinating to see what more flexibility in the torso and hip flexors brings to their sport, “And martial artists can use yoga to do the splits more easily and expand their kick range.”
Compensate For Imbalances, Minimize The Risk Of Injury
Especially in sports characterized by one-sided movement patterns, it can help compensate for imbalances and thus minimize the risk of injury.
“Everyone can pick out the elements of yoga that are beneficial to their sport. There are many different exercises for every single joint in the body,”. The number of tools, i.e., known asanas and variants, is in the high thousands.
Suitable For The Cardiovascular System And Mobility
Through so-called “Pranayama” breathing exercises, the lung volume can be increased more than twice. As part of a study by the University of Greifswald, in which subjects completed a ten-week yoga course, all participants showed significantly better cardiovascular values at the end.
“But despite all the positive effects, many people unfortunately still have the thought that yoga is only for artfully decorated people with a penchant for incense sticks,” .
Instagram acrobats knotting their buttery bodies into impossible poses aren’t doing much to change the image of yoga for the average Joe.
“Especially for people who do a lot of sport, it is important to leave the thought of competition outside,” emphasizes the expert. “It’s not about who can headstand first or who can throw their leg over their shoulder.”
It’s about doing something good for yourself and not about achieving something.
How To Find The Right Style Of Yoga
A classic yoga class consists of asanas, breathing, and meditation. The Sanskrit term “yoga” means “to bind together,” i.e., joining mind and body into one unit. Each of the countless types of yoga offers its way to get there.
Some rely on long holding and intensive breathing ( e.g., Yin Yoga, Iyengar Yoga ), others on dynamic processes that challenge the muscles (e.g., Power Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga ).
But how do you find the right direction for you? With time and above all: the joy of trying things out. “I always recommend my students to try different teachers and (online) courses.”
Because as soon as you have discovered the suitable yoga for you, the mat can become your kingdom, where you can crawl deep into your innermost being, get to know tendons and muscles, but above all, your weaknesses and your reluctance.
We promise that you will become more mobile over time, finger and toe tips will get closer and become friends. And just like a tennis ball gets caught in the net, it’s okay to laugh when something goes wrong during yoga.
Three Yoga Exercises For In Between
If you want to get started right away and try out your first asanas as a training supplement, you will find three practical exercises below that will make you more robust and more flexible right away.
1st Warrior II
“The Warrior II strengthens legs and shoulders and stretches the groins.”
Here’s how he goes:
- Please go into the deep lunge: rotate the back foot about 90 degrees and put it down completely.
- Stretch arms forward and back, palms up to correct shoulder posture.
- Look straight ahead over the front arm.
- Hold for a few breaths, then slowly switch sides.
Upward-Facing Dog
“This yoga asana strengthens the erector spinae, expands the chest, and stretches the hip flexors.”
How to correctly perform the upward facing dog:
- Lie on your stomach, press your hands and all fingers to the right and left of your chest firmly into the mat.
- Press up the upper body and hip bones.
Necessary: Tighten your core and buttocks to protect your lumbar spine.
Lotus Position
“This position relieves pain in the buttocks and back caused by sitting.”
This is how the lotus position works:
- Sit down: Cross your legs and bring them as close to your body as possible.
- Push your knees toward the floor.
- Pull your shoulders back, bring your chest forward and pull in your belly button.
Alternatively: Half cross-legged
- While seated, place your right ankle on your left thigh.
- Gently push your knees down with your right hand.
- Switch legs after about 60 seconds.
ALSO READ: YOGA FOR BEGINNERS: FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW & BEST TIPS TO GET STARTED
