Yoga as it applies to Training and Sporting Activities

If a person participates competitively in sport or simply joins the occasional fun run they are aware of the impact breathing can have on their performance. Deep relaxed breathing is the foundation of reducing performance anxiety and improving concentration. Yoga will help you develop a habit of breathing correctly. Yoga practice integrates the mind-body connection and athletes can benefit from this combination of skills training.

Yoga poses are all about building core strength. The slow, focused movements require a strong mid-section and the isometric contractions of many exercises will add a new form of resistance training to your typical machine-based workouts. Athletics benefit from yoga's holistic approach to core strength. Properly strengthening the muscles of the core using poses such as Boat Pose and Bridge Pose will improve alignment and lessen imbalances that lead to overuse injuries such as hip and knee pain in runners.

Yoga routines incorporate slow, steady flexibility exercise that is ideal for athletes. Frequest yoga training may increase flexibility, and range of motion while relieving muscle tension. Improved range of motion can often help improve performance.

Yoga is a perfect way to incorporate balance exercises into your training routine. Balance exercises are often overlooked by athletes, but are one of the most effective ways to correct muscle imbalance or body mechanic problems. With most sports and weight training routines you tend to perform repetitive motions that develop some muscle groups while others are ignored. Yoga can fix these imbalances.

For baseball and softball players, batting, running, and throwing are essential. Therefore these players need to work with postures that rotate the hips. Such postures include the Warrior group of poses. Warrior I offers a beginning stance. Warrior II opens up the hips and adds a practice in balance. Warrior III opens the ribs and the side. Warrior IV would again rotate and open the hips. All four positions offer balance and coordination exercise. Flexible hamstrings are necessary to run without injury. Both Standing and Sitting Forward Bends stretch the hamstrings. Also, Triangle pose along with Warrior I and IV stretches the hamstring and strengthen the quadriceps.

For throwing, athletes need flexible and strong shoulders and arms, and a keen sense of balance. Downward Facing Dog also works to strengthen shoulders, especially when combined with the movement back and forth from Upward Facing Dog or Cobra. To work the shoulders and back, Cat and Dog pose work well. Lotus and Child's pose help to stretch the ankles

Yoga is a great low-impact way to cross train. Cross training is necessary for athletes who do the same sport or exercise routine year-round. Adding new exercises can help reduce injury, relieve training boredom, add variety and help recover from hard aerobic or strength workouts.

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