JmurrayAthletics

I never would have thought 3 years ago that I would be writing an article on yoga, yet here we are with a detailed look at how yoga can benefit you and your various sports. It is here I’ve compiled a list of benefits that yoga presents, included at the bottom of this link are all of my sources which I encourage you to also look at! So without further adooo!

Flexibility

Yoga has hundreds of variations, but within all if not most are stretches. These stretches include static holds and active stretches. By moving your body through these various movements, you are able to engage and stretch multiple muscles through out a single session, making the body more limber and flexible.

I cant tell you how many times this has helped me in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as many of the techniques or movements may have you contorted or put in weird positions. Being able to bend and twist like something out of a horror piece makes the whole grappling thing soooo much easier.

Mindfulness or learning to “flow”

Mindfulness probably sounds a little wishy washy to most people, but the reality is most of us need this more than anything else. Luckily yoga presents us with another opportunity. Through yoga you will learn to listen to your body and even focus inwards concentrating on different parts of the body and especially focusing on breathe control. Eventually you will find this practice happening in your daily life, and see your self in a flow state every so often!

Once you learn mindfulness and flow, this practice becomes so beneficial. You will find yourself less distracted and more engaged in your activities closing out all that unnecessary external bullshit. Time will begin to fly by, and you will feel more connected to yourself and activities.

Reduce Soreness / Post workout recover

One of my favorite things about yoga was its ability to boost my post workout recovery. By doing active stretches and static holds, you increase circulation and blood flow to muscles allowing more oxygen to flow freely and speed up recovery.

I found that one class a week was ideal for me, however I’d strongly recommend doing a class 2-3 times per week, either at home or in a studio!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/yoga-benefits-beyond-the-mat

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9578376

https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/benefits-of-yoga/

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-real-meaning-of-meditation

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S105488070700052X