International Lifestyle Magazine Issue 53 | Page 56

Yoga can complement any sporting activity and can benefit all athletes in a variety of ways. All athletes build up tension in the specific muscles that their sport relies upon the most. By integrating yoga into a training program athletes can release this tension through the stretch that the asana(pose) provides. The risk of injury is reduced by the strengthening of muscles that are held during asana and athletes can improve lung capacity through breath awareness techniques, thereby improving sport performance. Other benefits include improved posture, through opening the chest in back bends and strengthening the core muscles; increased focus by learning to concentrate the mind in asana and meditation, facilitating the ability to compete ‘in the zone’. Specific poses can aid particular sports because of the specific areas that are constantly being worked: for runners, hip openers are ideal for releasing the tension that is stored there through any of the lunging poses, the warrior poses and pigeon; to stretch tight hamstrings and calves, seated or standing forward bends actively flex the muscles along the backs of the legs; balances, such as tree pose and crescent lunge, strengthen feet and ankles, helping to prevent against injury; plank and other core strengthening asana, such as Navasana (boat), promote good posture, which enhances performance; inversions where the legs are raised facilitate the follow of deoxygenated blood back to the heart, which can then pump an increased amount of blood around the body and provide a well earned rest for feet and legs. www.internationallifestylemagazine.com