BENEFITS OF
YOGA FOR SPORTS
10 ways yoga can benefit a sportsperson
1. Mind-Body Awareness
Yoga creates an improved mind-body awareness and connection, refines sports people’s awareness of their technique and enables them to focus better. Yoga is effective in training and strengthening the mind for improved focus and endurance – “Mind over matter” so to speak.
2. Equanimity
Yoga assists us in being able to note a feeling in the body and then to let it go and move on – this equanimity is useful in sport when you lose your cool or become stressed, especially in very competitive sports situations.
3. Flow State
In yoga, we are able to train ourselves into a “flow state” of mind and body, which creates a heightened calm, aware and alert state where performance peaks. This state is essential for success in competitive sports and also for learning new skills.
4. Body Efficiency
Yoga structures the body in more efficient way for improved breathing and for setting up healthy movement patterns.
5. Recovery Aid
Yoga physically aids recovery after intense exercise.
6. Stress Reduction
Yoga also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces stress and speeds up recovery.
7. Improved Breathing
Yoga breathing exercises and breath awareness, help to improve breathing volume, control and efficiency.
8. Injury Prevention
Yoga can help to prevent injuries – maintaining a healthy range of movement in joints and balancing the body helps to prevent many overuse injuries. Keeping the body more agile through yoga is especially good for endurance athletes, who repeat actions and movement patterns extensively.
9. Improved Performance
A regular yoga practice can make you better balanced, more agile and more ambidextrous. This all improves sports performance.
10. Faster Reflexes
Yoga speeds up your reflexes, which is invaluable in sport.