Dear yogi/ni friends,

This weekend it was the London Marathon and it started me thinking about yoga and how it can complement our sports activities and performance. 

Yoga is often the difference that gives a sports player or an athlete that X factor against the competition. The benefits of yoga in sports have been illustrated by successful sports women and men. Muscular strength and stamina are built by most sports activity in specific areas of the body. This imbalance in muscular development can be solved with yoga because it allows the mind and body to coordinate and work more efficiently.

In yoga, the different postures align the breath with body movements and by holding the poses, the muscles of the body are stretched and strengthened. These are an ideal complement to other types of exercise, such as running and cycling because they systematically work the major muscle groups in the neck, back, shoulders, hips, hands, feet, wrists and ankles. It can enhance recovery, restore balance and reduce injury, improving the biomechanics of our body and conserving energy as well as  improving body awareness, and enhancing the function of our breathing. Athletes can open up tight areas that hinder performance, align the spine, and improve mental focus and concentration.

Generally, when an athlete stretches before or after their workout they are stretching the muscles in the same plane of motion in which they are exercising. Yoga works differently, by moving the body’s muscles and joints through three planes of motion (sagittal, frontal, and transverse) it activates smaller muscles to support the primary muscles. Working muscles through these planes allows for all-round muscle development.

In addition, attention to breath during yoga can bring one of the most important benefits. Developing the ability to stay centred, breathing through the more difficult poses by concentrating on our inhalations and exhalations can teach us to focus during challenging workouts or performances. Sustained stretching and contraction of the muscle groups in the postures and the deep breathing involved help to send oxygen to the cells in the body. The mind-body connection we enjoy in yoga helps us not only relax tight muscles, but also mental tension.

An example of a sport that is vulnerable to uneven muscle development is golf, where the golfer only swings in one direction, always using the same muscle groups. Yoga postures stretch muscles and relaxe muscular tension within the affected muscle groups while regulating other muscle groups less utilized in golf. The standing yoga poses improve the golfer’s balance and flexibility.

For cyclists, the yoga back postures can relieve back soreness and stiffness which come from being bent over handlebars for long periods of time. Stretching helps ease the stiffness in the legs and shoulders. Doing light yoga is ideal before and after a cycling session as a warm-up and down routine.

Strenuous sports such as tennis and squash can benefit from yoga too, enabling the players to be more focused and alert to the ball’s movements. The flexibility and mobility of the hips and shoulders are essential in the success of the game and yoga can improve these areas hugely.

With all of these benefits, have a think about the people in your life who might not have tried yoga yet but who enjoy sports regularly.

And for those of us who enjoy taking to the mat each week, we can rest easy in the knowledge that our practice will help us get the maximum enjoyment and performance from our favourite sports.

Om Shanti:)