Yoga is not just for yogis, it also delivers great results for athletes. Sportspersons depend on strength, flexibility, and consistency to deliver their best. Incorporating yoga into your sports routine will help improve motion, reduce injuries, and enhance focus. No wonder, a lot of athletes practice yoga regularly.
In this blog, Alpesh Yoga – trusted for yoga teacher training in Goa – decided to share the best yoga poses for athletes, their benefits, and how to include them in daily training. Read on to learn the many benefits of yoga for athletes.
Why is yoga important for athletes?
Yoga has many physical and mental benefits that can enhance an athlete’s performance. Athletes constantly push their bodies to the limits but often ignore the importance of flexibility, mindfulness, and proper recovery. Here are the benefits delivered by yoga to sports people:
Improved flexibility: Yoga can help increase the flexibility of muscles and joints, which can improve the range of motion.
Injury precautions: yoga strengthens muscles, improves joint strength, and helps you with balance, all of which help stop injuries.
Faster recovery: Yoga practice promotes blood circulation, eases muscle tension, and helps your body recover faster after a hard workout or game.
Better focus: The ancient helps with mental clarity and focus, which are important during high-pressure moments in sports.
Stress relief: Yoga helps lower stress levels, which can improve overall well-being and athletic performance.
By practicing yoga daily, athletes can enhance their physical abilities, protect themselves from injuries, and recover faster.
Best yoga poses for Athletes
Yoga helps relax, stretch, and strengthen specific areas of the body. Below are some of the best yoga poses for athletes:
Downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Why it helps: Downward-Facing Dog is the most commonly performed yoga pose that stretches the entire back body, and comprises hamstrings and calves. It also helps elongate the spine, relieving pressure in the sciatic nerve. This pose stretches the full body including the cripple, calves, and shoulders. It strengthens the arms, legs, and center making it great for the overall body conditioning
How to Do It:
– Get on all fours, separating your hands shoulder-width apart and knees under your hips.
– Lift your hips toward the ceiling, straightening your legs as much as you can.
– Keep your head relaxed and in line with your arms.
Pro tip: If your hamstrings are tight, you can bend your knees slightly to make the stretch more comfortable.
Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Why It Helps: The pigeon pose is a deep hip opener that stretches the hip flexors, bum, and lower back. Athletes constantly have tight hips due to repetitive motions like running, cycling, or weightlifting. This yoga posture for athletes increases flexibility at the hips, relieving nerve compression. The piriformis muscle, a common source of pain and even injury due to the sciatic nerve is targeted by this pigeon pose.
How to Do It?
– From a plank position, bring your right knee forward to your right wrist.
– Extend your left leg straight behind you, keeping your hips square.
– Lower your torso forward and rest on your forearms or forehead.
Pro Tip: If your hips are off the ground, place a pillow or yoga block under your hip for support.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
Why It Helps: Bridge Pose is a gentle backbend that integrates glutes, lower back, and hamstrings, improving posture and spinal alignment. It also reduces sciatica discomfort and strengthens all these muscles. This yoga poses for athletes also stretches the chest and shoulders, making it correct for activities that involve forward bending or crooked, like cycling or rowing.
How to Do It?
– Bring your knees bent with your feet hip-width apart on your back.
– Press your feet into the mat and lift your hips toward the ceiling.
– Interlace your fingers under your back for support.
Pro Tip: Focus on lifting through the hips rather than blowing your back.
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Why It Helps: Child’s Pose serves as an excellent relaxing yoga pose for athletes because it helps relieve stress in the lower back and hip areas. It is ideal for new practitioners and can be practiced whenever anyone is looking for an unbelievably calming stretch. This pose gently extends the spine, helping to relieve tension built up from periodic activities like running, jumping, or lifting weights. It’s also a great way to calm the mind and relax the body.
How to Do It:
– Kneel on a mat with big toes touching, and knees spread wide.
– Bend your torso forward while extending your arms in front.
– Lower your forehead to the floor, letting your chest descend towards the ground.
– Hold for 1-2 minutes, breathing deeply to release tension.
Pro Tip: If your forehead doesn’t touch the floor, place a pillow or block under your head for support.
Plank Pose (Phalakasana)
Why It Helps: Plank pose is an inner core development powerhouse that benefits athletes of all sports. A strong core is important for maintaining balance, stability, and proper poise during physical activities. This pose also supports the shoulders, arms, and back, making it a full-body workout in itself. Plank Pose ensures that this connection is strong, which is important for movements like kicking, throwing, or turning.
How to Do It:
– Start in a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
– Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
– Involve your essence and hold the position for 20-30 seconds, breathing uniformly.
Pro Tip: If holding the plank feels too tough, drop your knees to the floor while keeping your body in a straight line from your head to your knees.
How to Include Yoga in Your Routine
Combining yoga into your routine doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Here are some easy ways to add yoga to your athletic schedule:
Pre-Workout: Use yoga for an active warm-up. Poses like Downward Dog, Warrior II, and Pigeon Pose help loosen muscles and improve your compliance before training.
Post-Workout: After your workout or game, cool down with yoga. Poses like Child’s Pose, Bridge Pose, and Pigeon Pose help relax tight muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
On Rest Days: On your off days, think about a gentle yoga flow to help your muscles recover and stay changeable.
Recommended yoga readings:
Tips for Athletes Practicing Yoga
Start Slow: If you’re new to yoga, start with easy poses and gently increase to more advanced ones.
Consistency is Key: Try to practice yoga at least 2-3 times a week for many health benefits.
Focus on Breathing: Breathe in through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth to help you relax your mind and body.
Listen to Your Body: Don’t push yourself into painful positions. Yoga is about being aware of your movement and flexibility.
Yoga Poses for Sportspersons
Yoga is a potent force that helps athletes perform better and recover faster. Whether it’s building flexibility, avoiding injuries, or calming the mind, yoga offers something for everyone. Integrate poses like Downward Dog and Pigeon Pose into your routine to experience these benefits. By adding yoga to your fitness plan, you’re not only taking care of your body but also taking care of your mind since it helps connect with your inner self, making you more focused and flexible.
Yoga is not just for rest days; it complements your training sessions and enhances your overall well-being and performance. Got any questions to ask? Send them to alpeshyoga@gmail.com and get a quick reply from experts.
Namaste!
Check out the below yoga course and blogs as well:
100-hour yoga teacher training in Goa
200 hours of multi-style yoga teacher training in Goa
Week-long yoga course in Goa