1.)
Injury Prevention. Athletes experience stress on their bodies during their
training. This repetitive overuse of certain muscle groups will cause
imbalances in strengthening and lengthening. Tighter muscles pull at the
ligaments and joints. If an athlete falls, muscle tightness puts him/her at a
greater risk of tearing due to the muscle’s resistance to movement; more
pliability and flexibility in the muscles can prevent injuries. Yoga is designed
to work the muscles around the joints for stability and full mobility and
rotation in the joints, making an athlete’s movements more fluid.
2.)
Increased Performance. Better flexibility
and range of motion can translate to increased performance in athletes. For
example, one female athlete said she could lunge lower for ground balls in her
softball games with her new flexibility and she could throw farther distances
with more complete shoulder rotation. She also found that she had a quicker
response time with an improved mind-body connection.
3.)
Body Awareness. Proprioception is often referred to as the sixth
sense. It is the ability to perceive our body internally without our eyes, but
with our minds. We can perceive the body in its position in space, the
direction and speed of its movement. Through subtle actions addressed
throughout a yoga class we gain an understanding of how our body moves in
various ways in relation to its parts with a sense of keen awareness. This
understanding of anatomy and body mechanics not only helps with reaction time,
but with balance and injury prevention as well
4.)
Balance. Yoga is designed to alleviate the law of
compensation. The law of compensation states that our bodies will default to
the path of least resistance when unconscious in our activity. Generally, the
path of least resistance is the most flexible and often weakest area in our
bodies. Yoga allows us to see where we have been compensating and helps to
balance the body by placing special attention to symmetry. In aligning our body
and stacking our bones, we discover our weaknesses as well as our strengths. A
martial artist said his improved balance greatly increased his abilities to
perform, especially with high kicks.
5.)
Core Strength. Stretching and
strengthening of the abdominal, paraspinal, and pelvic muscles, commonly lumped
into the term “core” are extremely
important to maintaining a healthy spine. When muscles in these areas are
healthy and strong, they can take pressure off the spine and help prevent
injury. Core strengthening is one of the cornerstones of yoga
By Nicole Dohery. Nicole Doherty’s mission is to
facilitate a deep inner exploration, life-changing breakthroughs, and the
self-empowerment you need to reach your highest potential. Nicole is the yoga
expert columnist for American Athlete Magazine and teaches in Los Angeles.
Visit her at www.nicoledoherty.com
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