Get rid of that floaty image! Whether you are a top athlete or a hobby athlete and whatever sport you practice: yoga brings your body into balance. You recover faster, stay injury-free and simply become a more complete athlete.
“You can of course practice yoga as a full-fledged sport, but you also benefit from it as a side activity.”
Speaking is yoga teacher Annick Cuvelier, who wrote an enlightening book on this subject: “Smarter sports with yoga”.
“Top athletes like Novak Djokovic and LeBron James have been working on it for years. Not surprising, because yoga has a positive effect on your sports practice.”
Yoga teacher Annick Cuvelier.
1. Yoga makes you more flexible and stronger
“As a runner or cyclist you always put the same strain on your body, with the same movements.”
“Some parts of your body work very hard and must therefore be made flexible. Other parts much less, you just have to strengthen them. Yoga exercises look for that balance between strength and flexibility.”
“Yoga views the body holistically, as a whole. It therefore allows you to move in all directions and thus offers a complete workout that works on both strength and flexibility. As an athlete, you automatically reap the benefits of this.”
Yoga offers a complete workout that works on both strength and flexibility. As an athlete you automatically reap the benefits of this.
According to Annick Cuvelier, our predominantly sedentary lifestyle means that we use deeper muscles less:
“However, it is precisely those muscles that stabilize our joints and ensure that our body moves nicely. They therefore also deserve attention that they do not receive with regular training.”
2. Yoga helps prevent injuries
Over the last 20 years, a lot of research has been done on fascia, a subcutaneous form of connective tissue that connects everything from head to toe.
A human body therefore does not only consist of some loose muscles and bones, but forms a whole thanks to that connective tissue.
Yoga plays a crucial role in the maintenance of that fascia, Cuvelier knows. It can even prevent injuries: “Moving too unilaterally causes your connective tissue to dry out and stick together, possibly resulting in injuries.”
“With passive stretching poses you can rehydrate your fascia. Compare it to a sponge: if you moisten it, it becomes supple and resilient again.”
“Foam rollers work on the same principle: you loosen tissues by applying pressure and then releasing. Yoga is therefore also a form of injury prevention.”
3. Yoga ensures a faster recovery after your workout
“Intensive exercise puts pressure on your nervous system. After that you need rest and recovery. The parasympathetic system of the autonomic nervous system takes care of this. You can see that as the brake pedal of your body.”
“With breathing exercises and passive yoga postures you activate that system. So you step on the brake pedal yourself, so that your body can recover and relax. This way you can speed up your recovery yourself.”
4. Yoga boosts your self-awareness
So the physical benefits are obvious. But what does yoga do to your mind? Annick Cuvelier: “Your mindset is trained continuously. Can’t do a challenging pose? Then observe how you deal with it. Are you losing your temper? Or do you just keep trying until you succeed?”
“This way you gain insight into your internal world. That also proves that yoga is anything but floaty. Looking in the mirror and discovering who you really are: it doesn’t get more down-to-earth, does it?”
Looking in the mirror and discovering who you really are: it doesn’t get more down-to-earth, does it?
“Life and your sport are full of challenges. Yoga teaches you to deal comfortably with those uncomfortable situations. Are you in a demanding yoga pose? Keeping calm breathing then helps to relax. You can also apply that perfectly at the start of a match.”
“Your mindset is also an important tool for a tough training or competition. It determines the belief in yourself and your own abilities. You can also learn that on the mat.”
