yoga for athletes

Whether you’re a serious athlete looking to get a leg-up on the competition or you’re looking to balance your strength and cardio training with some flexibility, yoga can help.

Most sports involve repetitive movements in one plane of motion (think running or cycling). These types of uniplanar activities develop certain muscle groups well, but ignore others. Over time, this leads to muscular imbalances that put you at risk for injury. Yoga for athletes is a practice specifically designed for active people. Practicing yoga gives you an awareness to better understand your body. You discover where you’re tight or flexible, strong or weak. By balancing these discrepancies, you can improve your game, reduce your risk for injury, and feel better overall.

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One of the most common imbalances is weak gluteal muscles (glutes). Having weak glutes leads to a variety of other issues including knee pain and low back pain. The reason for this comes down to biomechanics. When you extend your leg (lift your leg behind you) there is a certain sequence in which your muscles should activate to achieve the movement. First your glutes should fire, followed by the hamstrings and then the lumbar extensors (muscles in the low back). When this sequence occurs out of order, the low back and knees are set up for injury.

Why would a large muscle group such as the glutes be weak? There are two common reasons:

1) The glutes are not activating as strongly as they should be due to overactive low back muscles and/or hamstrings . In this scenario the glutes are working correctly, but they are weaker than other muscles (like the lumbar erectors or hamstrings). Because the glutes are weaker in comparison to these other muscles, the body uses the stronger muscles to do what the glutes should be doing.

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2) The glutes are not firing when they should be because the neurological pattern to activate them has been essentially turned off for an extended period of time due to posture (primarily sitting ). When you sit, the hip flexors (the muscles at the top of your thigh) become shortened. When the hip flexors are constantly shortened for hours every day, they pull the pelvis forward which consequentially lengthens the opposing muscle group – the glutes. This lengthened state eventually results in neurological inhibition (the muscles not being able to contract as they should) which translates into weakness.

In yoga, balancing postures are one of the most effective ways of correcting muscular imbalances, such as the weak or glute scenario, because they force the muscles to contract properly to maintain stability. Balancing poses also require core strength and proper postural alignment to be sustained. Working on improving balance not only benefits your athletic performance but also decreases your risk of injury by building strength and cultivating awareness of where your body is in space.

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In addition to the muscular imbalances mentioned above, another issue that many athletes face is injury from overuse. Overuse injuries occur from either lack of flexibility, poor core strength, or postural misalignments. Even if you’re stretching before or after your workout, chances are you’re stretching muscles in the same plane of motion that you’re using them. Yoga goes beyond static stretching by taking muscles and joints through their full range of motion. Improving joint mobility and flexibility is crucial to the body’s overall structural soundness.

In the 6 week yoga for athletes series you will be guided through a well rounded yoga practice that includes dynamic flexibility training, core stabilization, and balance work. In addition to the physical benefits of yoga, you may also experience improvements in your mental game. Finding the resolution to hold challenging postures for a set amount of time and trying new movements in yoga class translates to increased body awareness and mental stamina that can be used on and off the proverbial court.

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This series starts November 1st – just in time to help you prepare for or recover from some of the big area races such as the Marine Corps marathon and the Alexandria Turkey Trot.

By adding a regular yoga practice to your training routine you will not only improve flexibility, balance, and stamina, and you will also enjoy the benefits of injury reduction and faster recovery from your workouts.

Dr. Miranda Wall is a Logan University graduate, a native of the St. Louis area and a yoga instructor at Mind the Mat. She holds a doctorate in chiropractic and a masters in nutrition. She is also a registered yoga teacher and received her 200RYT from 7 Centers Yoga Arts in Sedona. She is an avid runner and also enjoys participating in triathlons. Having just moved here, she looks forward to becoming involved in the running and triathlon community in Northern Virginia and serving their health-related needs.

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