Author(s): Luxmi Sharma

Abstract:
Yoga has been practiced for around 5,000 years. Several schools and organizations of yoga have emerged over time to time. It can be overwhelming at first to find a style of yoga that resonates with you. If you are a competitive athlete, it is best to tailor your yoga practice to your training schedule because a particular sport can develop certain muscle groups while ignoring others. Over time, this process causes imbalances in the muscles and joints, leading to overuse injuries. Yoga helps the muscles, tendons, and ligaments move through a full range of motion, thus cultivating balance and core strength which is a huge benefit to athletes in their chosen sports. A tri-athlete from San Diego, Heidi Resiert said, “I'm glad I found yoga and added it to my weekly workout routine. Not only do I feel stronger, but I also feel more confident that I will continue to be injury free." Another essential element in yoga is breath work (pranayama). The attention to breath during yoga can be considered one of the most important benefits to athletes. Learning to stay focused and centred through uncomfortable poses by concentrating on even inhalations and exhalations sets up the athlete to stay focused during a race or challenging workout. The mind-body connection in yoga is essential to helping athletes develop mental acuity and concentration. In addition, yoga helps you to relax not just tight muscles, but also anxious and overstressed minds. Yoga works not just in the sagittal plane, but in the frontal and transverse planes as well, ensuring well-rounded development. Being more relaxed will also aid in athletic performance. So, why not enhance your game performance and prevent injury by adding yoga to your training plan now.

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