Should I be doing yoga if I run, cycle, swim, hike, climb, box, (any sport, activity)? … You should definitely be doing something to complement your main hobby. To train your body’s adaptability and mobility in a variety of ways.
So YES to Yoga as an addition to sport but more specifically the LYT style of yoga I teach is a great complement to sport and here are the reasons why:
When training the focus is on the main skills needed to perform, that may be cardio, endurance, strong legs, solid right hook….
In LYT yoga we are looking to realign the body to start with optimal posture to be able to move in a wider range of motion, increase mobility, strength and stabilise with greater control in all movements.
We tend to have a dominant side, or imbalances in the body created through our sport or everyday life. By working on posture we are realigning our body to be able to move in a much wider range of motion.
Imagine building blocks, if you stack them randomly your tower may fall pretty quickly to one side or the other with the slightest move.
In our body our ‘tower’ stays up thanks to compensations, muscles will hold on for dear life so you don’t fall, or your head doesn’t fall off…
Now stack your blocks perfectly, each block now has a wide range of motion that won’t make the tower fall instantly. It is strong and stable and can adapt to any range of motion.
Your body is the same. You want all the bones to stack up neatly so that energy can flow freely from head to toe without ‘road blocks’
In LYT yoga for sport we begin by:
Properly warming up to get the body into a neutral posture to make sure that the main muscle groups are active and bones are properly aligned before doing anything else
We work on the breath, optimising our breathing so we can increase our performance and lung capacity, understand how to calm nerves and regulate our system
We explore hip and shoulder mobility and stability to reach an optimal range of motion as well as exploring balance and its importance in our everyday life and sport.
In life we take some things for granted which when worked on properly can really help our performance. For example, BALANCE, we don’t think about what goes on to keep us upright, we just assume that it’s a given. But by working on this and understanding the mechanics of balance we can control that balance faster, for example, to avoid falling when you slip. Your body will be adaptable to all eventualities and ready to fire up quickly.
Our body is great at compensating and will always find ways to achieve a move, but at what cost down the line? Slower recovery, injuries, discomfort and pain as an outcome? This is why yoga can really help by working towards optimal movement patterns and sustainable movement patterns.
We all need more mobility and it is great to understand the advantages of working on and understanding optimal movement. We only get one body and have to live in it for our whole lives. Wouldn’t it be wise to understand a little more about how to treat it correctly and move better with less discomfort and damage in the long run?
‘Yoga for sport and optimal performance - Improve mobility to avoid injuries and discomfort’
starts up again on the 12th of April! 8 weeks to explore your body and how to look after it in movement.
Here is what some participants have to say :
‘My objectives in taking this course were to acquire a better understanding of how the body works and especially to make the link with sports exercises. The combination of theory and practice in this course and Carolyn's feedback allowed me not only to achieve this goal, but also to work on joint pain and correct everyday postures (not only while practicing a sport).
In short, a course that I find very beneficial both in the short and long term and that I can only recommend!’ Raphaël
‘Great course, and I can already notice the increased strength in my back, shoulders and abs.
The course was well-structured and the workshops with the illustrated presentations was great in helping me understand the importance of correct posture and the muscles involved.
It also helped me understand what was happening during the exercises. I can now focus on my weak areas using the alternative poses to help when things get tough This provides me with targets for the future. As I have a hip and partial knee replacement the one-to-one at the end was a great platform to tailoring a series of exercises and poses for my specific needs to improve mobility in the target areas.’ Steve
‘Even with regular yoga practice with Carolyn, this course gives the time and space to reflect on the rationale of the LYT movements and also on your own body. It has helped me identify some weak parts that were causing pain/injuries outside yoga. Now I am confident I can reinforce these muscles and thus stop injuries.
It is amazing how becoming conscious of what muscles were not used well (glutes) has improved my running speed and I do not have knee nor hip pain anymore.
This course is a first solid step towards getting confident with and/or conscious of your own body in a full manner, and thus towards a real peace of mind!’ Anna
Would you like to know more information about the online program ? Head here for more infos: https://www.passport2balance.com/event-details/yoga-for-sport-and-optimal-performance