Yoga and Sports
Yoga and sports is becoming an increasingly popular topic for many reasons. Traditional training methods primarily focus on the contraction of muscles. While this is essential for muscle growth and athletic development, it does not contribute to increasing range of motion, mobility, or flexibility. With very structured strength and conditioning programs and the need for ample practice, it is difficult to dedicate enough time to stretching and developing core strength. Keeping our bodies tuned for success keeps us motivated and wills us to stay consistent with our training. However, injuries can occur from overuse, lack of stretching, insufficient warm up, and decreased range of motion. Static stretching has been a staple during warm up for many years. However, its effectiveness has come into question and many athletes have found much more success in the integration of regular stretching exercises, such as Yoga. Even though this may seem like a new and unconventional form of training, Yoga has been practiced for more than 5000 years, but it is has only recently gained more popularity in the sports world.