Yoga can teach us great lessons that are able to help us in life. Runners and athletes can benefit from practicing Yoga. The benefits of the Yogi life is immense – here are 3 important reasons why runners should incorporate Yoga into their life.
#1 Flexibility
Did you know the best marathoner of all time Eliud Kipchoge is greatly inflexible? He probably could benefit from some Yoga lessons.
Yoga brings you through a variety of stretches that could improve your range of motion in your given joint area. Flexibility is very important for athletes, especially runners. Did you know the running movement involves only a one plane movement – forward. This causes the muscles required for the forward movement to be particularly overdeveloped as compared to muscles required for the backward movement and lateral movement. These overused muscles become really tight and reduce your flexibility.
Yoga is a great way to stretch out your overdeveloped tight muscles. Running reduces your flexibility which can be countered by Yoga Classes.
#2 Mental Training
The most important thing Yoga can teach us is this. In Yoga, you are required to be in tough uncomfortable situations such as a back-bending pose and hold the pose. Sometimes you are required to sit in a pose for 30 minutes. In order to do so, you are required to be aware of your body, concentrate on your pose and breathing, and clear your mind. This helps make the situation more manageable. This skill is a transferable skill which can help you through any adversity thrown at you – in athletics and life.
Read More: Health Benefits of Yoga
#3 Strength
Yoga strengthens your entire body as a whole. It brings you through a series of poses that can train your strength, both physically and mentally. For instance, holding poses challenge your physical strength and mind. You have to hold these poses beyond fatigue, using yoga breathing techniques to help you manage the mental challenge. These poses also force you to engage your muscles to stay in a particular pose, strengthening them. In athletics, being strong is a plus.
Strength, both mental and physical is very important in athletics. Yoga is able to teach us both. Try out a quick 20 minute Yoga session right at home and start repeaing the benefits of Yoga!
