Why should a long distance runner practice Yoga?
Yoga was recommended to me by a friend some 12 years ago and i have practiced regularly since then. Yoga has certainly helped me with my running and many other areas of my life but the advantages probably differ for us all as do our other training needs.
I practice Ashtanga Yoga, which is a part of the vinyasa tradition, steadily flowing between poses with synchronized breath. The Ashtanga style of Yoga can be both mentally invigorating and physically challenging.
Here are a few reasons why i find it useful.
Flexibility: When the muscles and joints are flexible, the muscles are not trying to contradict your work. Increased flexibility can reduce the risk of injury.
Strength: By using yoga it is possible to increase your body strength. There are actually a lot of poses in Yoga that are strength building.
Balance: A lot of Yoga poses improve your balance.
Recovery: Over worked muscles can hurt for days, choosing the right posses help to reduce recovery times. You will find many Yoga posses helpful for injury recovery.
Mental agility: Yoga postures help you to become more relaxed and mentally balanced. Meditation can help you to concentrate your mind and build up your will-power. Once you become internally balanced and have stronger will power, you can focus on your goals and go for it.
Improved digestive function: Yoga postures put gentle pressure on the internal organs of the body and help them to function properly. In particular the postures help your digestive system to work smoothly. So Yoga can even help to keep you regular.
I personally find the practice of yoga to be very rewarding for mind and body, unlike many types of physical exercise, yoga is subtle and comparatively easy. Set aside 15 – 20 minutes a day for your practice and you will soon start to see results.
Yoga simply speaks for itself!
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