Yoga Teacher Training Forum

How yoga can improve running performance?

Practice of yoga at this time is very much popular all over the world due to its natural and reliable system, providing enormous benefits related to human physical and mental health. Regular practice of yoga exercises improves flexibility, balance, coordination of body, mind and soul with endurance by reducing levels of mental and physical stress. The techniques of this bodily movement have ability to improve misalignment in body, strengthen body muscles and joints.

Like many other activities, yoga is helpful for enhancing running performance. Efficiency in running fast can be experienced by practicing different postures, breathing procedures, balancing and relaxing exercises. This methodology of mental and physical activity is a wonderful option for a runner to improve its performance and increase fitness level by specifically targeting the areas of body which give strong foundation and power to body. By building strong and flexible abdominal muscles (hamstring, quadriceps, glutes, hip flexors, torso, Achilles and shoulder muscles) therefore chances of having injury is minimized. Yoga techniques are highly supportive for curing main issues faced by a runner like sore feet, tight hamstring and pain in hips, knees or ankle by increasing will power, suppleness and breath control.

The yoga poses or asanas offer lots of advantages for boosting up competence in running by correcting muscular imbalance due to strenuous training because a balance body can manage greater level of stress without hurting body. Whereas breathing techniques pranayama tunes nervous system of a runner by providing deep relaxation after running. Pranayama also helps in reducing blood pressure and heart beat moreover these exercises produce calmness and sense of stability. Regular practice of pranayama techniques increase breathing capability results in supplying more oxygen to blood. This richly oxygenated blood boosts up rate of performance and stamina of runner also supports convenient breathing during running. Deep relaxation process at the end of a yoga session is very much important as 10-15 minutes of deep relaxation provide relief from muscular tension, helpful in gaining energy and self-confidence.

The practice also offers concentrating ability on a specific task by making mind calm, quiet and focused essentially required by a runner to avoid injury. Likewise relaxing, breathing and balancing exercises stretching poses are best to perform after running as it reduces muscle stiffness, stimulates blood circulation and tones body. For a runner deep breathing with stretching is suggested to be essential during yoga as combination of them help to maintain strength and flexibility.

How to apply asana to sports performance? The holistic tradition of yoga techniques train body, mind and soul in developing inner peace, releasing stress, connecting to one’s intuition, increasing mental power and making body balance, flexible and strong. This physical activity is nowadays become very popular due to its unlimited advantages as more and more people are exploring the myriad benefits that how yoga exercises are helpful for personal and physical revelation. It has turn out to be a mainstay on programs conducted by most of the fitness centers, health clubs, and personal training institutes. Incorporating specific sports related asanas one to three times a week appropriate for each individual or team according to their skill level are extremely valuable for increasing athletic performances.  

Classic bodily postures in yoga are mostly practiced as a cross training tool for improving and enhancing sports performance and reducing the risk of injuries. The asanas are incorporated in training session of sportsman for developing flexibility and body balance to prevent them from getting injured also for increasing mental focus and concentration to enhance their performance. These exercises are specifically geared towards the needs of athletes support in maximizing their performances due to repetitive stresses faced during competition. The poses mainly focus on reducing anxiety, stress management, body mobility, strength and stability.

Regular practice of deep stretching postures aids in increasing mobility in joints and range of motion as this will help athletes to avoid and minimize risk of injury whereas by performing holding or balancing asanas they will be able to enhance their game performance due to acquiring much awareness of body center place.

Generally all yoga asanas are practiced along with deep breath control, help in building up life force energies throughout the body. Deep breathing with stretch poses also improve circulation of lymphatic fluid in body, responsible for increasing rate of cleansing and detoxifying body up to 15%. Regular cleansing and detoxification of athlete’s body is highly beneficial in increasing their vitality, health, purification of blood and boosting up of their immune system. Application of yoga asanas in training session of sportsman will be physically beneficial in strengthening their deep connective tissues, increasing suppleness of muscles due to stretching, improving body posture and alignment also contributes in enhancing cardiac fitness and stamina.

Psychologically the physical poses free athletes from mental distractions by relieving them from stress and anxiety also provide methods of attaining relaxation. The asanas improves their mental focus, self discipline and determination while presenting game. It also helps an athlete to step outside of their comfort zone and try something new , it adds up to their ability to challenge themselves pushing them to perform to the best of their capabilities. Performing asanas often also helps athletes in reducing the built up stress and releases the tension from their muscles. Last but not the least if the athletes perform asanas they will learn the art of relaxation which will be very helpful for them especially while competing when the pressure is beyond measures.