About this topic
Yoga is a kind of exercise. You stretch and breathe while moving into certain positions. You may feel calmer after yoga and it can also refresh and relax you. It can also help you become more flexible and stronger, as well as help your total health. ‚
There are many types of yoga for athletes. You may do better and feel stronger when doing your sport or in a competition. Yoga can help you with how you think and with how your body works. To get the most benefit, you need a coach for this type of yoga. If you dont do yoga the right way, you may get hurt. ‚
General
There are many types of yoga for athletes. Make sure that you find a skilled coach or trainer that will guide you. Talk to the trainer about what the best type of yoga is for your training program and sport. ‚
Always start with a warm-up. ‚
Here are some of the types of yoga: ‚
- Iyengar Yoga
- Helps with posture, alignment, body awareness, extension, balance, total body performance, and preventing injury
- A normal class lasts 60 minutes with 30 minutes of standing poses, 30 minutes of seated poses, and relaxation at the end
- May use props like blankets, ropes, blocks, and straps
- Kundalini Yoga
- Focuses on breathing techniques and body awareness
- Helps with stress reduction and injury prevention
- Combines meditation and physical work
- Most of class is with eyes closed
- Class starts with chanting for 2 minutes and then works on postures of a certain body part with breathing. The class ends with meditation.
- Power Yoga
- Works to make your core strong and stable, increases range of motion, makes movement easier, improves coordination, and helps with balance, stamina, and breathing
- Classes are often held in a heated room with temperatures up to 90 ‚ °F (32 ‚ °C) to soften muscles
- A normal class starts with a warm-up and then a series of sun salutations or poses that flow into one more without stopping. Then standing poses are done, followed by floor poses. The class ends with relaxation.
- Kripalu Yoga
- Helps ease muscle tension, improve balance, and allows full range of motion
- Focuses on relaxation and how your body feels
- For a normal class, there is 1 to 2 minutes of breathing and breath awareness, warm-up, stretching and strengthening postures with deep breathing. The class ends with relaxation.
What will the results be?
Doing yoga on a routine basis may: ‚
- Help you become stronger. It can:
- Build up your muscles
- Increase endurance
- Tone muscles and make bones stronger
- Help the strength of your stomach and core muscles
- Enhance body stability
- Move more easily. It can:
- Help your joints and muscles to be more flexible
- Keep your muscles in balance so each group is as strong as the others
- Help with coordination
- Help with balance
- Help you feel and work better. It can:
- Lower stress
- Help you relax
- Ease the aches and pains that come with routine training
- Make you less likely to harm your muscles when you exercise
- Help you focus
What problems could happen?
If proper warm-up and cool-down exercises were not performed, you may have: ‚
- Muscle strain
- Ligament sprain
- Tendonitis
- Stress fracture
Helpful tips
- Wear comfortable clothing to allow for movement.
- Do warm-up exercises before and cool-down exercises after yoga.
- Bring a bottle of water and take drinks often during yoga. Know your limits. Do not push yourself too far or you will raise the chances of getting hurt.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00063 ‚
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine ‚
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/yoga/introduction.htm ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚