Have you ever wondered what will improve your sport performance or prevent sport-related injuries?
Doing more of our desired activity may seem like the obvious answer. For example, if we want to improve performance in swimming or running, then to do more swimming or running would improve our performance in both respectively.
However, while that may be true, if all we did was the same activity we would hit a certain plateau where we are no longer making advances in skill and performance development. Also, by routinely engaging strictly in the same activity and the same movement patterns, we subject ourselves to more wear and tear on the same muscles and joints. Not only can this lead to injury, it can also cause a disengaging level of boredom and loss of enjoyment. If we infuse a variety of exercise and movement with an activity such as yoga, however, we capture the benefits of cross-training.
Cross-training
Cross-training is designed to elevate an athlete’s performance. It is a strategic combination of exercise variety to enhance skill and performance. For the weekend warrior or recreational sport enthusiast, cross training can assist in total body fitness and help prevent injury. If we are inclined to engage in a variety of exercise modalities, we are also more likely to adhere to an exercise program or routine which makes exercise fun and enjoyable. A regular yoga practice with elements such as Asana, Pranayama and meditation can be a wonderful addition to our routine to improve our fitness level and establish a connection of spirit mind and body.
Asana, a Sanskrit word referring to poses, provides an opportunity to observe our movement. We notice the body’s cues, strengths and weaknesses, especially when practicing at a slower pace. Yoga is about the journey rather than the destination and provides a beneficial opportunity to notice our movement rather than just achieve a specific pose expression.
Develop Movements, Not Muscles
The theory of developing movements rather than muscles is more recognized in sport-specific or high-performance trainings. Have you ever looked closely at movement into and out of a yoga pose? Did you notice that Tree pose (vrksasana) and Warrior 2 (virabhadrasana 2) are a part of a baseball pitcher’s wind up? Have you observed the execution of Warrior 3 (virabhadrasana 3) and how it mimics that of a single-leg deadlift? A regular yoga practice can encourage safe and effective movement patterns that directly transfer to sport performance. For example, chair pose (utkatasana) or any of the forward folds will enhance the mechanics of hip-hinging. Hinging at the hips is paramount for a safe and effective deadlift. The key is to choose poses that resemble your desired sport or activity to refine movement and further develop skill and performance. It is equally (if not more important) to choose poses that are opposite to your desired sport or activity. Working the opposing muscles assists to avoid postural dysfunctions or repetitive-use injuries.
Breath Awareness
In yoga, breathing practice is referred to as Pranayama or controlled (mindful) breathing. While there are many Pranayama techniques with unique benefits, the first objective is to become aware, through mindfulness, of our breath pattern and control. This heightened awareness slows breathing down, which can increase its effectiveness. Most of us chest breathe, which means we inhale and exhale up in the chest space using only 20% of our lung capacity. Belly breathing, however, is when the diaphragm expands down into the belly, which helps bring breath into the lower lobes of the lungs. A pranayama technique called diaphragmatic breathing, or 3-part breathing, teaches us to fill the lungs from the bottom to the top to expand the belly, then the ribs and then the chest. We follow that with an exhale, releasing the chest then the ribs and then the belly. This 3-part, full diaphragmatic breathing (or yogi breathing) is a great foundation to acquire the skills of other Pranayama techniques. Controlled breathing promotes optimal cellular exchange, reduces stress levels and wards off stress-related illness such as Cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
Another aspect of the body strongly affected by controlled breathing is our nervous system. A lot of life demands a sympathetic nervous system response: fight or flight. Our overtaxed nervous system comes from always being on the go, operating with many things on our plate or even overtraining. Slow, deep breathing allows access to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), where the body has the ability to rest, destress and heal. It is also when we make training adaptations such as strength gains, increased lean muscle mass, power, speed and even weight loss. Even 3-5 minutes of pranayama placed at the beginning or at the end of your workout will improve your focus and create synchronicity with your breath and movement. Over the long term, deeper breathing will come more naturally and overall breath and body awareness will improve performance and skill development.
Meditation
Mindful breathing opens the door to meditation, a practice dating back centuries and has profound benefits that interface with all aspects of life, even our workouts. It is also profoundly effective in training the mind. Regular mediation alters brain function, improving our ability to focus and concentrate. By helping us to develop the effective pause between stimulus and response, we become less reactive and more conscious of our actions. A regular meditation practice helps to reduce stress and fear and also helps replace negative-pattern thinking with positive. It promotes better sleep patterns, builds our immune system, improves our mood and allows us the capacity to program our body to perform with precision. With improved focus and a heightened mind-body awareness, we are more equipped to meet our training goals. We are also equipped with better sleep patterns and a high-functioning immune system to give us strength against illness and injury or to heal and repair should either occur.
Conclusion
A regular practice will produce noticeable results. Asana practice 2-3 times per week will yield benefits in how we move and how we feel. Pranayama and meditation may be built into our day beginning with as little as 5-10 minutes and expanding as desired and shift the way we think and perceive the world around us. Because of its multifaceted practice and holistic benefits, yoga addresses training for spirit, mind and body. Yoga, though not necessarily the first cross-training activity we think of, is a surprisingly excellent choice.
