If you have been involved with fitness for some time, then chances are you are quite familiar with yoga training. But for most people, we tend to assume it’s either for hippies or soccer moms and pass it by because it looks too slow or that it may not have much benefit. But did you know yoga could help you reduce your chances of injury?
You Are Not Getting The Most From Your Workouts
Most people who start off working out do it the wrong way. They go through the motions so quickly that they actually lose a lot of the benefits and this is where yoga can make the difference. The reason why most people do not get as much as they could from their workouts is because their mind is so busy that they are not fully present in the routine. This is where yoga training can completely alter the impact of your regimen.
Yoga Slows The Mind Down
One of the main benefits of yoga is the fact that it brings you fully into the present, mind and body. The goal of each asana pose is to align your breath with each movement ensuring that you are flowing with your natural state of being. Most people who walk into the gym have been in front of their desk moving at such a fast pace that they then take that momentum with them into the gym and go through their repetitions in the same way. This unconscious approach to working out is one of the main reasons people hurt themselves.
Yoga Strengthens Your Core
The body’s foundation is your center or core. Because yoga training is not about using weights, it focuses on using most of your core muscles and this helps you to come from your center. Once again this is very important because most of us lead from the tops of our body where our mind is since this is the main muscle we use all day. It might sound funny but if you watch people walking around in the world you can quickly see that they tilt over a bit from their head.
So how can this improve your workout? Simple really. When you have a yoga practice it trains your body to come from your center. Then when you go into the gym your body will remember this place (instead of coming from the top of your body) which will help your body move in better alignment helping to prevent injury. Our true power comes from our center and when you know how to accurately engage it, it will drastically improve what you are able to accomplish in the gym.
Building Stronger Muscles With Yoga
Another benefit of incorporating yoga training into your workouts is that you will start to learn more about how the body and muscles are all connected. When you have a solid understanding of how the joints intersect with each other, you will have a mental picture of how your body functions and this helps with your pressing and repetitions. If you notice some of the “bigger” and stronger people in the gym, you will see that they move slowly through their workouts. They “control” the weight rather then struggling and forcing it. You’d be amazed at how strong you can actually get with very little weight.
So if you are serious about keeping from getting injured and staying toned and fit, incorporate some yoga training into your regimen. You’d be amazed at what two classes a week can do.
Sergio Diaz is the editor of Yoga Training Guide that provides students yoga teacher training information and helps them along their path of becoming a yoga instructor. He has been practicing yoga for over twelve years and worked for the largest yoga and wellness company in the US – Gaiam.
Leave a Reply