Yoga and Fitness

If it is important for you to develop your body into optimal condition for athletic performance, you likely already incorporate weight training, cardio/aerobic exercise, and resistance exercise in your fitness regime. Because of its perceived gentle nature, yoga is often overlooked as an extremely effective complement to a regular exercise/ work-out routine.

The addition of yoga can benefit almost all areas of your work out and athletic performance.

CORE STRENGTH

Yoga's slow, focused movements demand a strong midsection, which creates a perfect foundation for strength training and bodybuilding. The isometric contractions that are part of many of the yoga positions tap into a new level of resistance training that cannot be accomplished with exercise equipment alone.

RANGE OF MOTION AND FLEXIBILITY

Yoga training will help improve performance and prevent injuries during workouts and athletics by gently increasing your range of motion and flexibility.

BALANCE

Most athletic training and weight training programs will be very effective in developing certain specified muscle groups while ignoring others, thus causing an imbalance in the mechanics and muscular system within the body. Yoga training can help bring your body into balance by addressing these underdeveloped areas.

EFFECTIVE BREATHING

Breathing supplies your body and muscle centers with essential oxygen. During athletic events and work out routines, it is very easy to neglect taking in full adequate breaths to deliver proper oxygen levels to all required areas. Yoga helps to train your body how to effectively take deep full breaths. Additionally, the breaths that you take will be more relaxed, which in turn will reduce any performance anxiety, deliver essential hormones to your system, and improve overall concentration.

DOWNTIME EXERCISE

Too much exercise can harm your body. There are many yoga styles that are relaxed and less intense to offer the ability to exercise during downtime, injury, etc. Also, many of the positions can be practiced throughout the day while sitting in front of the television, lying in bed, or hanging out around the house.

Always be sure to consult a professional before attempting any exercise, no matter how mild, when you are recovering from an injury, dealing with illness, or suffering from any other medically fragile condition. Adding yoga to your workout routine will add a whole new dimension to your total fitness that will serve you well for a lifetime. There are so many styles and intensities that you are sure to find one that is perfect for you and your fitness goals.

To your fitness!

Kriss Bonin is an avid yoga supporter. He operates Yoga-for-Gay Blog at yoga-for-gay.blogspot.com yoga-for-gay.blogspot.com and [gaymenyoga.com/]