{"id":7908,"date":"2017-07-10T11:05:51","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T15:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportinglife.ca\/blog\/?p=7908"},"modified":"2017-07-10T11:08:24","modified_gmt":"2017-07-10T15:08:24","slug":"yoga-cross-training-andrew-obrecht","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sportinglife.ca\/blog\/yoga-cross-training-andrew-obrecht\/","title":{"rendered":"Benefits of Yoga for Cross Training"},"content":{"rendered":"

Article by guest blogger Andrew Obrecht<\/a>.
\n<\/em>Photos by Blush & Branch<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Your body does a lot for you, especially if you put it through tough cross training workouts. Yoga is the perfect active recovery workout for your non-training days to let your body grow and lengthen, while also benefiting from the meditative side. Like anything, results improve when there is a balance and breaking out of a routine. Yoga will help balance out your strength training workouts and use muscles that may be getting missed. If you can\u2019t make it to a yoga class, incorporate yoga poses into your post-workout stretch routine. Adding yoga consistently to your fitness routine has many benefits for cross training.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/div>\n<\/div>1. Increases flexibility and range of motion
\n<\/strong>Start with a beginner\u2019s class or restorative poses to get your muscles used to the different movements. Just like any sort of training, your body will evolve into the movements the more you practice. Stretching out your muscles and joints will increase your flexibility and improve your range of motion for your other workouts. This will help you push past plateaus and goals in your other workouts because your body will be able to do more, and reach farther.<\/p>\n
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2. Improves stamina, balance, and stability
\n<\/strong>Continually moving and breathing will help train your muscles to work longer and hold the poses. It\u2019s a different kind of muscle training and will help with your stamina in your other workouts. Not only will holding poses help your stamina, but it will challenge your balance and stability as well. In yoga, your core is the key to staying up right and moving into more challenging poses. Without having to do endless sit ups, the whole yoga workout relies on your core to keep you balanced. Strengthening it will improve your balance and stability which you will see as improvements in your other workouts.<\/p>\n

3. Prevents injury
\n<\/strong>Yoga helps improve muscle imbalances, relieve muscle tightness and the increased flexibility will help prevent injuries. Yoga helps strengthen all muscles including the little ones that don\u2019t get used as often in regular day activities and other workouts. These muscles often surround the bigger muscles and other joints; strengthening them will help protect your bigger muscles that get used during your other cross training workouts and help prevent you from getting injured.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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