How Yoga Practice Supports Your Intense Training Routine

12 Mar 2012

March 12, 2012

How Yoga Practice Supports Your Intense Training Routine

FizzNiche Yoga 5 Comments

Here at PrettyHardWork we do enjoy our yoga classes immensely. Unfortunately, we have found ourselves putting our yoga practice on the back burner when we enter into a more intense training of some sort. And we miss it. Dearly. So, we turned to the experts, seeking a permission of sorts, to find out, “are there benefits to practicing yoga during an intense training routine?”

Learn why maintaining your yoga practice supports a number of training activities and why it would be beneficial to include it in your routine.

Improve your Athletic performance and Practice Yoga

With over 25 years experience teaching & practicing yoga and a back ground of competitive gymnastics and swimming to a National Standard level, I teach and understand the psyche of the athlete in intense training. I recommend at least 2x classes per week as yoga offers many benefits to individuals and “THE TRAINING ATHLETE”.

Generally when an individual is in intense training the body can become tight and inflexible from all the strength work from running, cycling, and weights etc .Yoga helps with flexibility and the style I teach (“The Knowing Flow” Vinyasa sequences personally developed) is a dynamic practice that maintains strength and stamina as well. With the flexibility aspect being incorporated and more elasticity developed in the muscle groups, this assists in preventing or recovering from injury.

Often individuals have muscle soreness from intense training. The focused breath work involved shifts built up lactic acid and assists in quicker recovery from muscle fatigue and soreness as well as improving energy levels. A well balanced Yoga sequence will also help align the body and muscle group platforms. Generally I find Athletes in training can become highly stressed and within the classes I teach as mentioned is focused “Pranayama or breathing techniques which calm the nervous system and allows the body’s natural relaxants including endorphins to flow.

I also teach “Dyhana” which is stillness meditation to focus, clear and energise the mind. By offering concepts to allow the Athlete to beware of the psychological mind and shift negative blocks is what gives the individual the edge. I offer individuals concepts and skills to improve the Athletes physical and psychological performance.

Jane Ribinskas, Director, Yoga Concepts

How often do you incorporate yoga practice during your training program?

body, dynamic practice, intense training, muscle fatigue, practice yoga, work, Yoga, yoga practice

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5 Responses to How Yoga Practice Supports Your Intense Training Routine

scott March 13, 2012 at 10:14 am Reply

Great article. I also feel that you need at least two to three classes a week just to maintaint the openings you create in yoga.
- Rachel Honoway March 13, 2012 at 10:20 am Reply
  
  Thanks, Scott! I agree – I added a day of yoga into my weekly schedule and it has made a huge difference in my flexibility and strength. Once a week was a good detoxing experience, but practicing twice a week is producing real results.
- Jane Ribinskas March 20, 2012 at 12:03 am Reply
  
  Thanks Scott for your feed back. I’m passionate about my life and the benefits Yoga offers on a physical,emotional and psychological level. I agree with your comments of at least 2-3 sessions a week I practice daily. When individuals come to me I suggest they commit to 1x class a week and make it as a must do thing in their life. People can generally make 1x class per week. Once they have established that in their life and experience the benefits it doesnt take long they usually come to a few more sessions. I find if individuals start off with too many classes they drop off. Yoga is profound in isolation and a great companion to support other practices:)
  - Rachel Honoway March 20, 2012 at 8:38 am Reply
    
    Good point, Jane. Starting with one and adding on as you want to do more (I found myself craving more!) is a good for making yoga, and anything else, a long-time habit and not just something you happen to be doing for a little while.
    - Jane Ribinskas March 22, 2012 at 12:56 am
      
      I agree Rachel , with all your comments relative to the detoxing and ongoing benefits of cultivating long term health habits. Often people give up on exercise and well-being initiative’s when they start feeling good. To sustain healthy habits uplifts your life in so many ways. I have people from time to time comment to me about how lucky I am that I look the way I do and how calm and healthy I am as a mature woman and that I must work hard at it to sustain where I’m at.(This usually happens when I go to a boutique and try things on and and they usually fit well) My response it that what I do is a lifestyle and its easy as I have developed healthy living habits and learnt to reduce stress and I just do what I do on a daily basis and the by product is a healthy person . As a society the more we are educated about cultivating a healthy body mind connection and apply healthy habits in our lives some of the major benefits we will see and experience are improved relationships,improved immune systems so that means less sickness,more energy,natural anti-aging and most of all inspiration ,fun and skills to meet ones full potential