I have been training in various Crossfit gyms around the country for the best part of 3 years now. I was attending classes 5 times a week for the first year. The sheer volume of the training mixed with my lacklustre approach to warming-up before working out and my failure to follow a cool-down and post-stretch routine eventually took its toll on my body. My mobility started to diminish in my lower body and shoulders. As well as that I began to experience a lot of stiffness and pain in my lower back muscles especially when performing kettlebell swings and doing heavy lifts in exercises such as deadlifts, squats, olympic lifts etc. At this point my strength gains completely plateaud and I could only train every second day due to aches, pains and general stiffness. The standard and quality of my training was beginning to decline so I decided to try Yoga in an attempt to fix the issues that had been holding me back from developing my strength and fitness. I felt confident that attending Yoga classes on a relatively regular basis would remedy my physical ailments over time. The turnaround was quite dramatic. Within a month the tightness in my lower back had significantly decreased to the point where it was barely noticeable; my shoulder mobility had improved and the flexibility in my adductors, hamstrings and glutes had greatly increased. From that point on, my performance in Crossfit became much better. I never felt any tightness or strains when training and this allowed me to perform to my true potential. The development of my mobility and flexibility allowed me to improve my technique and therefore lift more weights when Weight lifting or Olympic lifting. I was now setting all kinds of personal records and exercises like power cleans, back squats, clean & jerk, front squats, power snatches and deadlifts were getting heavier on a weekly basis. I am continuosly making progress in Crossfit now and thanks to the combined crosstraining effect of Yoga and Crossfit I am able to comfortably train in both disciplines 5 times a week each with no pain or discomfort. I would strongly recommend to anybody who plays sport or undertakes a lot of intense physical activity to incorporate Yoga into their regime as it has a great therapeutic effect on the body and will help you perform to the best of your ability on a regular basis. Paul Taylor BA Honours Degree - Exercise & Health Science ITEC Diplomas - Personal Training Gym Instruction Fitness Studio Teaching Sports Therapy Nutrition & Diet for Complementary Therapists
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More and more athletes nowadays are turning to Yoga to help improve their performance. Whatever type of sports you are into, you can be sure that Yoga can help you up your game. Benefits of the Sport yoga: - Yoga can help you develop a better breathing technique while it improves your balance, flexibility, core strength, and endurance. - Sport yoga can help athletes to reduce the chance of sports-related injury and heal more quickly from injury. - If you participate competitively in sport or simply join the occasional fun run on a whim you are aware of the impact breathing can have on performance. Deep, relaxed breathing is the foundation of reducing performance anxiety and improving concentration. Yoga will help you develop a habit of breathing correctly. - Yoga practice integrations the mind-body connection and athletes can benefit from this combination of skills training. - Increase Core Strength: Yoga poses are all about building core strength. The slow, focused movements require a strong mid-section and the isometric contractions of many exercises will add a new form of resistance training to your typical machine-based workouts. - Increase Flexibility and Range of Motion: Yoga routines incorporate slow, steady flexibility exercise that is ideal for athletes. Frequent yoga training may increase flexibility, and range of motion while relieving muscle tension. Whether you are a runner or a golfer, improved range of motion can often help improve performance. - Improve Balance. Yoga is a perfect way to incorporate balance exercises into your training routine. Balance exercises are often overlooked by athletes, but are one of the most effective ways to correct muscle imbalance or body mechanic problems. With most sports and weight training routines you tend to perform repetitive motions that develop some muscle groups while others are ignored. Yoga can fix these imbalances. - It’s Great Cross Training. Yoga is a great low-impact way to cross train. Cross training is necessary for athletes who do the same sport or exercise routine year-round. Adding new exercises can help reduce injury, relieve training boredom, add variety and help recover from hard aerobic or strength workouts. There are hundreds of postures that can provide a workout for any athletic need. About the Teacher: I am Claudia Gutierrez, former Argentinean Gymnastic Champion. I was envolved in sports since I was 5 years old. I have 28 years of experience as a Coach and Fitness and Yoga Instructor. I have a Honour Bachelor Degree in Sport Science and Physical Education (Major in Sport Training and Gymnastics). I am constantly updating my knowledge and expertise. I attended several Symposiums of Medicine, Kinesiology and Sport Science applied to Athletic Training (among hundred more!) I understand perfectly the needs of the Sport's trainees and runners and I can help you through the Yoga practice to discover your true potential, maximize your training and reach your goals more easily. |
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Yoga Fitness BlogI am Claudia Gutierrez, owner of Yoga Fitness, originally from Argentina and proudly Irish Citizen since 2012. Archives
November 2021
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