The benefits of yoga go beyond just flexibility, injury prevention, and balance
Photo by Artem Beliaikin/Pexels
As a triathlete, you go through a lot of intense training. With three different sports to work on, you’d think that adding yoga to your routine would be time-consuming and unnecessary. But, yoga has benefits you can’t get from other workouts.
Good posture
During your daily activities, you are sometimes unaware of your posture, which can cause stiffness and aching. Even when running or biking, you can develop bad posture. Yoga can target sore muscles and correct posture. It would also make you more aware of your body and put it back in alignment. While doing different poses, you can identify which muscles have been neglected and need attention.
Strength
Yoga isn’t just about flexibility but strength, too. Some positions require you to lift your own body weight. Holding poses helps build core strength, which is essential for all three disciplines in triathlon. Developing your core muscle strength improves balance and stability. Besides, other types of yoga have positions that strengthen different parts of the body so you can tailor yoga to work for you.
Where yoga comes in for triathletes is that the practice can help with flexibility and mobility work
Breathing
One important element in yoga is breathing because it helps you discern the differences in your body when you are tense and relaxed. Different types of yoga practice different kinds of breathing techniques, and all these help improve your lung capacity and breathing patterns. This enables better access to parts of your respiratory system so that inhaling and exhaling becomes more efficient.
Stress release
Training shouldn’t just be about physical strength but also mental strength. Going through intense trainings and long races can be mentally draining, and this is where yoga comes in. It teaches patience, control, and awareness that help athletes stay calm and focused in the face of challenges. If you experience burnout while training or in a race, meditation and relaxation techniques can help you refocus.
Try it out for yourself: