Yoga is not a sport, and it never will be. Yes, many forms of Yoga involve physical exertion, sometimes heavy, sometimes less strenuous, but it is not a sport. Partly because there is no competition element in Yoga. You cannot win.
The attitude of your neighbor next to you on the mat may look nicer, but that doesn’t mean it has more effect. Because there are many other things that play a role during the practice of Yoga, which you cannot immediately perceive.
Think of:
- The respiration.
- Your thoughts.
- Your energy.
- Your consciousness.
Precisely for these reasons it is nice to practice Yoga in addition to your normal sport. It helps you with elements that are taken into account less or not at all during exercise.
Many fitness and strength sports enthusiasts experience stiffness and muscle pain after training. Experience it yourself with fitness plans from Total Shape. You’ll know as well that yoga can perfectly complement intensive strength training by helping the muscles to recover and relax the entire body. This article explains what yoga means and why this form of exercise is so popular as a supplement to strength sports.
Stiffness and muscle pain
Do you have muscle pain from yesterday’s strength training or are you just very stiff? You can use a wide range of equipment while exercising in the gym. Each device has its own characteristics and qualities with which specific muscle groups are trained. What all devices have in common is that the muscles should become stronger. It is precisely at this point that yoga complements. When you train a muscle, it shortens, which reduces the freedom of movement. With yoga exercises you can ensure that the muscles are stretched and stretched so that the stiffness disappears. Compression stockings or support socks helps against muscle pain and stiffness after heavy work-outs. With these compression stockings you will have fewer injuries (like shin splints) & muscle pain and less tired legs during your run. Also these stockings will help against a faster recovery after a quick run around the park.
You can sometimes recognize this stiffness in the fanatic strength athlete who does not work on his or her flexibility. These athletes move wooden and are not called wardrobes because they are so wide, but because they move and creak like an old piece of furniture. This stiffness regularly causes injuries when making an unexpected abnormal movement.
Yoga ensures that muscles and joints become supple again and remain supple. Furthermore, the flexibility exercises ensure a better blood flow to the muscles, so that they are extra nourished and recover better and faster. These are also the exercises that ensure that the waste products are removed faster.
Help with acidification and muscle pain
In many cases acidification is caused by incorrect breathing. Particularly during a heavy training, in which boundaries are pushed, breathing stops and the most severe acidification occurs because the muscles do not receive the necessary oxygen. During yoga, the practitioner is taught to keep breathing at all times and to get strength from the breath. Because more oxygen goes to the muscles, the body will be able to perform better and to a lesser extent will have to contend with acidification. The average athlete can lift, press and move more by means of good breathing without additional training. After the first yoga class you will notice that you breathe more consciously and fitness and / or other sports results improve.
Things you must know before you start practicing yoga
Yoga is not a religion, a political movement, or dogma. It is a way of bringing harmony within diversity. It respects all cultures, creeds, and nations. It nurtures the higher instincts of humanity – compassion, cooperation, and peace. Although there are many different forms of yoga practice, the most accessible method for the Western student is that form which takes the physical body as its starting point. Although many factors such as environment, people, and past experience will influence you, the results will depend entirely on your own conscientious and steady effort. Hatha Yoga, if practiced with purity of body and mind, will enrich the quality of your life. You must not rush; you must not grow lazy. If your effort is regular and balanced, you will truly enjoy the practice of yoga.
- Establish a convenient and regular time for practice; for instance, just after getting up in the morning, or when you come home from work, before dinner, or before going to bed. You will soon discover the time which suits your circumstances best, but please note that if you choose to exercise before going to bed, you should do so more gently than at other times of the day
- Before you attempt the exercises in this program, read right through the relevant chapter so you are mentally prepared for your yoga practice. Where there is a visualization exercise, you may find it helpful to record the instructions on to a cassette, making sure you leave pauses where appropriate.
- It is important not to have a full stomach. A good guideline is to refrain from eating and drinking for about three hours before practice. However, if necessary you could have a glass of milk or juice. Allow half-an-hour after practice before taking food.
- It is good to have a warm bath before practice, especially if your body is still a little stiff. Baths should be taken before practice, not after.
- Wear comfortable or loose clothing. You need to have complete freedom of movement. Do your exercises in bare feet. You may have a pair of warm socks available for relaxation.
- Use a clean, soft blanket or mat, thick enough to protect your spine and large enough to accommodate your whole body. This blanket or mat should be yours alone.
- Quiet and clean surroundings with a good supply of fresh air are beneficial. If you have the opportunity and weather conditions permit outdoor practice, do not miss it. It is simply wonderful, especially early in the morning.
- Privacy: Close the door, take the phone off the hook, and make sure you are not disturbed by family or friends for the time you practice. Your family will soon learn to appreciate the newer, calmer you and will grant you this small request of twenty, thirty, or more minutes by yourself.
- Before settling yourself on your mat, discard all disturbing thoughts, remembering that nothing is ever improved by worrying about it. You are starting your session in a positive frame of mind.
- After each yoga session, make a note in a journal or diary of how your body and mind responded to different postures or breathing exercises. Note also any other feelings that may arise.
- The golden rule of all yogic postures is to perform each exercise slowly, carefully, and mindfully. Force and strain must be avoided at all times. Body mechanics do vary a little from one person to another. There is no competition in yoga – neither with others, nor with yourself.
Once you have completed the basic twelve-week program, you can continue to use it as your ongoing practice guide. Simply return to the beginning and repeat the course, taking into account your improved flexibility and powers of concentration. In this way, the course can become your lifelong guide.
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