Have you ever heard the word ‘Yoga’ and shied away because you didn’t think you were flexible enough? Or maybe you’ve been put off by the unusual names of the poses often described using the classical South Asian language Sanskrit.  Social media depicts Yoga at its most extreme form, and stereotypes it as a form of exercise only for women, but that’s not the case.

In fact, Yoga is an extremely inclusive form of exercise. It can be adjusted to suit all levels and ages. Not only is it great for the mind, but it is also a powerful tool for improving your mobility and complements strength training.

How Yoga Benefits Strength Training

Improved Mobility and Range of Motion

One of the most distinct benefits of Yoga is that it improves mobility and flexibility. Holding poses at your end range of motion helps lengthen the muscles and keeps you mobile in day-to-day life. But how does this benefit strength training?

All exercises require a balance of strength and mobility. Mobility is the ability of a joint to move through a range of motion. If you’re strong, but you can’t complete the full range in a squat then you won’t reap all of the benefits of the movement. Practising yoga and holding certain positions can help improve mobility so that you can go through the full range of motion when lifting

If you’re maybe not as flexible as you’d like to be, you can use props such as Yoga Blocks and Resistance Bands to rest more comfortably in the positions.

Is Yoga Good for Isometric Strengthening?

Most people associate Yoga with flexibility, but there is also a strength element to the practice. In many types of Yoga, you are required to hold poses for a significant amount of time which tests your isometric strength.

Holding Yoga poses can help to improve isometric strength and this translates through to isometric holds you might be performing in your lifting sessions. An isometric contraction is the hold in any movement, such as the pause at the bottom of a squat.

Will Yoga Help Active Recovery?

If strength training is your main sport, you can use yoga as a form of active recovery. Active recovery can be any form of low intensity exercise or movement that increases blood flow to the muscles and reduces muscle soreness.

Although some styles of Yoga can be more intense, yoga such as Hatha and Yin are the perfect practice for your recovery days. These are two slower styles of yoga that consist of slower flowing movements and long holds. You allow your body to move without putting too much strain on the muscles, which could be detrimental to strength training. Plus, you need minimal equipment to get started. All you need is a Yoga Mat and you can do it at the gym or at home.

How to Start Practising Yoga

It can be daunting starting Yoga, but like everything you get better with practice.

First things first, start small. You don’t need to do an hour-long yoga class when you’re starting out. Begin by doing a 10-15 minute yoga flow that you can do at home when you wake up or during your lunch break. From here, you can build your confidence to prolong your practice.

Remember, everyone’s practice looks different. Our bodies all move in their own unique way. You might not look the same way as someone else doing a pose, but it could be what’s right for you. The most important thing is to listen to your body.

Foundational Yoga Poses

Yogi Squat

The yogi squat is a movement that focuses on mobility in the ankles, knees and kips, three areas where mobility is essential for movements such as squats and deadlifts. When holding a yogi squat, you can gently rock side to side to bring some movement to the pose.

If you struggle to hold the position, you can lift your heels off the floor using yoga blocks. This will help with anyone that struggles with ankle mobility. To increase the intensity of the post, use your elbows to gently push your knees out further.

Warrior 1

Step one foot back one and a half shoulder width down the mat, keep your front foot facing forwards and your back foot should be at 45 degree angle with the whole foot on the mat. Keep your hips facing forwards, raise your arms straight overhead and bend into your front knee.

Warrior 1 is a full body movement that when held, requires strength in the lower body, whilst also stretching the hip flexor muscles. If you suffer with tightness here, you can lift your back heel off the floor to allow your hips to face forwards.

Warrior 2

Step one foot back two shoulder widths down the mat, keep your front foot facing forwards and the back foot turned 90 degrees out to the side. Extend both arms out to the side and look towards your front fingers. Sink into your front knee until it’s bent at 90 degrees.

If you want to improve glute strength, push your hips forwards and simultaneously squeeze your glutes whilst you hold the pose.

Chair Pose

Stand at the top of your mat and bring your feet together. Lift your arms overhead and sit back, bending your knees and hips at the same time until you’re in a narrow squat position. Your back should remain neutral and squeeze your thighs together.

Not sure where to start? We’ve put together a 10 minute Vinyasa Yoga flow. This style of yoga is focused on linking movements together with the breath. It’s a great way to get your body moving at the start of the day or before a workout as a warm up. Once you become comfortable with the routine you can repeat it to make the class longer.

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Tags: Exercise Type > Yoga & Pilates ; Misc > Workout