Cross training with Yoga is a great way to condition the entire body, not just specific muscle groups while developing a new set of skills. Yoga allows you the freedom to vary the stress placed on specific muscles or your cardiovascular system and will help the body recover from a vigorous cardio or strength workouts. After months of the same movements your body becomes extremely efficient performing those movements, and while that is great for competition, it limits the amount of overall fitness you possess and reduces the actual conditioning you get while training. Rather than continuing to improve, you simply maintain a certain level of fitness. Yoga will build overall muscle strength and flexibility and is extremely helpful at reducing the risk of injury from repetitive strain and overuse in tight muscles (quads, hamstrings, hips, shoulders and low back). Yoga can be done at a high (Power Yoga) or low intensity (Yoga Flow, Slow Flow) and there are hundreds of postures that can provide a workout for any athletic need.  

The term cross training refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise. Yoga is unique in that it stretches your tight muscles and strengthens your weak muscles, improves range of motion and endurance, creating balance in the body.  The breath is the tool to enhance communication between mind and muscle improving concentration and coordination. This newfound focus is the reason for the growing popularity for athletes. For most sports enthusiasts, cross-training with Yoga~Pilates is a beneficial training method for maintaining a high level of overall fitness. 

Skills and Benefits

Improves Flexibility, Strength, Balance and Concentration; Decreases Tension, Stress and Excess Fat

Increase Flexibility and Range of Motion
Yoga~Pilates routines incorporate slow, steady flexibility exercise and will increase flexibility, and range of motion while relieving muscle tension. Whether you are a spinner, a weight trainer, a runner, a tennis player or a golfer, improved range of motion will help improve performance.

Increase Strength and Body Awareness  

The slow, focused movements in Yoga 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 or weight training workouts with improved performance and form.

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.  

Develop Deep, Relaxed Breathing
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. A Yoga practice integrates the mind-body connection and athletes can benefit from this combination of skills training.  

Destin Yoga by the Sea has Something for Everyone
There are many styles of Yoga that range from very dynamic active movements that flow from one posture to another (and result in a thorough aerobic workout) to more slow-paced practices that hold postures for several minutes and form an intense strength training and balance workout. A private session offers individual attention, where the trainer focuses on you exclusively, and individually structures each workout to your personal goals and ability level.

By Rhonda Comparin

If you want to see all of these benefits, you'll need to start cross training with Yoga

What better time to start than now.