While weightlifting is renowned for its ability to build muscle mass and strength, including yoga in a weightlifter’s training regimen can have benefits that complement and improve their performance.
Yoga has been credited with helping athletes achieve better performance and improving fitness levels. Let us look at many reasons why weightlifters should practise yoga.
Flexibility and mobility
Yoga focuses on stretching and lengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which can help improve flexibility and mobility in weightlifters. Enhanced flexibility allows weightlifters to perform exercises with proper form, reduce the risk of injury, and maximise their range of motion, leading to more effective and efficient workouts.
Balance and stability
Many yoga poses require balance and stability, which can help weightlifters develop better proprioception and body awareness. By practising yoga, weightlifters can improve their balance and stability, leading to greater control and coordination during weightlifting exercises. Improved balance can also help prevent falls and injuries, especially when lifting heavy weights.
Strength and endurance
While yoga may not involve lifting heavy weights like traditional strength training, it can still help improve strength and endurance through bodyweight exercises and resistance-based poses. Holding yoga poses requires muscular engagement and activation, which can help build strength and stamina over time, benefiting weightlifters in their training and performance.
Injury prevention and rehabilitation
Yoga promotes overall body awareness and mindfulness, allowing weightlifters to identify and address imbalances, weaknesses, and areas of tightness or tension. By practising yoga regularly, weightlifters can reduce the risk of overuse injuries, alleviate muscle soreness, and speed up the recovery process from strenuous workouts. Yoga can also help rehabilitate existing injuries by gently stretching and strengthening the affected muscles and tissues.
Mental focus and relaxation
In addition to physical benefits, yoga offers mental and emotional benefits that can be invaluable for weightlifters. The focus on breath control and mindfulness in yoga helps athletes cultivate mental focus, concentration, and resilience, enabling them to stay present and focused during workouts and competitions. Yoga also promotes relaxation and stress reduction, helping weightlifters manage pre-competition nerves, anxiety, and tension, leading to improved overall well-being.
Yoga poses for weightlifters
If you an athlete looking to add yoga to your fitness regime, you can start with these 5 poses
- Chair pose
- Downward Facing Dog
- Upward Facing Dog
- Cobra pose
- Warrior 3 pose
