During the season, an athlete’s focus is on getting more specific with training (both in the weight room and with technical skills) as well as participating in the intense work on the court/field. This leads to incurring ample repetitive movement, which is necessary for elite play but doesn’t come without issues like imbalances and overuse injuries.
In order to prevent the damage of repetition and likelihood of physical asymmetries, keeping up with an appropriate yoga practice is necessary. Maintaining recovery and stretching protocols will help keep muscles and tissues healthy and performing their best.
An athlete’s yoga practice should change according to the athletic season, just like their training regimen does. Yoga that is appropriate for the season should be consistent and mellow, with the goal of maintaining all the flexibility gained during the pre-season. It should not be too dynamic, encouraging fatigue, nor too static, encouraging injury.
When in doubt, a short Yoga Recovery class can be added to the end of a practice or training session just 1-2 times per week. Athletes will move better and recover faster, so they can go back to playing the next day stronger and more refreshed!
We want all of our athletes to have a successful season and make it to post-season both physically and mentally ready.
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Sign up for a 7-day free trial of YAX Online to get access to all our on-demand season specific recovery content (including yoga, breathwork, and meditation).
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Yoga by Season
Pre-Season
Athletes should focus on maintaining a dynamic flexibility practice and building strength around the joints for injury prevention and stabilization.
In-Season
Athletes are participating in intense work on the court/field, so they should focus on maintaining flexibility with a consistent but mellow yoga practice.
Post-Season
Athletes should improve focus by practicing breathwork and minimal yoga, as well as meditating to visualize success.
Off-Season
Athletes should work on light training, strength building, increasing ROM, injury rehab, and improving limitations/imbalances with functional movement screening, corrective exercise, and yoga.
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