- Yoga and stretching help with recovery. Get rid of excess lactic acid and reduce stiffness and soreness in your muscles. The deep breathing in Yoga brings oxygen to your cells and so then your muscles, helping them perform better.
- Flexibility. Strength training without attention to flexibility can hinder the functionality of your body. Keeping supple will also prevent injury. Tight muscles can affect the alignment in your body. Feeling like you’ve got tight hamstrings? You may need to mobilise your posterior chain. Yoga is great for this! Number one pose for the posterior chain? Downward Dog of course.
- Stretching and yoga can help you become stronger. If you think of your muscles like elastic bands, so when you pull them they snap back, and the further you pull it the greater force that can be generated.
- Yoga helps you manage stress – not only mentally and emotionally, but by reducing tension in the body.
- Yoga balancing works the stabiliser muscles, which are muscles often neglected, as well as improves joint stability. Yoga will not only improve your physical balance, but will help you do strength work-outs in a balanced way. By being present and mindful in the body, noticing what is happening, letting go of striving and not forcing anything, you can nourish yourself without the overextending that causes pain and injury.
- Develop a focused and present mind – this will not only help prevent injury, but it will allow improvement in muscle control.
Sources:
https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/yoga-for-strength-athletes-mobilize-your-it-band-and-posterior-chain
https://www.primalplay.com/blog/8-benefits-of-balance-exercises
