By: Anne Clarke
It may seem that yoga do not have much in common, but yoga can really help improve your soccer game. Yoga is great for the young and the old, women and men... and even soccer players. Some men have avoided yoga because they think of it has a women’s trend, and that it certainly isn’t a sport. That’s right, yoga isn’t a "sport," but practicing yoga can certainly improve how well you play in whichever sport you do play.
Yoga and people who do yoga are certainly not to be laughed at – yoga can be very difficult. Not everyone can do all of the poses, and some poses take years before your body has learned to do them correctly. And, contrary to some people’s belief, you can even break a sweat during yoga, especially if you are practicing Bikram yoga. Bikram yoga is yoga performed in a room heated up to 100 degrees Farenheit! Your body becomes more flexible in the heat.
Yoga emphasizes balance, flexibility and mental discipline. Yoga is not just for the body but for the mind, too. Sports are about the mind, too, but sometimes people can forget that. Sometimes people concentrate too much on a skill out on the field but fail to picture it in their minds. Mental imagery can really prepare someone for soccer.
Yoga also loosens the muscles and takes pressure off of your joints. It can really keep you fit. Simple yoga exercises are a great way to loosen up before or after a game or practice.
The amount of injuries that a team has can also be reduced if that team practices yoga. Yoga strengthens muscles in a way that makes it harder to injure them later.
Before you scoff at the idea of doing yoga in addition to your soccer practices, you should try it. Yoga and soccer make a great team, and they can also make your team better. Why not try this ancient art?
