Workouts

Olympic Yoga Teacher's Yoga for Sports Injuries

By Ana Mantica

The top 10 poses to keep you injury free, plus the perfect pose for your injury.

Free Olympian-Approved Workout

Between training, cross-training, strength-training, and racing, who has time for yoga? We hear you but, here’s the thing: If you’re really serious about staying on top of your game, you can’t afford not to incorporate yoga into your routine. Why? In training, yoga relieves muscle tension, which speeds recovery after a hard workout, says Nicholas DiNubile, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and author of Framework: Your 7 Step Program for Healthy Muscles, Bones, and Joints. “Yoga is key for preventing injuries,” says Kimberly Fowler, founder of YAS Fitness Centers in California and creator of Yoga For Athletes.“I’ve had athletes, like U.S. Olympic hopefuls swimmers Amanda Beard and Keri Hehn and top U.K. hurdler Tasha Danvers, all of whom have amazing training and a team of coaches, trainers and therapists, come up to me and say ‘Wow! This is the first season I didn’t get injured,’” she notes.

By loosening up tight muscles, yoga also helps improve total body mobility and flexibility, giving you greater range of motion, which can improve performance. And, it helps even out muscle imbalances that often occur in athletes, especially those who compete in “one-sided’’ sports, such as tennis or golf. The breathing techniques help get more oxygen to your muscles. Lastly, it will create a better sense of body awareness and control, which also elevates performance.
For maximum benefits, Fowler recommends two one-hour sessions a week. Try incorporating it into your strength and flexibility days, or start by simply adding a series of 5 or 6 basic moves like a gentle Spinal Twist (Seated Half Twist), Standing Forward Bend, Cobbler’s pose, Seated Tree and Reclining Pigeon after every workout. If you can’t find a sports-specific yoga class in your area, look for a beginner level Power Yoga class, she suggests.

We asked Fowler to share her ultimate yoga moves for strengthening and protecting your major muscle groups, head to toe. No matter your sport, include these poses into your program and make it through the seasons injury-free. If you’re already injured or feel like you’ve got trouble spots, try only the “Soothing Poses,” and be sure to talk to your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. You can print this sequence out and run it by your doc.

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Comments

Melissa
29 Jul 2008, 23:01

Oh my god!! I’m so excited to see Kimberly on Iyogalif. I can’t believe it!! I’m a New Yorker but always take her class when I’m in LA, in fact I was in her class one time and there were actually 5 Olympic hopefuls in the class and one of the American Gladiators. I actually got to talk to Amanda Beard after class…she was so nice and really pretty. Kimberly pointed out that even though all these athletes were at the top of their game, ”the best of the best" they struggled through class just like the rest of us!! It made me feel better about my own yoga practice.
Is Kimberly coming to New York?

cindy
31 Jul 2008, 21:11

Kimberly - I was wondering if you could tell me your opinion on yoga vs. weight training for strength and cardio. I have been using weights and doing cardio for years and would like to switch to yoga but I am worried that it doesnt provide the same level of fitness. When I do yoga, it is typically power yoga dvds.I must say that it doesn't get my heart rate up as high as when I lift or run. Please advise. Thanks

Kimberly Fowler
08 Aug 2008, 11:21

Hi Cindy,

Yoga vs. Weights?? That’s a great question and one that I get asked all the time by students. I personally don’t do weights. I use my yoga practice for upper body and core strength. If you think about it, when you are holding Plank pose, you are holding up your entire body weight. (I weigh 124lbs; I will never be able to lift that much weight) So I would use yoga as your strength and flexibility training.

As for Cardio, I agree with you, it’s hard to get your heart rate up that high just doing yoga. There are yoga classes where you move thru the poses quickly, but you really need to know what you are doing (or have practiced yoga for a long time) I am all about cross training with yoga. So keep up whatever you do to get your heart rate up, running, cycling (in-door or out).

Let me know how it goes!!

Kimberly

Jean Ong
23 Sep 2008, 04:37

I am interested to become a yoga teacher, I love to do yoga every day before I go to bed. Please advise how can I become a qualified teacher?

Awaiting for your reply with thanks.

Regards,
Jean Ong

Kimberly Fowler
23 Sep 2008, 11:22

Hi Jean,

Larger Yoga studios usually have their own teachers training program. If you are interested in teaching, I would suggest first look into the training at the studio where you practice. (At YAS, if you want to teach, you have to go thru the YAS teachers training) If the Yoga studio or Gym you belong to does not have a teacher training program, then ask them which certifications they require in order to teach.

There are a number of Yoga teachers training programs, ranging from 50-500 hours. So think about your time commitment, can you take this training and still hold down a full time job?

Hope this helps!!

Kimberly