{"id":2459199,"date":"2015-08-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/uncategorized\/5-best-yoga-moves-athletes\/"},"modified":"2022-05-12T12:07:21","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T18:07:21","slug":"5-best-yoga-moves-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/health\/training-performance\/5-best-yoga-moves-athletes\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Best Yoga Moves for Athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you associate yoga with crunchy human pretzels and Cirque de Soleil, it\u2019s time you got schooled. \u201cYoga can obviously help with flexibility and range of motion,\u201d says Sage Rountree<\/a>, a Raleigh, N.C.-based endurance sports coach, and author of Everyday Yoga<\/a><\/em>. But it can also \u201chelp build strength, and foster recovery. Put together, the strength and flexibility will help to ward off injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of the sports injuries Rountree sees come from muscular imbalances. \u201cYoga poses,\u201d she says, \u201ccan help fix these imbalances and make you more injury proof.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, that doesn\u2019t mean you should learn to put your legs behind your head\u2014some stiffness is useful. \u201cTo be a good runner, you need stiffness in your hips for efficient energy transfer,\u201d Rountree says. Therefore, the goal with yoga for athletes is to develop core strength, fluidity of motion. And to relax. \u201cJust being still and breathing will help with recovery, and recovery is the secret to performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that in mind, she\u2019s shared a quick, five-pose routine featuring a mix of stretching, strengthening, and chillaxing. For best results, do these poses in the order below three times a week, in your spare time. A measly 10 to 15 minutes is all you really need.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. Warrior III<\/h2>\n
\"\"
(Seth K. Hughes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benefits<\/strong>: Strengthens lower leg, hip, and core. Builds balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a great warm up. Dip in and out like a drinking bird toy,\u201d Rountree says. Do five dips on each leg, holding the last dip for five to 10 breaths. Watch a demonstration here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Crescent Lunge\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\"\"
(Seth K. Hughes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benefits<\/strong>: Builds strength in the front leg, flexibility in the back leg.<\/p>\n

Stand with your legs split, your front knee over the front ankle, and the ball of your back foot touching the ground. Pulse here five to 10 times. Find a comfortable stretch and hold for five to 10 breaths. Repeat on the other side.\u00a0Watch a demonstration\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Bridge Pose<\/h2>\n
\"\"
(Seth K. Hughes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benefits<\/strong>: Builds strength in glutes and hamstrings while stretching hip flexors, abs, and chest.<\/p>\n

Hold the pose for three rounds of 10 breaths.\u00a0Watch a demonstration\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. Cross-Legged Twist\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\"\"
(Seth K. Hughes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benefits<\/strong>: Stretches hips and chest, rotates spine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hold the pose for five to 15 breaths on each side.\u00a0Watch a demonstration\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. Legs Up the Wall\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\"\"
(Seth K. Hughes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benefits<\/strong>: Stretches hamstrings and chest.<\/p>\n

This is a passive pose. \u201cLet go and be still. Don\u2019t try to make things happen,\u201d Rountree says. Hold this pose for as long as you like.\u00a0Watch a demonstration\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n
Video loading...<\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s a quick way to faster recovery and fewer injuries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":2007246,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"uuid":"ea3898fe2afad804c58095e6e60b0fa4","footnotes":""},"categories":[2553],"tags":[2650,2621,2651],"byline":[1315],"ad_cat":[],"legacy-category":[],"class_list":["post-2459199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training-performance","tag-flexibility","tag-injury-prevention","tag-strength-and-power-training","byline-erin-beresini"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"The 5 Best Yoga Moves for Athletes","url":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/health\/training-performance\/5-best-yoga-moves-athletes\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/health\/training-performance\/5-best-yoga-moves-athletes\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/12\/yoga-for-athletes_h.jpg","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/12\/yoga-for-athletes_h.jpg"},"articleSection":"Training & Performance","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"eberger"}],"creator":["eberger"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Online","logo":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/favicon-194x194-1.png"},"keywords":["flexibility","injury prevention","strength and power training"],"dateCreated":"2015-08-17T00:00:00Z","datePublished":"2015-08-17T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2022-05-12T18:07:21Z"},"rendered":"