"The Role of Yoga in a College Athletic Program."

Read this report on how yoga can benefit athletes training for college and professional level sports:

Balancing Poses
Example: Michael Jordon maneuvering in mid-air and coming down in perfect position for his next move. Professional football player Marshall Faulk weaves his way around would-be tacklers. They depend on balance to help them perform these moves.

  • For Many athletes, lack of balance is what prevents tham from progressing in their primary sports. However, balance is an often overlooked ability in high performance athletes.
  • Improving balance involves "mechano-reception", the brain-to-body and body-to-brain information system.
  • Primary beds for mechanoreceptors are found in the talus joint of the foot, hip joints, spine and in the joint between the first and second cervical vertibrae.
  • Improving the connection from the brain to all of the larger joints of your body gives an athlete a better chance at correction when caught off guard during competition.
  • Poor balance can affect the potential for injury. Basketball players with a poor sense of balance are more injury prone because they don't have a good command of their body. For instance, coming down after reaching up to make a shot---if you hit another player on the way down, you need to be able to adjust quickly.

Contact me at Karen@peoplepc.com for copies of the full article!


 

© Copyright 2005 Karen Fabian. All Rights Reserved.