News — strength

We hear that many great athletes practice yoga.  It's no wonder, since yoga not only makes you stronger physically, but it strengthens you in other ways as well.

1) Breathing-yoga is not just about stretching the body. It's about remembering to breath, which is vital to life.  When I was in Taiwan, I entered a jump-roping contest.  My coach gave me one tip: Don't forget to breath.  I ended up winning the jump rope contest, and I believe it was because I remembered to breath throughout the competition.  Yoga teaches us the right way to breath so that oxygen reaches all of the cells in our bodies and then some.

2) Focus-whatever you do, whether it's playing tennis, swimming, or walking-it's important to be mindful of the moment and focus.  When we do yoga, we learn little tips on how to focus or perhaps un-focus on things that are interfering with the moment.  Yoga teaches mindfulness, and in today's busy world, this skill is becoming more and more important.

3) Strength-yoga requires the muscles to work together.  Because a lot of the moves require isometrics, the body becomes stronger. 

4) Agility and Balance-yoga moves require the body to balance.  Not only will you become more agile, but your body will become more balanced as you work out both sides of the body.  With every stretch, there is a counter stretch.  Yoga encourages everyone to engage the muscles on both sides of the body, whereas other sports may just focus on one side.

Of course there are many other benefits to yoga, but these are just a few that compliment other sports and activities.  

O.k., so you see them everywhere! Balance balls, balance boards, balance cushions, balance bikes are appearing everywhere left and right.  Why are they so great?  Did you know that doing the same exercise on a balance device makes you even stronger?  Research tells us that balance boards and balance balls engage more muscle fibers in the body.  For example, the lower back muscles use 42%-70% more exertion when on a balance device.  Now, how about those abs?  They say that 22%-34% more exertion takes place when on a balance board or ball.  Quads get a whopping 61%-84% more exertion, calves about 17%-51% more compared to exercises done without those balancing devices. 

Why didn't we know this years ago?