I have such an admiration for people who compete in Triathlons, a race consisting of running, swimming and cycling all in one event is not easy. It takes weeks and months of training and a wide skillset to be up there with the best of the best as essentially it’s three sports in one.

There are so many benefits to practicing yoga and I’ve delved into these over the last few months however one of the most important in my opinion is muscle recovery. It’s very easy to ignore the fact that to improve our performance and get the most out of our training we need to REST.

As I always say, warming up before any sort of exercise is important so who’s to say you can’t incorporate a bit of gentle movement such as yoga into your weekly routine to prepare and help your body’s ability to recover quicker and improve your hiking performance and reduce the risk of injury. Pre-hike warm-up will really help reduce the risk of muscle soreness and cramping, as well as post-hike cool-down and soreness relief.

Breathing is an intuitive action that we do every minute of every day and for the majority of that time, we don’t pay any attention to it, yet it’s essential for our survival.

Did you know that the Dubs (Dublin Senior GAA football team – for those reading outside of Ireland!) are big fans of yoga and have incorporated it into previous training schedules? I might be slightly biased on this one but they are definitely onto something!

If you love sports you know that injuries come with the territory, caused by repetitive motion, imbalances in your biomechanics or in many cases both. Everyone has a story about an injury and whether minor or more serious, it’s all relative and for those who are into fitness, sports, the gym, CrossFit etc. it can be soul destroying when if and when it happens.

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Proprioception is our perception and awareness of the position and movement of the body. It’s knowing where your body lives in space.

Tennis is a game that requires strength, flexibility and mental concentration and really works the shoulders, spine and legs. It’s fundamentally a one-sided sport therefore the dominant side will always do more work as your serve, volleys, overheads and forehand shots are hit with your dominant side only, so what happens to the opposite side?

Life can get hectic with things to do, people to see and places to go. There’s always something that needs doing and we can get caught up in this without even realising it. Have you ever moved into a different room to get something and then you can’t remember what you were there for in the first place? A classic example of lack of focus and concentration. You’re physically there but mentally miles away.

Yoga and rugby are two very different forms of movement however they compliment each other nicely. Rugby is a sport that requires athletes to maintain a high level of physical strength, endurance and speed but as it’s a contact sport that can take a heavy toll on muscles, bones and joints, rugby players must also be very flexible.

Balance and stability are intrinsically linked with yoga but also the majority of other forms of exercise and sport. Not only that but it’s essential for everyday life, try carrying bags of groceries or reaching for an item on a tall shelf without either of the above or kicking a ball or lifting weights, believe me it’s difficult!

It’s not unheard of that CrossFit and yoga are a good pairing, I’ve spoken to and know lots of CrossFitters and they all understand the importance of mobility work but it’s mostly a case of prioritising some time for it.

Endurance is simply “the ability to persevere,” whether doing an aerobic or an anaerobic activity. We’ve all had that moment when our inner voice shouts, “I can’t do anymore burpees or I can’t run any faster” but by having the ability to keep going, to push through the pain, and driving you to reach your maximum effort for a given length of time is fundamental to your overall strength.

When we think of building strength, most people automatically think of lifting weights, which is very effective but it’s not the only option.

Range of Motion is the measurement of the amount of movement around a specific joint or body part and there are three types of ROM that are measured. They are passive (PROM), active-assistive (AAROM), and active (AROM).

Cycling is a fantastic way to get movement into the body and the beauty of it is there are so many options when it comes to intensity and style but as a cyclist you’ve probably experienced in some form, tight hamstrings, calves and thighs, as well as discomfort in the lower back, shoulders and neck.

Range of Motion is the measurement of the amount of movement around a specific joint or body part and there are three types of ROM that are measured. They are passive (PROM), active-assistive (AAROM), and active (AROM).

There are many similarities when it comes to cardio training and yoga and to get the most out of a HIIT class; strength, power, stamina, endurance, balance, mobility and flexibility are all needed for high performance. Yoga has elements of all the above, as each pose and sequence incorporates the use and movement of multiple joints and muscles in various planes of motion aiding in better range of motion.

Mobility is a hot topic at the moment and so it should be; we are spending more time that ever in sedentary positions, working longer hours and moving less. Add in daily stress and irregular sleep patterns into the mix and this can really start to affect our mobility at any age.