Yoga to Compliment…Rugby.

Yoga and rugby are two very different forms of movement however they compliment each other nicely. In recent years, yoga has become popular in the professional rugby world with the likes of the All Blacks and Welsh national team incorporating it into their weekly mobility routine. Beauden Barrett and Ma'a Nonu are both big advocates of the physical and mental benefits of yoga.

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. Proper stretching habits can help players reach their potential and prevent dangerous injuries common to the sport.

The main benefits yoga brings to a rugby player are reduced injury risk, faster recovery between sessions, increased flexibility and improved balance.

Benefits:

1. Reduced injury risk

A yoga practice works through all planes of motion which can really help strengthen some of the muscles that are likely to be underdeveloped (particularly in the shoulders and hips) for rugby players in certain positions. For example, a prop forward who wants to improve his/her scrummaging therefore focuses on squats, leg presses and leg extensions in the gym but neglects other areas. By moving and stretching in every direction, it will help to reduce the risk of injury.

2. Recovery

Tightness is a common issue in rugby players which severely restricts mobility. Whilst yoga helps ease these issues, the style of yoga can also be tailored to be less strenuous on the body, whilst helping ease the aches and pains after a game.

3. Flexibility

Flexibility is defined as the capacity of a joint or muscle to move through its full range of motion. Flexibility is more than simply stretching, it needs to involve strength through the entire range of motion. Yoga offers this in a variety of postures and particularly in hatha, vinyasa and ashtanga style classes.

4. Mobility

Yoga is a fantastic way of making yourself more flexible, thereby increasing your mobility by increasing your range of motion and lengthening muscle tissue whilst stabilising a joint forming greater integrity and strength.

5. Strength

By regularly performing yoga, you can build a great deal of functional strength that focuses on developing both the upper and lower body in a dynamic and static manner. It is also fantastic for developing a strong core.

6. Body awareness

By combining movement with breathing, yoga promotes proprioception. By developing a greater awareness of what your body is doing, it allows us to know what position our body parts are in without looking at them. This sense also tells us about the force of our movements and so we are able to make technical changes with greater ease which is an advantage on and off the field.

7. Ease of movement

Yoga teaches the skill of breathing which allows you to perform with effort whilst at the same time moving with ease. Learning to breath in coordination with movement allows us to perform in a much more relaxed state.

8. The Mental game

A big part of any sport is the mental aspect and how we control our mind and use it to focus throughout a match/game or run. Same goes for rugby. Practicing yoga and breathwork improves the players ability to learn how to control their emotions before a game, to stay calm and focused when things aren’t going well and help with overall concentration.