Yoga for Active Recovery

I believe that yoga is always beneficial no matter your fitness level. The best thing about yoga is that literally anyone can practice it. However, when you are exercising rigorously four to five times a week, you NEED at least one rest/active recovery day….and that is where yoga comes in.

There are many benefits to practicing yoga. Some relevant reasons to recovery include the following: improves circulation, releases muscular tension, resets/restores the nervous system, and helps you tune into your body.

It is common knowledge that yoga aids in circulation through low-impact whole body movement. Improved circulation promotes recovery by delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscles. It also clears stagnant blood removing lactic acid build-up in tissues. In return, this allows your muscles to efficiently repair damage from exercise and helps prepare you for your next workout.

Next, releasing muscular tension counters the effects of the repetitive motion of exercise. Muscle tension (when a muscle contracts and does not release) can be caused by both overuse of your muscles as well as stress. Yoga addresses both of these causes. A regular yoga practice lengthens, stretches and relaxes muscles in conjunction with breath work resulting in less muscle tension. 

Resetting the nervous system is crucial as it steers an individual out of the “fight or flight” mode to the “rest and digest” mode. This enables the body to focus on critical functions such as digestion, detoxification, and waste-removal. Yoga promotes the “rest and digest” mode through calming movements, breath work and meditation.

Lastly, yoga yields some useful mental benefits. It clears your mind, allowing you to listen to your body, reflect on your day, and plan for what is ahead.

I personally do yoga everyday especially after a difficult workout. It makes me feel better overall and in my opinion, it helps me recover faster. I can feel the difference in my body the next day when I take the time to stretch versus when I skip it. Could yoga make a difference in your recovery?

Sources:

https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/how-to-relieve-muscle-tension

https://www.washington.edu/wholeu/2015/09/28/yoga-for-longevity/

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/get-grounded-tap-parasympathetic-nervous-system-anywhere

https://www.yogajournal.com/teach/the-scientific-basis-of-yoga-therapy