Yoga for Athletes

Yoga teacher Karly Treacy says boxing is a more natural fit for yogis than you might you think. Learn why. Then try this perfect sequence to stretch your out post-spar.

If you can't remember when you last exercised with shoes on, it’s time to give running another shot. The good news? Your body is ready.

You aren't realizing the full benefit of your workout routine unless you're giving equal attention to recovery.

Did you hang up your boxing gloves when you found yoga? Now there's no need. BoxingYoga is attracting fans from inside and outside the ring, and it's about to throw a punch in the U.S.

American soccer forward, World Cup champion, and yogi Christen Press gives YJ a peek into her practice.

If headspins and windmills were, like, totally your thingin the 1980s, you’ll love Breakti, a combo of yoga and breakdancing.

Try this energetic four-pose sequence three times on each side to warm up and protect your hips before you head to the barre.

The former NFL linebacker, philanthropist, and sports analyst for NBC Sports in Atlanta gives YJ a peek into his practice.

A skill that makes everyday movements easier—and safer.

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine focus on treating the “whole person,” not just a symptom. We’ve spoken with the American Osteopathic Association for their tips on how yoga and osteopathic medicine are intimately linked.

The 24-year-old Olympic gold medal-winning snowboarder reveals how yoga helps her balance on and off the slopes.

Gwen Lawrence, the yoga coach for the New York Giants who has also worked on and off for the New York Rangers, the New York Knicks, and New York Yankee players including Alex Rodriguez, as well as many other athletes and celebrities, explains how she amps up her yoga game with weights, tackles tight spots, and challenges even the mightiest NFL players with Frog Pose.

Christen Press, the 26-year-old professional soccer forward who helped the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in July, explains how yoga and meditation “quiet the distractions” in her life and make her a more dynamic athlete. Plus: Her twice-daily Vedic meditation ritual.

Here, Johnston offers 3 hybrid moves that will get you out of your yoga rut AND give you a metabolic boost. Remember to warm up with Sun Salutations before beginning.

Cristi Christensen, co-founder of Yoga Surf Camp, a 180-minute workshop that combines beachfront yoga with surf lessons at Exhale Center for Sacred Movement in Venice, Calif., says yoga gives surfers the focus they need to charge a wave full force and the strength and flexibility they need to stay up. Plus: Must-do poses for building a strong core.

Dana Santas explains how her yoga-based moves help prevent injury and give players the full range of motion they need to excel in their sports.

Steal these three three core-building balance moves from The YogaSlackers to cultivate slackline-ready strength.

After a receiving diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, this Ohio-based athlete discovered that yoga 
helps keep his symptoms at bay and felt he had to share its healing power with others.

Practice these four poses pre-hike to improve strength and stability for a safer journey and post-hike to ease any tight spots.

When the square footage of your mat starts to feel small, consider taking your practice outdoors with these 5 adventure sports perfect for yogis.

Take your practice to the water. Kathryn Budig has these three simple poses to get your feet wet with standup paddleboard yoga.

A yoga practice 
can be an important recovery tool 
for tennis in order to stretch tight muscles and encourage tissue resiliency.

For the first time, yoga classes will be offered at the Special Olympics World Games kicking off this Saturday, July 25th, in Los Angeles.

Athletes (and non-athletes) tend to have a lot of misconceptions about the hips. Here, the anatomy and function of the joint demystified.

Tight or open, your hips need to be strong for injury-free movement. Learn how to build stability in common yoga poses.

Kathryn Budig wants to introduce you to her new love: Karate. Here, two kicks to get you started, paired with the perfect poses for the flexibility and strength required.

NASA rocket scientist/yoga teacher Scott Lewicki balances a highly technical day job with creativity on the mat. Use this innovative practice to find new space in often forgotten muscles.

Think you don't have time for yoga? Add this vinyasa right into your next workout, between sets of any exercise, to keep things interesting.

Surfers may be stereotyped as all mellow and relaxed, but the intense demands their sport puts on the body can leave muscles feeling anything but.

The breath is just as essential for athletes as it is for yogis. Spend a few minutes with your breath to rebalance after exercise.

Worried you're not getting enough cardio? Research has found yoga has just as many heart-healthy benefits.

Recover from your workout with these six restorative poses from Sage Rountree’s new book that marry hip release and inversion to sweetly calm your nervous system.

Use this post-workout sequence from Sage Rountree’s book to build core strength that balances the abs and back muscles.

Mat-free poses to prep your body for enhanced performance.

Spinning and outdoor cycling are high-octane cardio workouts that require powerful legs and knees, and a strong back and core. Use yoga to regain balance.

Practice tuning in to your breath and body before a workout to focus and commit to nurturing and strengthening your body.

Sage Rountree teaches yoga to UNC Men’s Basketball team. Here, her top four poses for players, plus two for March-maddened coaches and fans.

Kathryn Budig talks snow and flow with the Olympian. Plus, three poses to make your time on the mountain even sweeter.

Get started with this short sequence that honors a dancer’s impulse for expression and creativity while requiring thoughtful form.

UFC reminds Kathryn Budig of what else? Yoga. Her favorite shoulder opener bears a striking resemblance to Ronda Rousey's signature "straight armbar."

Devoted to lifting or CrossFit? Try Sage Rountree's sequence to counter the front-body tightness that can come with them.

Use this practice to lengthen and strengthen your body for skiing and snowshoeing.

Strengthen your feet, tone your quads, and protect your knees with these poses for snowboarders. Agility and quick turns have never been easier.

Don't be surprised if you spot your favorite hoops star in Down Dog on the sidelines when the NBA kicks off its 69th season this week.

Rock climbing and yoga reinforce the mind-body connection through similar types of movement. Become a better climber with these six poses.

This pose sequence is perfect to help trail runners increase endurance and stability.

Yoga poses that build core AND make you a better surfer? We'll take 'em.

We’re all winners, losers, and people. Find out how soccer unites us like yoga.

Top off your July 4th weekend with hiking and Vinyasa in the park. Outside asana at it's finest.

Strengthen your shoulders, core and arms to make the most of your paddleboarding workouts. Here are 3 poses to help.

Add these CrossFit exercises into your workout routine to strengthen your practice and mind-body connection.

Climbing and yoga both reinforce the mind-body connection. Here, the best poses to get your climb on.

Yoga helps skaters be more flexible and graceful on the ice.

"Your time on the mat can be like a language lab, giving you opportunity to listen to your body, to make mistakes, and to correct them compassionately," writes Sage Rountree. Find out how to tune in and respond to what your body has to say.

Yoga gives pro snowboarders 
a leg up—and can improve your ride too.

"Intention serves to inspire and focus you mentally and spiritually. Goals, on the other hand, help you apply the right physical effort to the task at hand," writes Sage Rountree. Do you have an intention and goals for your practice?

Use these yoga poses to cool down, stretch, and strengthen your muscles after your run. Nothing ever felt so good.

Stretch and boost confidence with this snowga practice before strapping on your board or skis.

Try these 4 poses post-run to stretch and unwind.

Sage Rountree describes modifications of traditional asanas that feel great on the hiking trail.

Learning new sports or challenging yourself physically can lead to sore muscles and all-over body fatigue. Sage Rountree explains how to avoid the worst of both, and how your yoga practice can help.

Going for a hike? Take your practice where it's never gone before and try these poses on your outdoor adventure.

Water-loving yogis play with balance, focus, and core strength by taking their practice offshore.

Back and neck pain forced Albert Marquis to hang up the reins. Through basic yoga stretching, he finds his way back.

When Hillary Gibson applied the lessons she'd learned in yoga to her daily runs, she realized she could run further and ease her pain.

Almost all sports injuries are caused by imbalance in the body, says Sage Rountree. Here she explains how to achieve balance throughout the hips for greater comfort and freedom in your activities.

On retreat, we can make a connection between the physical and the mental, watching how we react to the stresses of asana, meditation, and training, and lay the groundwork for a successful mental approach going forward.

Discover inner resources that can help you make healthier choices, meet your goals, and change your life for good.

We all experience flexibility in some areas more so than others. Sage Rountree discusses the importance of balance in and around the hips and offers poses that help to create opening where needed.

Dropped into a fitness class developed for the Navy Seals, the author channels her yoga practice and soars.

Sage Rountree explains Handstand's physiological and psychological benefits for athletes.

Sage Rountree offers modifications for sitting in meditation for athletes with tight hips and quads.

An athlete learns through yoga to let the life you're supposed to live find you, instead of trying to control the course of your dreams.

Your yoga practice can help you adjust your stride to accommodate the rocks, dips, and turns of trails.

Yogis are often asked "Is yoga cardio?" While it may not seem to be the case, all practices aren't created equal, and some strategic sequencing can help you get a cardiovascular workout from your practice.

Every activity requires a balance of finding the correct form and using the right kind of breathwork to propel the motion. Sage Rountree explains.

Elite bicyclists learn to hone different types of focus—exactly the kind of attention skills we develop in yoga.

Here are stretches that will open up your shoulders in preparation for serving, throwing, or any other overhead arm activity.

Tennessee Titans' defensive tackle Shaun Smith drops weight and improves his conditioning with yoga.

Yoga helps swimmers, rowers, and kayakers build needed core strength and relieve upper-body aches and pains.