Yoga for athletes: Flexibility – an underestimated factor in performance
A strength athlete’s first yoga class is usually a lesson in humility. Here is someone who can lift twice their body weight off the ground – yet struggles with a deep lunge whilst keeping their arms raised. The hips seize up, the thoracic spine won’t cooperate, and the breathing comes in gasps. What becomes apparent at that moment is not weakness. It is a gap in their training that most athletes carry with them for years, because it cannot be measured in kilos or kilometres.
Why stiff athletes are weaker than they could be
Strength can only ever be utilised to the extent permitted by the range of motion. A squat that stops halfway because the ankles and hips cannot open any further leaves muscle potential untapped. A runner with tight hip flexors loses propulsion with every step because their leg cannot fully extend at the back. And a stiff thoracic spine compensates for the lack of rotation where it shouldn’t – usually in the lumbar spine. Mobility isn’t just a nice-to-have for training. It’s the prerequisite for strength and endurance to be effective in the first place.
What yoga really works
Yoga improves this range of motion – but that’s only half the story. The second effect runs deeper: the combination of held poses and calm, deep breathing switches the nervous system into a different mode. The long exhalation activates the part of the nervous system responsible for recovery – the heart rate drops, muscle tension eases, and the body switches from performance mode to recovery mode. That is precisely why a gentle yoga session after a tough day’s training feels so different from simply lying around: it is active recovery by design. Added to this is body awareness – those who practise regularly on the mat notice imbalances and fatigue sooner and therefore train more intelligently.
How to fit yoga into your weekly training routine
There’s no need to overhaul your training plan. Just one or two sessions a week can make a noticeable difference: a gentle, held practice such as Yin Yoga in the evening after the toughest day of training, when the body is already switching to recovery mode anyway. And a short, flowing style to get you going in the morning or on days off from training. More important than the style is consistency – flexibility responds slowly, but it responds reliably. After a few weeks, your squats will be deeper, your stride will open up, and your shoulders will no longer be hunched up to your ears.
Those who prefer a guided and focused experience will find ideal conditions at Reiters Supreme in Bad Tatzmannsdorf: over 40 varied programmes a week, ranging from HIIT to gentle yoga; outdoor yoga across 125 hectares of the centre’s own grounds; and , at the end of August, the Radiance Retreat (27–30 August) – three consecutive days of yoga and regeneration.
