The National School Games 2022 are in full swing, from now till 31 August, and while it’s a nice opportunity to head out for exciting and adrenalin-pumping competition, it’s also a good time to consider slowing down. And what better way than to engage in some yoga as a great way to get centred and find your balance amidst juggling the academic and sporting demands of school.
You barely need any equipment
Yoga can happen anywhere. You don’t even need an actual yoga mat. You could also use an old exercise mat, free up a little floorspace, or even practice yoga in bed! There are few barriers to entry for this wonderful form of exercise!
It is for all fitness levels
Yoga can range from relaxing, deep breathing exercises to more vigorous yoga flows. No matter your fitness level, you can find a yoga practice that is perfect for your body.
It helps reduce stress
Yoga is a great way to step away from our daily chores and responsibilities, and take a moment to relax. By practicing deep, mindful breathing and focusing on breathing along with every movement, we can soothe our feelings of stress and anxiety.
It can aid better sleep
Instead of browsing through phone or squeezing in a few extra minutes of Netflix, try practising yoga before bed to improve the quality and duration of your sleep. After all, yoga is so calming that people often even fall blissfully asleep in the middle of their yoga sequence!
It builds strength in your whole body
Strength training does not have to mean lifting heavy weights at the gym. Yoga allows you to build strength by using your own body weight as resistance. For example, the Chaturanga transition trains the upper body, while Warrior poses work the lower body. You can incorporate them all into a “flow” of full-body exercises that will help you build muscle and tone up!
It increases mobility and flexibility
Yoga poses stretch our muscles, increasing blood flow to them and helping us release soreness and tension and bring a greater range of motion to areas that feel tight or stiff.
It does wonders for muscle recovery
Feeling sore and achy after competition? It is important to train hard and play hard, but it is just as important to give our bodies time to rest and recover. Yoga stretching can be a restorative exercise to help you relieve the muscle aches and tension that has built up after intense training!
With a clearer mind and a rested body, you'd also be in a better position to analyze your game post-match or perhaps you'd be interested in following one of the upcoming live streams of The National School Games 2022. Click here for more details.