The YogaFit Athlete

Book excerpt: Bring the strength and breathing power of yoga to the sports you love—and seriously up your game! Yoga routines designed specifically for swimming, running, cycling, golf, tennis, baseball, football, volleyball, basketball, skiing, snowboarding, weight lifting, kickboxing, boxing, CrossFit, and more! “Your body can either help you achieve your goals or get in the way of you living your best life. By practicing yoga and meditation, you can make your body work with you, not against you.”—Beth Shaw Whether you’re a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or a pick-up game enthusiast, yoga can dramatically affect your athletic performance and improve your alignment, balance, core stability, strength, flexibility, agility, endurance, lung capacity, and mobility. In this motivating and practical guide, celebrated fitness expert Beth Shaw provides short, sport-specific yoga routines designed to help counter tight muscles, overuse injuries, and musculature imbalances. By adding a quick yoga routine to any workout, you will increase your overall strength and health, and achieve your personal best. Inside you’ll find • fully illustrated, sport-specific yoga routines that engage the core, enhance your play, and reduce the risk of injury • essential warm-up and cool-down movements to complement any athletic endeavor • simple breathing exercises to steady your breath and calm your nerves during competition • meditation techniques to help clear your mind and bring laser focus to your goals • guided imagery and visualization exercises to improve performance • strategies for coaching yourself and others