There are different types of yoga for the different times in your season. Most volleyball training programs contain an off-season and base period (pre season), a build period (season), in which work intensifies, and a peak or competitive period (post season play). It is necessary for all training programs to include strength, agility, and plyometrics. Yoga should be used as a tool to compliment the training season, not undermine it.
Now that we know yoga increases your athletic performance, what type of yoga is best for post season?
During Post Season your focus should be on: minimal yoga, increasing focus and meditation & visualization practice, gentle modifications, and restorative yoga.
Passive stretching that is heavily prop supported, such as in restorative yoga, allows for muscles to relax and not surpass their edge. Unlike yin yoga, restorative yoga has been found to stimulate collagen and encourage healing over time. Rather than stretching in restorative yoga, we put the joints in a position to influence the tissues first, then passively over time, the body’s nervous system physiologically responds.
The SAID principle is “specific adaptation to imposed demands” of most frequently performed or most frequently applied loads. This is an important concept regarding restorative yoga, since the postures are prop supported, passive poses. The aim becomes neurological to affect change on a cellular level with poses for specific purposes.
Restorative yoga offers a platform to restore your body & mind in a quiet, peaceful & relaxing environment. Yoga Restore is a prop supported practice that helps your body dive into a state of deep relaxation while gently stretching your muscles in long held poses. You might experience guided visualization, performance breathwork, SMR with therapy balls and range of motion techniques in a Yoga Athletex Yoga Restore class, that is appropriate for competition season.
As an athlete, your goal is to practice yoga to get one step ahead of your competition by increasing your range of motion to perform at your very best. We call this optimal performance. Every athlete is always trying to incorporate things that will make them just 1% better. By adding a yoga practice to your current training schedule, you can do just that. You just need to make sure you are practicing the appropriate type of yoga, according to your season and sport.
That’s where yaxonline.com comes in to help and guide you. Being former athletes ourselves, we know adding anything to your already jam packed schedule can seem impossible. That’s why we have made it easy on you. Try out a restorative yoga class today here: yaxonline.com. First 7 days are free!
Athletes: Register for YAX Online Portal of Yoga + HIIT + Jump Training + Breathwork + Meditation for $39/month (*7 day free trial) Use Code JVA30 for 30% Off 1 month, 6 month and 12 month subscriptions.
Club Directors: Contact us at info@yogaathletex.com to discuss online training for your club! We take the hassle out of programming your performance training + yoga, so you can focus on volleyball.
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About the Author
Kalynn Evans (B.S., NASM-CPT, E-RYT 200, FMSC, XPT Coach) is the Owner of Yoga Athletex, LLC alongside her sister Patricia Bomar. She grew up playing volleyball; her mom and coach was a former college volleyball player at University of Houston and then a member of the US national team, so volleyball was instilled in her from a young age. Kalynn played club volleyball for 7 years at Club Texas in Houston. She played D1 college volleyball at SE Louisiana where she graduated with an accounting degree. Having some back and hip injuries throughout her volleyball career led Kalynn to practice yoga, and want to offer yoga to youth and adult athletes to prevent and rehabilitate injury. She completed her 200 RYT in 2013, completed Yin and Restorative Trainings in 2015 and 2016, FMS Cert 2016, and NASM-CPT in 2017 and XPT coaching certificate in 2018.
Kalynn’s Instagram: @kalynnevans
YAX Online Instagram: @yaxonline
Yoga Athletex: @yogaathletex
