Yoga can feel like the perfect reward at the end of a hard workout and there’s a reason it feels that way. Incorporating Yoga at the end of your workout has many benefits and can aid in the recovery process, helping you recover quicker and perform better. Here are a few of the important benefits:
- Yoga is a great way to cool down the body and help your muscles heal after your workout. Using Yoga as an active recovery helps transition the body from the Sympathetic Nervous System (fight or flight that is reached during higher intensity exercise or HIIT) to the Parasympathetic Nervous System (a state of relaxation). As the body shifts back to this state of relaxation the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate all begin to lower and return to balance.
- Yoga helps reduce stress and bring you back to a calm mental state. Yoga is a mind-body workout that will not only help reduce mental stress, but at the end of your workout, it helps reduce the stress your muscles are under from contracting during your strength training. Finishing your workout with Yoga, not only helps your muscles recover, but leaves you with a calm and relaxed mental state, ready to take on the next part of your day.
- Yoga helps improve sleep and sleep quality. Sleep is such an important part of the recovery process and a regular Yoga practice can aid in better sleep. One Yoga session will likely not do the trick, but consistently practicing Yoga at the end of your workout can support better sleep.
We can’t wait to meet you on the mat in the studio and see what improvements you notice when adding Yoga to the end of your workout session.
