Flexibility + Balance = Strength
When people find out that I integrate yoga and stretching into my normal training regimen, they look at me like I have a horn growing out of my head. And to be honest, that's the same look I used to give to people who used to suggest that I do yoga. But now that I have been regularly practicing yoga and stretching, I can see now that it is a different kind of strength. And moreover, it helps contribute to my performance in traditional power exercises. How? Read on to find out.
It's no small secret that increased flexibility decreases your likelihood of injury[1]. It is also well known that stretching can and does lead to increased flexibility[2]. These two reasons alone should be enough to integrate stretching into your normal training regimen. However, for many people they are not. That was certainly the case for me.
I always stretched after a warmup and before each exercise. But I never really spent a lot of time trying to improve my flexibility. Why? because stretching was boring. At least I thought it was boring compared to lifting. But then something happened that made it less boring: yoga.
I know what you are thinking. Yoga is for hippie tree huggers. And that kind of is true. But it incorporates strength exercises with balance and flexibility. It also helps teach you something that can improve not only your lifting in the gym but several other aspects of your life: focus.
A lot of the positions and the transitions are not easy. And if you aren't flexible then are really not easy. But if you can focus and ingest the challenge (and often the pain that goes along with it) then you learn to handle other kinds of pain - pain that you're not used to. That kind of focus keeps you in the moment and it allows you block out what's around you and push your limits. It's a very important tool for developing any kind of strength.
Balance And Flexibility Complement Lifting
Think about how often you actually see someone perform the squat exercise with perfect form. It's probably not that often. I see people lifting with blocks under their heels, squatting only half way, lifting on the balls of their feet, rounding their back, etc. It is a rarity to see someone squatting with good form. Why is that?
Good posture and ankle flexibility are absolutely critical for the execution of the squat movement with good form. If you lack flexibility in your ankles then you will naturally lean forward, which will put you off balance and either (1) make you push with the balls or toes of your feet or (2) have you lifting with blocks or shoes with heavy padding under your heels. If you lack good posture then you will likely round your back or have poor balance or both. Both of these situations are recipes for disaster.
On the other hand, if you have good posture, balance and flexibility then it's easy to execute the movement straight up and down, squatting almost down to the heels and back up again with an arched back. This is why balance and flexibility complement lifting. This is just one way that they contribute to strength.
Don't Forget to Stabilize
Aside from focus, balance and flexibility, yoga also gives you something else: stability. I don't mean that it will get you a 9-5 job and balance your checkbook. I'm talking about the kind of muscles it targets: stabilizers. Balancing, holding poses and doing body weight exercises strengthens muscles that are not typically trained in the gym. These muscles keep you stable. They include things like your core, abductors, and hip flexors to name a few.
Yoga targets those muscles and all the little muscles that we often forget about, but that are absolutely crucial for balance in so many ways. Why is this important? Well, for one thing, strong stabilization muscles can help improve balance and reduce the risk of injury. Maybe that's why physical therapists focus on strengthening these muscles so much?
In terms of lifting, a stable lift is a good lift... or at least a potentially better lift. It's all connected. Form, balance and focus all contribute to making you just better.
References
- Witvrouw, Erik, et al. "Muscle flexibility as a risk factor for developing muscle injuries in male professional soccer players a prospective study." The American Journal of Sports Medicine 31.1 (2003): 41-46.
- Wiktorsson-Moller, Margareta, et al. "Effects of warming up, massage, and stretching on range of motion and muscle strength in the lower extremity." The American journal of sports medicine 11.4 (1983): 249-252.
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