- Jan 21, 2015
- 525
- 167
Click For Full Article
Yoga and cheer… don’t really sound like they’d make a good mix. Believe it or not, incorporating yoga into your workouts outside the gym can actually make you a better cheerleader in the gym. Don’t believe us? Read on to find out how yoga can make your a better cheerleader and see our fave yoga YouTube practices!
Flexibility
Obviously. Slowly building flexibility with strength is so important for anyone who cheers, not just flyers. Flexibility helps with tumbling, basing and choreography, as well as being beneficial in preventing injury. Being able to stretch out after traveling with a few salutes-to-the-sun or a half-hour session will also keep your body in prime condition during competition season.
Strength
It’s surprisingly difficult to hold static poses for a longer period of time. In cheer, we tend to move on every few counts, but holding a pose can help build stabilization muscles and the core strength needed to balance in place.
Mindfulness
Being able to breathe, center yourself and handle any stress that comes your way is hugely beneficial in any competitive sport! Learn how to calm your nerves, deal with pressure, and spread the calm feeling amongst your team.
Cross-training
If you’re an all-star cheerleader, chances are you spend A LOT of time in the gym. You might do other sports, but once competition season starts, it’s all cheer all the time which can really put repetitive stress on the muscles you use the most in your routine. Yoga is easy to do anywhere—you don’t have to go to a class!—meaning you can fit in a practice at home, on the road in a hotel room, or even at the airport! It will stretch you out, give you a full-body workout, and calm your mind.
Yoga and cheer… don’t really sound like they’d make a good mix. Believe it or not, incorporating yoga into your workouts outside the gym can actually make you a better cheerleader in the gym. Don’t believe us? Read on to find out how yoga can make your a better cheerleader and see our fave yoga YouTube practices!
Flexibility
Obviously. Slowly building flexibility with strength is so important for anyone who cheers, not just flyers. Flexibility helps with tumbling, basing and choreography, as well as being beneficial in preventing injury. Being able to stretch out after traveling with a few salutes-to-the-sun or a half-hour session will also keep your body in prime condition during competition season.
Strength
It’s surprisingly difficult to hold static poses for a longer period of time. In cheer, we tend to move on every few counts, but holding a pose can help build stabilization muscles and the core strength needed to balance in place.
Mindfulness
Being able to breathe, center yourself and handle any stress that comes your way is hugely beneficial in any competitive sport! Learn how to calm your nerves, deal with pressure, and spread the calm feeling amongst your team.
Cross-training
If you’re an all-star cheerleader, chances are you spend A LOT of time in the gym. You might do other sports, but once competition season starts, it’s all cheer all the time which can really put repetitive stress on the muscles you use the most in your routine. Yoga is easy to do anywhere—you don’t have to go to a class!—meaning you can fit in a practice at home, on the road in a hotel room, or even at the airport! It will stretch you out, give you a full-body workout, and calm your mind.
