Feature Article

David Maziarz

COMM 337

Athletes Training With Yoga

Athletes are always doing whatever they can to get a competitive edge. Sometimes they do this to an illegal extent by using steroids, but a few area college athletes have turned to a new approach…yoga.

People have been practicing yoga for thousands of years and millions of Americans practice yoga today. All of these people have been reaping the benefits of yoga as it is a proven stress reliever.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health have associated yoga practice with decreased low back pain and less reported chronic pain from arthritis, headaches, and carpet tunnel syndrome, as well as lower blood pressure, heart, breathing rates, and reduced insomnia.

Mike Maziarz is a former college baseball player who turned to yoga to help with a bulging disc in his lower back. Maziarz played baseball at Lincoln Land Community College, Quincy University, and Millikin University.

“The initial injury happened when I was a junior at Quincy. Even after going through physical therapy the pain wasn’t going away, I thought I was going to have to quit. I talked with a few trainers and a couple of my coaches and we came up with the yoga idea. I never saw myself doing yoga, but I was willing to try anything. The first class was rough, I thought I was a pretty strong guy, but the poses really exposed some weak muscles and my muscles were really tied up. I started going twice a week and the same muscles started getting stronger and really loosening up. After a couple of months all the pressure, stiffness, and pain left my lower back. It really rejuvenated me and I am still doing yoga today even though I am done playing ball,” said Maziarz about his personal yoga experience.

That is an example of how yoga can get an athlete back on the field after an injury. While it is a great rehabilitation tool, yoga can also be used as an exercise method.

Travis Gullett is a junior offensive lineman for the football team at Illinois College in Jacksonville. Gullett doesn’t look like your typical yoga type, at 6’4’’ 300lbs he is a pretty imposing figure.

“My freshman year I just wasn’t as complete of a player as I needed to be,” said Gullett when asked what initially got him into yoga. “I was physically strong enough, but I was still getting beat by defensive ends.”

After trying countless foot speed exercises, Gullett started attending local yoga classes to go along with his weight lifting regimen.

“I didn’t realize how tough it would be,” remarked Gullett. “I thought it would be a lot of laying around, but it turned out to be a really solid workout. My legs felted so much stronger from how stretched out they were. I kept going on a regular basis and overall, the yoga really improved my flexibility and balance.”

As far as this translating to the football field, Gullett became a starter for the Blueboys his sophomore year. “I really believe that going to those yoga classes really helped me be able to handle those defensive ends rushing the passer, I had better body control and was a lot better with staying on my feet.”

Yoga also contributes to better core strength and endurance. Both of these qualities are something that all athletes are looking to improve. Benedictine University at Springfield baseball player, Andrew Verderber, has reaped these benefits.

Verderber attends the weekly yoga and pilates classes held on campus at Benedictine. He has been attending these classes every week for the two years he has been on campus and he definitely notices the benefits.

“The yoga and pilates have made my core strength at least 10 times better than what it was. When you pitch you use muscle groups that you just can’t strengthen in the weight room. The yoga and pilates classes have strengthened these core muscle groups and the velocity on my fastball has increased dramatically since I have started doing yoga and pilates,” said Verderber.

Verderber also noticed the improvements in his endurance. “Practicing the yoga and pilates I think have contributed to my ability to throw more pitches now than I could two years ago. I had issues with wearing myself out when I was pitching. Now I can go much deeper into games because of the breathing techniques that I have learned in class.”

“The muscles that I am using to pitch aren’t wearing out as quickly as they used to. I would say I am able to throw forty to fifty more pitches per game than I used to e able to throw. I have had a lot of improvements in my baseball abilities and I give a lot of that credit to the yoga and pilates classes,” said Verderber.      

The health benefits of yoga are obvious. There are also many different forms of yoga, so there really is something for everybody. Yoga can help develop better breathing techniques, improve flexibility, balance, endurance, and core strength.

If you are serious about your health and you haven’t yet tried doing yoga. You should probably do yourself a favor and at least give it a chance.