If you’re training hard at the gym and want to take your health to the next level, using Yoga as a complementary workout is your answer. Yoga fixes muscular imbalances, increases your flexibility, agility, balance, and your mental alertness.

Here are five reasons to consider adding a Yoga routine to your training.

1. Yoga enhances recovery

   If you’re training hard at the gym, you’re producing lactic acid in your muscle tissues. This acid slows down your capacity to train hard. Additionally, if it isn’t removed, it can impact your future training sessions. Yoga helps to remove lactic acid by circulating it out of the muscle tissue so that it makes it way to the liver for processing. Lastly, research has shown that practicing Yoga improves sleep patterns, and enough quality sleep is essential for you to recover fully from training.

2. Yoga restores balance

   When you’re training, you most likely have a dominant body side due to specific movements or joint loading. Joint loading just means the force you put on your joints while workout out. This imbalance can cause musculoskeletal issues that can lead to chronic injuries. Practicing yoga reduces these tissue and joint imbalances.

3. Yoga improves your energy conservation

   When moving a joint, you use energy. If you have tension around that joint, more energy is required to help you move it. Additionally, when you train, you want to maximize performance, while conserving energy. By adding yoga, you will improve your flexibility and your joint range of motion, which will reduce your muscle tension. This will help you use lessenergy during training, and will allow you to last longer and give your max effort.

4. Yoga improves your awareness

   When you practice Yoga, you become more aware of your body positioning and movement. This awareness goes a long way when you are progressing in your training. Yoga involves breathing techniques, and this skill is transferable and will aid you while preparing for a competition or a long race, with the added benefit of also reducing stress.

5. Yoga improves your breathing

   Yoga exercises improve your breathing mechanics and lung capacity. If you practice regularly, you’ll become more efficient at diaphragm and intercostal breathing. Bettering your lung capacity will result in major training gains at the gym.