It might seem like CrossFit and yoga go together like oil and water. But on the contrary, yoga is a great complement to CrossFit.

Here are a few ways that yoga complements your CrossFit workouts:

1. Breathwork

In yoga, each of your movements is synchronized with breathing. You move as you inhale and exhale. This breathwork carries over into your CrossFit workouts making oxygen more readily available. At the same time, focused, intentional breathwork helps you become a more focused and intentional athlete.

2. Mindfulness and a Stronger Mind-Body Connection

Yoga trains your mind along with your body leading to more mindfulness, concentration, and focus. Focusing on your movements on your yoga mat makes it less likely that your mind will wander. Your awareness shifts to the current moment, and your to-do list fades into the background. Practicing these same mindfulness skills in CrossFit helps you get more out of your workouts. And by strengthening the connection between your body and mind, you’ll get many more health benefits, such as experiencing less stress and anxiety.

3. Flexibility

Sometimes you’ll hear someone say, “I can’t touch my toes, so yoga isn’t for me.” Or something similar. While yoga is so much more than touching your toes or increasing your flexibility, flexibility does improve with consistent practice. Gaining more mobility and increasing your range of motion helps you move more efficiently in the gym. And, you’re less likely to get injured when you’re able to move better.

4. Balance

Not only will yoga improve your flexibility, but it can help you improve your balance, as well. When you first get started with yoga, you’ll probably find that the standing poses to be pretty challenging. But stick with it, and yoga will help you become more balanced. You’ll feel less of a discrepancy between your left and right sides as you become stronger, more flexible, and more balanced.

If you’re interested in learning more about MagMile CrossFit in Chicago, contact us today.