'The Athlete's Guide to Yoga' - Conversation With Author Sage Rountree

Photo: velopress.com

In case you didn't already know, yoga isn't just for hippies or trendy ladies who want to hit the gym but don't really want to get sweaty. Yoga is for people who are serious about treating their bodies well. Yoga is for athletes, and the place for athletes to start is with Sage Rountree's "The Athlete's Guide to Yoga."

Although athletes can benefit enormously from yoga, there are several reasons it can be difficult to begin the practice. You're used to competing, and trying to be the best. You're used to comparing your progress against your teammates or competitors. And you're probably used to being fairly good at whatever it is you do. Yoga can challenge all of these things.

As Rountree (who hated her first yoga class for the reasons listed above) told That's Fit, "Competition is elsewhere. I often tell my students, 'You could do this [more challenging] variation, but this variation isn't the key to enlightenment. Actually, you're probably making more progress by holding back.'" Not what you're used to hearing from your coaches, right?

"The Athlete's Guide to Yoga" touches on this and gives helpful, detailed information on why yoga is so important, both physically and mentally for athletes. "You can gain strength in weight rooms, and you can build flexibility with a stretching routine," says Rountree. "But, beyond that, yoga gives you a sense of focus and awareness of your body. If you're really paying attention in even a really basic class, you'll get a huge benefit. The true benefit of yoga is the awareness of breath, body and of the present moment."

Photo: Cindy Hamilton

The book is divided into four sections: Yoga and the Athlete gives you an overview of why a yoga practice, no matter how short and simple it is, can make you a better athlete. Poses for Athletes breaks down which poses stretch and strengthen which parts of the body, and gives modifications that are incredibly helpful for tight hamstrings, quads, hips and more. Beyond the Mat focuses on breathing and meditation and how they can improve your athletic performance. Yoga and Your Training Plan explains and gives examples of how to incorporate yoga into your current training plan, whether you're a runner, cyclist, recreational athlete or something else entirely.

While the book is a wonderful tool and definitely something any athlete would benefit from, Rountree pointed out that it's best to learn yoga by attending a class. "Even if your teacher isn't giving much feedback, they're watching," she said, and a teacher can catch any misalignments that could lead to an overuse injury if not corrected. "Then, you can expand your home practice using videos or your own routines."

In addition to being a yoga teacher and a writer/author, Rountree is an accomplished coach, runner and triathlete as well as a proud mother. She says that she's weakest on the bike, and if she couldn't do yoga and could do just one thing, it would be running. And, like the rest of us, she sometimes has trouble giving 100 percent when training.

"I just finished the Ironman in June, and when I was training for swimming, I had to have a friend of mine come help me train," she said. "I like to swim, and I'm decent, but left on my own, I'll always cut corners. I definitely recommend having a training buddy to give you some accountability."

Nice to know that even super-athlete authors have challenges too, isn't it?

Read more about how yoga can help runners.