The whole idea of using one form of exercise to enhance another is not new, but it is becoming more universal. Bicycling magazines are full of articles about how riding your mountain bike will improve your road bike skills. Snowboarding magazines will show the benefits of skateboardingno surprise there.

Every couple of years, I will laugh when I read a sports section headline stating that A new revolutionary training idea has hit the National Football League"fifteen or twenty 400 pound lineman are then shown taking a ballet class or step aerobics. It almost seems faddish to be unusual in your cross training. Oh well, thankfully they come and they go.

All, and I do mean all, sports use muscles. When overworked constantly those muscles will tighten and shorten. The ultimate result is often an injury if not treated properly.

Yoga is now recognized as the ultimate solution to this problem and more and more athletes are turning to it for relief, if not as part of their regular pre-training.

Since bicycle racing is my preferred sport, I peruse several national and international cycling magazines regularly. Recently, I discovered numerous ads for videos, DVDs, and books touting the benefits of different forms of yoga for different types of cyclists. Among the disciplines discussed were Hatha, which was used for the cyclist wanting stretching techniques that were easy to use before and after a training ride or race. Ashtanga lent itself more toward the endurance athlete who would be competing in hot summer criteriums and road races.

The advantages of incorporating yoga into any training regime are many; lets cover a few of them:

Calming the mind brings focus and concentration to your sport of choice.

Slow movement combined with stretching allows the athlete to be very aware of their body and its needs.

Stretching lengthens the muscle and brings balance to the tissues.

Learning balance poses increases mental and physical acuity for competitive sports.

Post-event stretching is as old as the hills, but when only four or five yoga poses are used muscle recovery is improved, lactic acid is removed, the muscle is lengthened once again and strength is enhanced.

It doesnt really matter if your sport is skiing, mountain climbing, football, baseball, tennis, rollerblading, hockey or poker (Hey, they get tight neck muscles, right?) there are benefits to adding yoga to your routine.

For me, the advantages were revealed with more flexibility during and after a race. My muscles rebounded quicker, with less soreness and I was able to ride again sooner without the usual pain. My race results are also better; okay, Im still middle of the pack, but improving, which is always a good thing. Give it a try; you too, may be surprised with the gains.

In the end its one mans opinionmine.