You’ve maybe said it yourself:
“I’m not flexible enough to do yoga”
“I don’t have time to do yoga”
“I’m not good at yoga”
There is no such thing as being GOOD at yoga, or stretching. You just do it, or you don’t. I believe an intentional “restorative movement” practice is essential to pursuing any athletic goal.
Not every yoga practice is beneficial for endurance athletes. Some classes are too physically challenging, so when people go to yoga as “a rest day,” they don’t end up resting. Some classes are too focused on intricate poses that won’t help you reach your goal of finishing your first 10k or setting a PR in your next marathon.
Anyone can work hard, but can you do what it takes to be truly ready for the next hard session? Most athletes are under-recovered and therefore under-performing. If you don’t let yourself fully reset, you can’t push it all the way on the hard days, and you end up training at a consistently mediocre level.
Try this weekly reset after a hard week of training in any endurance sport - especially running, biking, and/or swimming.