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Saturday 18 auguSt 2018
Tackle this: NFL players benefit from regular yoga practice

By TERRIN WAACK ers practice it individually, helps with that, when we’re more than a decade under yoga.”
AP Sports Writer including Denver Broncos doing one-legged poses former head coach Tom Mental toughness is one
NEW YORK (AP) — Without linebacker Brandon Mar- and stuff like that. It helps Coughlin. While she would of the six facets Lawrence
stretching, New York Giants shall, Buffalo Bills placekick- with my balance .” work on arm and spine teaches in her yoga class,
offensive lineman Chad er Steven Hauschka and Yoga helps with so much strength — spinal rotation along with strength, flex-
Wheeler folds his 6-foot-7, ibility, balance, focus and
317-pound frame over far breath. But she also has
enough to place his palms a six-week mindfulness
flat on the ground. His course Coughlin had the
knees are straight but not medical staff and players
fully locked, because that’s go through. The well-being
poor form, and he can of the mind is just as impor-
comfortably hold himself tant as the well-being of
there — he’s that flexible. body.
That’s nothing for Wheeler. “We spend a lot of time
Like many NFL players, he paying attention to the
does yoga. psychology of the athlete,”
“It’s funny doing it as a said National Athletic Train-
team because a lot of guys ers’ Association president
haven’t done it,” Wheeler Tory Lindley, who’s also the
said. “It makes me feel Senior Associate Athletic
proud in a way. Like guys Director for Health, Safety
that are way more athletic and Performance and Di-
than me, I can bend better rector of Athletic Training
than them in certain posi- Services at Northwestern
tions.” University. “That mind-body
Football players don’t fit connection is critical.”
the mold of a yogi , some- On the field and off it.
one who regularly practic- In this July 28, 2018, file photo, Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle La’el Collins, left and running back In 2003, Jacksonville Jag-
es yoga. They’re large ath- Ezekiel Elliott, center, listen to yoga instructor Stacey Hickman, right, as the team does some flex- uars linebacker Keith Mitch-
letes with sculpted muscles ibility exercises at NFL football training camp in Oxnard, Calif. Associated Press ell sustained a career-end-
from countless hours of lift- ing injury . It came after sev-
ing and conditioning. Most New York Jets quarterback more than balance, and — for a quarterback, she en years in the NFL, mostly
do not look capable of the Sam Darnold. flexibility. would focus more on the spent with the Saints. He
contortions required of the The Giants, Jacksonville Collins, who’s also the Pro- neck, hips and wrists for a was lost, saying he showed
ancient discipline, such as Jaguars, New Orleans fessional Football Athletic lineman. It comes down to signed of depression and
standing on one foot with Saints and Chicago Bears Trainers’ Society president, releasing tension and build- had suicidal thoughts, until
the other propped up on offer it to their players on re- said yoga is great for mul- ing strength in overworked he found yoga.
their knee in a tree pose for covery days. Others make tidirectional joints such as parts of the body. Mitchell credits meditation
an extended period with- it a team activity: the Char- the elbows, wrists, ankles, “I didn’t realize once I got and conscious breathing
out falling over. gers, Cleveland Browns hips and shoulders. Regu- the hold of it how much for getting him through the
Yet in recent years, the and Dallas Cowboys. lar stretching is linear and stronger I felt,” Giants line- tough time. Now, he’s a
presence of yoga has “I was going into it expect- doesn’t help strengthen backer Jordan Williams yoga instructor and hopes
grown in the NFL. The fast- ing to tell them all the rea- those areas . said. “I wasn’t doing any- the practice grows in the
paced, hard-hitting sport sons why they should be Yoga also keeps muscles thing but using my body NFL because he wishes he
has accepted the more practicing yoga and why pliable and allows them to weight, and I felt so much had done it as a player.
calming practice that em- it’s so beneficial,” said Ka- recover faster. stronger.” “The game, I always say, is
phasizes conscious breath- leen Lugo, the Chargers’ “At minimum, doing it helps MENTAL BENEFITS 80 percent mental,” Mitch-
ing and body flow. Much yoga instructor. “They’re maintain what you have,” Bending to the side, Detroit ell said. “So anything we
like yin and yang, the two just like, ‘You’re preach- Collins said. “Especially Lions running back Ameer can do to reboot the mind
complement each other ing to the choir, girl. We as an athlete and a foot- Abdullah reaches for a — I call it a meditation and
both mentally and physi- know.’” ball player, as he’s going block on the floor . He then I teach it as a mind prac-
cally. PHYSICAL BENEFITS through a season and his lifts his other legs straight tice — that’s just going to
“Obviously (yoga) helps Getting ready in his pass- bodies getting beat up, ev- out so he is parallel to the make you even more im-
with flexibility, what we call rush stance, New York Jets erything starts to shut down ground and extends his pactful, more effective on
join integrity, discipline, fo- defensive lineman Leonard — ‘Boy, I feel stiff. I’m sore. free arm upward. your endeavors.”
cus and balance,” said Williams has his legs spread, I can’t do this.’ But if you’re Each limb is stretched out Many players do it for the
Los Angeles Chargers Di- knees bent and feet stag- doing things throughout straight, as he breathes mental aspect alone, say-
rector of Football/Medical gered. He leans forward the season, like yoga, to through the difficulty of ing yoga gets their mind
Services James Collins, an with a hand on the ground. help maintain what you’ve holding yoga’s half-moon right and prevents over-
NFL athletic trainer for 31 That’s how he stays until the established with your body, pose. thinking. It forces them to
years. “It has a lot of differ- ball is snapped, holding his that helps you get through That’s where the mind-over- be in the moment, other-
ent entities to it. And one 6-5, 302-pound body in the the season, helps reduce matter mentality comes in. wise there’s no way they’d
thing about professional three-point stance. your chance of injury and “They need to be trained be able to accomplish
football players is that if you “For my position, you can things of that nature.” when they’re in a tough sit- some of the poses, which
explain something to them get knocked off,” Williams Each player — position, re- uation, they can’t just bail,” make them feel better
and give them the science said. “When we’re playing ally — is different, too. Lawrence said. “A lot of physically.
and reasoning behind it, double teams, we got to Gwen Lawrence, founder times they’ll be like, ‘Ah, this One thing leads to anoth-
you can get them to buy stunt and do stuff, so it’s like of Power Yoga for Sport, is too hard. This hurts,’ and er, much like the flow of
into it.” sometimes we have to be has been teaching athlete- they’ll jump out of that. You a good sun salutation —
Many teams haven’t ad- on one foot, plant and go focused yoga for 25 years can’t do that in a game, moving from one pose to
opted yoga, but their play- somewhere. I feel like yoga and taught the Giants for and you can’t do that in another.q