Marvin Austin Is My New Favorite Player

Marvin Austin is my new favorite NY Giant… not because he was the steal of the draft, not because he’s a beast in the making, but because he practices Hot Yoga.

via ESPN:

Although I can’t exactly prove it – and I know I’ve talked about this countless times – the value of Yoga for professional athletes is probably even more beneficial than it would be for your average person.

Amani Toomer, Kevin Boss, and Shaun O’Hara have all done it. I’ve personally asked Kenny Phillips if he would consider doing it to help rehab his knee. Brandon Jacobs has recognized the benefits you get from Yoga-like training methods and how it can extend ones career. And of course I’ve done it, continue to do it (and swear by it), vacation to exotic locations to practice it, I’ve turned many others onto it… and I think it’s the most overlooked training exercise in professional sports today.

Particularly HOT YOGA.

This practice is extremely beneficial for anyone who wants to increase their balance, focus, flexibility, and core strength. Hot Yoga is that much more intense and restorative… and as my Bikram teachers use to say “you stretch and strengthen every muscle in your body”. Even as a normal person — you lose weight, feel better, become more focused, perform at a higher level. Just IMAGINE what it does for a professional athlete.

Hopefully Marvin Austin spreads the word to the other Giants and it becomes a more requested method of training, and a less maligned or taboo subject in the training room for NFL players.