Flexibility is a soft skill many employers seek. Although they may not be referring to your ability to get into Marichyasana D in their want ads, the personal qualities you develop on the mat can accelerate your career.
This ancient practice can become a game-changer. Here are six job positions that can benefit from regular yoga workouts.
1. Mariners
If you’ve ever boarded an ocean vessel smaller than a cruise ship, you know that the choppy water’s tossing and turning shocks the uninitiated. Although the phrase “getting your sea legs” now refers to initiating yourself into any new task, it originated among sailors who had to become accustomed to walking while the floor roiled. Mariners may benefit from the balance and calming sensations that can come with practicing yoga and meditation.
Mariners can also benefit from the mental aspect of yoga practice. After all, the job entails leaving your loved ones behind, sometimes for months at a time, which can lead to loneliness and mental stress. The mindful, calmative properties of this ancient art keep you balanced in more ways than one.
2. Construction Workers
Construction workers run a high risk of on-the-job accidents because of the physical nature of their work. Twisting the wrong way can result in a tweaked back or knee that takes them out of the game. Torn tendons can mean collecting workman’s compensation.
However, research indicates that regular stretching increases tendon viscosity and makes it more compliant. Flexible connective tissues are less likely to tear, causing career-changing pain. However, it isn’t sufficient to do a few warm-up toe touches — you need a routine practice such as yoga to see maximum results.
3. Athletes
Soccer players twist and turn on a dime multiple times in a single game. Dancing creates tension and torque around the knees and ankles. Football players take hits that leave them heaped in awkward positions beneath behemoths.
Athletes benefit from regular yoga workouts the same way that construction workers do. It can also help them on the field. For example, Yoga Nidra involves listening to a series of guided images while lying quietly in meditation. Coaches can use this technique to help players visualize making the game-winning touchdown or jump shot before the big tournament.
4. Military Members
Protecting the country means keeping your body in tip-top shape. You need to be ready to spring to defense at any time. Flexibility is one component of a well-rounded fitness program.
Military members can likewise benefit from the meditative aspect of yoga. Living in a war zone creates an inordinate amount of stress that this ancient practice can help mitigate. Otherwise, anxiety can cloud judgment, a condition you can’t afford when in life-and-death situations.
5. Office Workers
So-called ergonomic office furniture is sometimes anything but. Plus, there’s that annoying tendency to slump, which can lead to chronic back pain and uneven wear and tear on your discs. Fortunately, a regular yoga practice can help save your spine if you’re among the cubicle set.
You can perform many moves right at your desk to relieve tension throughout the day. For example, ease shoulder pain by stretching your arm up and over your head and patting your back. Reach the opposite arm behind you, trying to touch your fingertips. It doesn’t matter if they don’t connect, although you can use a towel — or maybe your stapler — for assistance.
6. Retail and Customer Service Workers
Everyone should have to work retail at least once in their lives to gain perspective on what such workers go through, often on wages insufficient to buy a decent lunch — if they get a break at all. There’s nothing quite like meticulously folding a stack of T-shirts only to have a wayward toddler knock your artful towers down while their parent looks on and says, “kids will be kids.”
It takes enormous patience to deal with the ongoing stress burden. Fortunately, yoga can provide the tools to let folks take a mental escape and find their zen.
Job Positions That Can Benefit From Regular Yoga Workouts
Employers seek soft skills like flexibility when building their workforce. You can develop these characteristics through a routine yoga practice.
Such exercises also reduce your risk of injury, helping you stay healthier if you work in certain fields. The six job positions above can benefit from regular yoga workouts.