Gloucestershire Cricket continue pre-season partnership with Yogafurie
1 November 2018
The Gloucestershire Cricket first team will spend time with Yogafurie as part of their pre-season for the 2019 season.
With the programme adding value to last year’s early pre-season schedule, the team, who will be taking part in a variety of practices, will hope for similar positive outcomes this time around.
Last year, the first team had been practicing hot yoga in 35+ degree heat, working on flexibility, balance, strength and control with the instruction and help of trainer Ed Wood.
After the 2017/18 pre-season sessions at Yogafurie, Gloucestershire fast bowler, David Payne said: “The YogaFurie experience has been awesome. I didn’t know what to expect when I heard we were taking it on. But, although it proved very tough, and challenging, it has been really beneficial and rewarding.
"There’s no doubt in my mind that I have come through much more flexible, mobile, and strong. Along with taking some helpful tips on coping when your body is under heavy amounts of pressure and stress. I would definitely recommend it!"
(Strength & Conditioning Coach - Bob Smith, Yogafurie Trainer Ed Wood & Gloucestershire fast bowler David Payne)
David went on to take 40 wickets over the season and was the leading wicket taker in the Vitality Blast competition for Gloucestershire.
Yogafurie Trainer, Ed Wood said: "I'm very pleased to see Bob and the team back again. It's great to connect with the community in this way - the Cricket Club is a big part of this area and I'm really proud that Yogafurie can help support it. It's also a lot of fun to work with the team.
These guys are genuine athletes, and they have the focus and comittment that you'd expect to see in a professional sportsperson. It always leads to a great session! It really is true that Yoga and especially Hot Yoga can complement and enhance any sport. Welcome back to Bob and the whole team."
Gloucestershire’s Strength and Conditioning Coach Bob Smith was an integral part of organising and arranging the Yogafurie sessions last winter. Looking ahead to this year’s programme, Coach Smith said: “I am delighted that Ed has invited the players back to Yogafurie this coming winter. Last year we initiated our relationship with Ed and his staff by taking on 7 of his hot yoga sessions in the lead up to Christmas.
We all found the sessions challenging both physically and mentally and I know Ed took great interest in ensuring that the players were pushed to the limit.
Yoga often requires holding extreme positions while striving to maintain very elegant postures. Ed and I spoke before the series of sessions, we wanted to target shapes specific to cricket that we could use through yoga practice. These included spinal flexibility required for bowling (extension) or power hitting (rotation), strength endurance in extended stances (i.e., delivery stride) or with arms overhead as just a few examples.
I am really looking forward to seeing what Ed has in store for us this year. Having sat with Ed to discuss this year’s training block, he is going to create more opportunities to explore the psychological benefits of yoga practice. With the rise in popularity of mindfulness practice in athletes and the necessity for intense focus in cricket, I am hoping that the players grab the opportunity to work with a real expert in this field and seek to understand more about themselves in the process.”
The first session with Ed will be taking place on Thursday 15 November.
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