Gaiam introduces Athletic Yoga video series

 

 

NEW YORK — Gaiam on Thursday launched new programming and marketing efforts to share the benefits of yoga to athletes of all levels. Featuring professional athletes and top yoga instructors, Gaiam's new series of Athletic Yoga programming is now available on DVD and digitally.

 

"Yoga for Flexibility with Kevin Love" and "Yoga for Strength with Eddie George" are led by trainer and yoga expert Kent Katich — whose dynamic approach to yoga has reshaped the attitudes and training methods of many of the world's top athletes. In both programs, Katich demonstrates yoga practices to complement traditional sports training and to help deliver enhanced athletic performance.

 

In "Yoga for Flexibility with Kevin Love," the forward-center of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and 6'10'' athlete is led through four 20-minute, dynamic practices designed to build flexibility and improve balance. And in "Yoga for Strength with Eddie George," the former NFL All-Pro running back and Heisman Trophy winner is led through four athletic yoga practices designed to increase mobility and build strength. 

 

"Yoga is something that can give me an edge and continue to help grow my game, and hopefully, elongate my career," Love said. "My body has leaned out, and yoga has had a lot to do with that. It has also given me a newfound balance, stability, strength and endurance, and taught me breathing techniques. I'm still learning, and that's the beauty of it."

 

"Every time I did yoga before a game, I knew I was going to perform well because I was fully stretched out and more connected to my mind and body. I never missed a game due to injury in my nine years of playing, and I owe that to practicing yoga," George said.

 

Also part of the Athletic Yoga series is "Yoga for Runners," led by New York-based yoga instructor Matt Giordano, which takes practitioners through poses that are designed to create greater flexibility and stamina, better mental focus and to help prevent injuries.

 

To support the launch of these programs, Gaiam developed a new website geared toward athletes, GameOnYoga.com, and has launched a digital marketing campaign with media partners ESPN.com, Stack.com, USA Today and Slam that will run through April.

 

"This is a new audience for Gaiam and really for the yoga community as a whole," said Susan Haney, SVP of marketing at Gaiam. "But we are excited to extend yoga's reach to athletes of all ages. Both Kent and Matt's expertise in training athletes to improve their performance through yoga is truly unparalleled, making them the perfect partners for this initiative. And by adding the star power of athletes like Kevin Love and Eddie George, we believe we can make a big statement about the benefits of the practice."

 

This May, two additional Athletic Yoga programs will be released as part of the collection: "Yoga for Power" featuring MLB All-Star Giancarlo Stanton and "Yoga for Conditioning" featuring MLS All-Star and U.S. Men's Soccer team member Jermaine Jones.