Lotus position keeps Germany flexible

AFP, EVIAN (FRANCE): In the macho world of international football, Germany have taken a more spiritual approach by employing a yoga teacher at Euro 2016, whose former pupils include Madonna and Sting.
“To my knowledge, I was the only yoga teacher working with a national team at the World Cup in Brazil,” Munich-based yoga teacher Patrick Broome told AFP.
Broome is part of Germany’s backroom staff for major tournaments and puts die Mannschaft’s stars through exercises to relax them physically and mentally.
Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs, who was still playing at 40, says yoga helped extend his career.
Germany head coach Joachim Loew is also a fan of the ancient Indian discipline.
Now the likes of Germany’s Thomas Mueller, Lukas Podolski and Mats Hummels are no strangers to yoga postures like ‘lotus’, ‘warrior and ‘cobra’.
“He’s been part of the team since (the 2014 World Cup in) Brazil and he offers courses every day,” said veteran Germany forward Podolski at their Euro 2016 base in Evian.
“We can decide for ourselves to take advantage or not. It’s not on the training plan that we have to go, but he does a good job.”
Broome has accompanied Germany to World Cups and European championships over the last decade, but officially became part of the coaching staff only two years ago.
He offers sessions to help the footballers “improve flexibility, concentration and performance on the field” which in turn helps keep them free of injury.
Broome holds daily sessions of up to 45 minutes to keep the players supple and help recover after games. Only three of the squad regularly decline to take part.
“Good recovery after a game is essential for the players to maintain their level of performance,” says Broome, who is in his 40s and has been practising yoga for twenty years.
It was Loew’s predecessor, California-based Jurgen Klinsmann, the coach from 2004 until the 2006 World Cup, who first invited Broome into the German camp.
Klinsmann saw the benefits of yoga while living on the west coast of the USA.
Loew then took it a step further by adding Broome, who has worked with pop icons Madonna and Sting in New York, to his backroom staff for Euro 2008.
Broome, who has two yoga studios in Munich, says Loew showed “courage” to add yoga sessions to Germany’s training sessions ten years ago.

Lotus position keeps Germany flexible

AFP, EVIAN (FRANCE): In the macho world of international football, Germany have taken a more spiritual approach by employing a yoga teacher at Euro 2016, whose former pupils include Madonna and Sting. To my knowledge, I was the only yoga teacher working with a national team at the World Cup in Brazil, Munich-based yoga teacher Patrick Broome told AFP. Broome is part of Germanys backroom staff for major tournaments and puts die Mannschafts stars through exercises to relax them physically and mentally. Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs, who was still playing at 40, says yoga helped extend his career. Germany head coach Joachim Loew is also a fan of the ancient Indian discipline. Now the likes of Germanys Thomas Mueller, Lukas Podolski and Mats Hummels are no strangers to yoga postures like lotus, warrior and cobra. Hes been part of the team since (the 2014 World Cup in) Brazil and he offers courses every day, said veteran Germany forward Podolski at their Euro 2016 base in Evian. We can decide for ourselves to take advantage or not. Its not on the training plan that we have to go, but he does a good job. Broome has accompanied Germany to World Cups and European championships over the last decade, but officially became part of the coaching staff only two years ago. He offers sessions to help the footballers improve flexibility, concentration and performance on the field which in turn helps keep them free of injury. Broome holds daily sessions of up to 45 minutes to keep the players supple and help recover after games. Only three of the squad regularly decline to take part. Good recovery after a game is essential for the players to maintain their level of performance, says Broome, who is in his 40s and has been practising yoga for twenty years. It was Loews predecessor, California-based Jurgen Klinsmann, the coach from 2004 until the 2006 World Cup, who first invited Broome into the German camp. Klinsmann saw the benefits of yoga while living on the west coast of the USA. Loew then took it a step further by adding Broome, who has worked with pop icons Madonna and Sting in New York, to his backroom staff for Euro 2008. Broome, who has two yoga studios in Munich, says Loew showed courage to add yoga sessions to Germanys training sessions ten years ago.