Elite Baseball Development Podcast: Mobility Methods with Dana Santas
We’re excited to welcome Dana Santas to this week’s podcast to talk about how to fine-tune methods of improving mobility. A special thanks to this show’s sponsor, Athletic Greens. Head to https://www.athleticgreens.com/cressey and you’ll receive a free 20-pack of Athletic Greens travel packets with your first order.
Show Outline
- How Dana first became interested in mobility through yoga and why she grew to appreciate this practice for its emphasis on breathing and the opportunity it gave her to sit in silence and relax
- Why Dana chose to leave her job in corporate America to pursue her passion for yoga as a yoga instructor
- How a chance meeting on a business trip opened her eyes to the lack of mobility training in professional sports
- How Dana scrapped her original plan of opening her own yoga studio and instead turned her attention to bringing yoga to professional sports organizations
- How she went about establishing credibility in the athletic performance industry by creating a platform for her work and marketing her expertise as a yoga instructor
- How writing her first book and mailing individualized letters to influential players on every sports team in all major American sports got her foot in the door of professional sports
- How Dana managed the challenges of being one of the first female coaches to work in professional sports
- How coaching with humility, being confident in her skillset, and having “feel” allowed Dana to build impactful relationships with her athletes and fellow coaches and excel as a coach in professional sports
- How Dana has modified her traditional yoga background to fit the movement needs of her athletic population
- What key competencies and professional exposure do coaches and instructors need in order to develop a well rounded movement approach like Dana
- How Gray Cook and his work gave reason and explanation to the movement value Dana saw in yoga
- Why Dana is so cautious when prescribing stretches to her athletes and how she has found more effective methods to restore range of motion
- What cmovement challenges Dana sees in the baseball population and how she attacks them
- What common mistakes Dana sees individuals making as they perform yoga
- Why having context allows yoga instructors to better prescribe exercises, challenge clients without putting them in harm’s way, and more effectively lead individuals through training
- What positions and poses yoga instructors should avoid implementing when working with clients, especially in group settings
- Why yoga instructors shouldn’t stray far from the basics and learn to appreciate quality movement over finding the most challenging pose to try with their classes
- What should people look for when searching to work with credible and reliable mobility experts
- What is next for Dana professionally and what valuable projects is she currently working on
You can follow Dana on Twitter at @MobilityMaker and on Instagram at @MobilityMaker. And, you can check out her website at www.MobilityMaker.com.
Sponsor Reminder
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. It’s an all-in-one superfood supplement with 75 whole-food sourced ingredients designed to support your body’s nutrition needs across 5 critical areas of health: 1) energy, 2) immunity, 3) gut health, 4) hormonal support, and 5) healthy aging. Head to www.AthleticGreens.com/cressey and claim my special offer today – 20 FREE travel packs (valued at $79) – with your first purchase. I use this product daily myself and highly recommend it to our athletes as well. I’d encourage you to give it a shot, too – especially with this great offer.
Podcast Feedback
If you like what you hear, we’d be thrilled if you’d consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving us an iTunes review. You can do so HERE.
And, we welcome your suggestions for future guests and questions. Just email elitebaseballpodcast@gmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!