Yoga for Tennis: 8 Poses to Practice After You Play

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With the arrival of spring and hotter climate, tennis followers are able to hit the courts. Throughout a latest journey to the Maldives, I took up tennis once more after a 20-year hiatus and observed sore muscle groups that I forgot existed! So, per standard, I turned to yoga to ease my aching muscle groups and to attach with my breath whereas taking part in this cardiovascularly intensive sport.

When designing a yoga program for a selected exercise, whether or not tennis, biking, or snowboarding, it’s useful to start with a overview of the muscle groups we use whereas partaking within the sport. On this case, it’s no over-exaggeration to say that tennis requires the usage of all of our muscle teams. Whereas it could seem that the higher physique muscle groups are the first movers in tennis, the decrease physique and core play an integral position as nicely. To know how this dynamic works, we’ll have to go to our expensive good friend (or in my case, frenemy), physics.

Tennis is the switch of vitality

Successfully hitting a tennis ball requires the coordinated activation of a kinetic chain of movement. The kinetic chain refers back to the linkage of a number of segments of the physique, which permits for the switch of forces, leading to transferring the tennis ball. When putting the ball, your core should have interaction because the toes push in opposition to the tennis courtroom to propel your physique ahead, stabilizing the trunk and sustaining your middle of gravity. The facility then strikes into your chest, again, and arms. On this elegant sequence of vitality switch, the facility is conveyed from the legs and core into your arm and racket, then to the ball. So the racquet is solely the messenger transferring this energy out of your core to the ball.

This yoga sequence works to switch vitality again to your muscle groups after a tough exercise on the tennis courtroom, and return the vitality (virya) again into the bottom.

8 yoga poses for tennis gamers

Prasarita Padahastasana (Reverse Hand-to-Foot Pose)

Why this yoga pose works for tennis gamers: This variation of Padahastasana focuses on stretching your internal wrists and forearms, not the backs of your legs. In working towards this pose with the arms reversed—which means your palms are on the bottom, going through your physique—the stretch is targeted in your wrist flexors, that are integral in gripping the tennis racket. This stretch can even assist to forestall muscular imbalance within the forearms, which can defend your wrist extensors, reducing your threat for tennis elbow.

Learn how to: From standing, fold ahead over your legs. Bend your knees deeply so you possibly can place your arms on the ground. Rotate your forearms so your fingers level towards your toes together with your palms on the bottom. Root the heels of your arms into the earth and really feel a stretch within the internal forearms. Optionally, step on the again of your arms/fingers to accentuate the stretch as proven within the photograph. Maintain for 3–5 breaths.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Dealing with Canine Pose)

Why this yoga pose works for tennis gamers: This pose stretches the posterior legs, particularly the calf muscle groups, which give the facility to push off from the courtroom as you progress towards the ball. It additionally stretches and elongates your again muscle groups, which regularly grow to be tight from fast bursts of operating.

Learn how to: From Prasaraita Padahastasana, step off your toes, flip your arms round so your fingers face ahead. Step again and carry your hips into an inverted V-shape together with your physique. Straighten your elbows and drop your chest again towards your shins. Bend your knees barely to take any pressure off the backs of your knees. Pedal by your toes. This may improve the stretch within the calf muscle reverse of the bent knee. Maintain for five–10 breaths.

Virabhadrasana I variation (Warrior I with chest stretch variation)

Why this yoga pose works for tennis gamers: Chest and hip stretching are notably vital in tennis as a result of your physique sits in flexion as you look forward to the ball to zoom throughout the online at you; your knees and hips bend, and shoulders hunch ahead over your racket. This pressure typically tightens your chest muscle groups, which can enhance your threat for shoulder damage. This Warrior I variation stretches the hip flexors in your again leg and your chest unexpectedly.

Learn how to: From Down Canine, step your proper foot ahead, bending the entrance knee to 90 levels. Rotate your left foot barely in order that your outer heel is grounded. Elevate your torso, and as an alternative of extending your arms to the sky, interlace your fingers behind the again of your head and open your elbows extensive. Permit your arms to create a hammock to carry the burden of your cranium. Really feel the fronts of your shoulders and chest open, and shine your coronary heart to the sky. Take 5 deep breaths, stretching your intercostal (rib) muscle groups whereas sustaining your Warrior I legs. Transition to the opposite aspect by Down Canine and maintain for one more 5 breaths.

Gomukhasana variation (Cow-Face arms in wide-legged stance)

Why this yoga pose works for tennis gamers: Shoulder stretches are useful in tennis as a result of they soothe the arm and higher again muscle groups, that are used each time you swing the tennis racquet. These stretches can even preserve your shoulder’s capability to internally rotate, preventing shoulder impingement accidents that may come up from the repetitive arm motions tennis requires.

Learn how to: Out of your Warrior I variation, launch your arms onto your hips and switch your physique and toes towards the lengthy fringe of the mat. Hold your legs in a large stance for a robust base of help, and attain your proper hand to the sky and left hand down alongside the hip going through ahead. Bend each elbows, reaching the best hand down and left hand up, making an attempt to attach the fingers. If you’re unable to the touch the arms collectively, use your tennis racket (or a towel) to create an extension of the arms to seek out the shoulder stretch. Maintain for five breaths and change sides.

Bonus: You can even fold ahead and calm down your torso between your legs so as to add an extra stretch to the again of your legs.

Anjaneyasana variation (Crescent Lunge variation with quad stretch)

Why this yoga pose works for tennis gamers: The quadriceps prolong the knee, which is vital for operating powerfully in tennis. Nonetheless, tight quadriceps can create muscular imbalances and go away the hamstrings weak to damage, which is widespread in tennis. Quadriceps flexibility may help forestall knee ache, and cut back threat of knee and hamstrings accidents.

Learn how to: Make your manner into Down Canine, after which step your proper foot between your arms, as you decrease your left knee to the mat. (Double up your mat or tuck a blanket beneath your knee to pad your knee cap). Stack your arms in your proper knee to carry your torso upright. Hold your proper hand in your entrance leg for steadiness and bend your left knee to actively deliver your foot towards your buttocks. Catch maintain of your left ankle together with your left hand. If there may be pressure to know your ankle, wrap a strap (or a towel) round your left foot and gently pull it towards your buttocks together with your left hand to seek out the stretch. Maintain right here for 3–5 breaths and change sides, transitioning by Down Canine.

Supta Eka Pada Rajakapotasana variation (Supine Pigeon)

Why this yoga pose works for tennis gamers: Your decrease physique operate is contingent on the muse of the hips. Your hips help the backbone, maintain your physique upright, and supply a base of help to your torso. In the case of athletic challenges on the courtroom, the hips are probably the most vital components of your physique. Sustaining hip flexibility with stretching is a crucial technique to maintain your tennis recreation long-term. This pose stretches the muscle groups within the outer hips which decreases pressure/pressure within the joints of the legs and decrease again.

Learn how to: Decrease your knees from Down Canine and roll onto your again. Bend your knees and place your toes flat on the bottom, hip-width aside. Carry your proper knee into your chest, and externally rotate your hip joint so your proper ankle rests above your left knee. Carry your left foot off the bottom and draw each legs into your chest, interlacing your fingers behind your left thigh or shin. Calm down your decrease again on the bottom (don’t let it carry off the mat), and optionally press your proper knee away together with your proper hand to accentuate the stretch. Maintain for five breaths and change sides.

Supine Twist

Why this yoga pose works for tennis gamers: Tennis requires an excessive amount of strength-based twisting in your torso. These actions can create pressure all through the torso, shoulders, and neck, and thus trigger tightness in your postural again muscle groups. Twisting in an off-loaded place (with out downward drive on the spinal column) may help to launch pressure and calm down these hard-working again muscle groups.

Learn how to: Mendacity in your again together with your knees bent and toes flat on the mat, prolong your arms out to the aspect in a T-shape. Cross your proper knee over your left and stroll your buttocks to the best just a few inches so your backbone stays in alignment throughout your twist. Roll your knees in direction of the left and switch your head to the best. Calm down right here for five–10 breaths after which change sides for one more 5–10 breaths.

Higher again mobilizer with a ball

Why this works for tennis gamers: Tennis or no tennis, that is an superior restoration method for anybody (particularly with all of the shoulder and neck pressure we’ve got resulting from sitting in entrance of computer systems and units). And excellent news! In the event you play tennis, you’ll have a tennis ball helpful. This self-massage method is an effective way to work knots out of your shoulders and neck, and is oh-so-satisfying.

Learn how to: With a tennis ball in a single hand, lie in your again or stand together with your again in opposition to a wall. Place the ball above your shoulder blade, near your neck. Transfer your physique side-to-side, up-and-down to entry your higher trapezius muscle groups. After just a few roll-overs, let the ball relaxation there for a short while, taking some gradual breaths, till you’re feeling your muscle groups soften. You might be in management relating to how deep you need the ball to unlock your muscle groups and may alter by how a lot physique weight you placed on the ball. It’s finest to be mild as you begin out.

One closing suggestion

Tennis is a cardiovascularly demanding sport that requires an excessive amount of psychological focus, so make sure to embrace some pranayama and meditation in your apply. Along with bettering your focus, pranayama may help enhance lung capability and strengthen your diaphragm. So, don’t skip out on performing some deep respiratory and meditation to assist your tennis recreation.