Yoga has a number of benefits for anyone who steps on their mat. Whether you’re a runner, cyclist or lifter, yoga for athletes can help you improve recovery, mobilityfocus and proprioception.
One study of college athletes found that 10 weeks of yoga significantly increased flexibility and balance compared to those who did not practice yoga. Research from 2020 pointed to the potential benefits of using yoga as part of a soccer program to reduce certain injury risks.
From gentle spiritual practices to more physically demanding onesthere are more than a dozen different ones types of yoga all of which can be customized to your needs. This is why yoga for athletes has become mainstream. All of these benefits help on the field or track, and can also help build resilient, injury-resistant bodies.
“If we train the body for the unexpected, we’ll be able to more easily handle the uncontrollable crash, the unexpected rock when we’re running toward home base,” says Laurice D. Nemetz, E-RYT 500 and adjunct professor at the College of Health Professions at Pace University, Pleasantville, in New York.
Want to put together your own yoga routine? Start with these poses.
- Start on all fours, with your knees directly under your hips and your wrists a few inches in front of your shoulders. Point your fingertips forward and spread your fingers.
- On exhalation, bring your toes together, press your hands together, straighten your arms and legs and lift your hips towards the ceiling. Hands should be shoulder-width apart, and feet hip-width apart.
- Rotate your arms outward to avoid cramping your shoulders. Keep your elbows straight and engage your biceps so they don’t lock. Look back on your toes and keep your ears in line with your hands.
- Hold the pose for one minute.
- From Downward Facing Dog, take a high breath through your right leg. Exhale to bring your right foot between your hands for a low lunge.
- Place your right hand on the inside of your right foot. Bring your right foot to the edge of the yoga mat. Keep the right knee aligned over the ankle. Place your right foot on the mat.
- Keep your shoulders positioned above your wrists or drop to your elbows (forearms parallel) for a deeper stretch.
- Extend the back leg long and straight. Squeeze your glutes to keep your hips extended. Push the back of your knees toward the ceiling to engage your leg muscles. Get down on your back knee for a passive stretch.
- Look down at your mat.
- Hold for a few breaths. Go through downward facing dog and repeat on the other side.
- Start in downward facing dog with your hands shoulder-width apart and feet a few inches apart.
- Lift your right leg off the floor, bend your knee and push it toward your chest, then step it between your hands.
- Lower your left knee to the mat and spread your toes so that the top of your back foot is on the floor.
- Keeping your front leg bent, lift your chest and raise your arms to the ceiling.
- Push your hips forward and keep your front knee pointed straight ahead and in line with your ankle. Straighten your hips so that both hip bones point forward. Engage your core.
- Extend your arms high and turn your palms towards each other. Keep your shoulders pressed down.
- Stay here for one minute, then switch sides.
- Start in a high plank position: arms straight, shoulders over wrists, body straight from head to heels.
- Keeping your core tight, bend your arms to slowly lower toward the floor, keeping your elbows close to your body. (If necessary, drop to your knees.) When you reach the floor, release your toes so that the tops of your feet are on the mat.
- With your hands on the mat under your shoulders, press your palms together and lift your chest off the floor using your arms and back muscles. Keep your elbows close to your hips, with a slight bend. Keep your legs straight, and press the tops of your feet into the base.
- Open your chest and press your shoulder blades down your back away from your ears. Do not arch your lower back (it should feel elongated). Engage your legs by keeping them straight and pressed into the floor.
- Hold for at least 5 breaths.
Inhale: cow pose
- Start on all fours, with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Keep your back straight, your gaze directed towards the floor, and your neck elongated.
- As you inhale, lift your tailbone and chest toward the ceiling as you lower your belly toward the mat.
- Keep your shoulders away from your ears, your shoulder blades wide across your back, and your head in line with your torso.
- Exhale into cat pose.
Exhale: cat pose
- Begin in cow pose.
- As you exhale, round your back, pull in your tailbone and tuck your chin toward your chest.
- Keep your shoulders and knees in place.
- Breathe into cow pose.
- Repeat this flow for up to 10 breaths or longer if desired.
- Begin by lying on your back on your mat. Bend your legs to place your feet flat on the mat.
- Hug your knees to your chest, reach for the back of your thighs and slowly spread your knees as you lift your soles toward the ceiling.
- Reach your hands between your legs and grab the pinky edges of your feet. Press into your feet as if you were standing on the ceiling.
- Pull your knees toward you as you lower your head, shoulders, and back of your hands toward the mat.
- Hold for up to one minute, then slowly bring your knees together and lower your feet back to the mat.
- Start on all fours, with your hands shoulder-width apart and knees hip-width apart.
- Move the right knee forward, place it on the floor behind the right wrist.
- Push your right ankle toward your left wrist so that your right shin crosses the mat at a comfortable angle.
- Extend your left leg straight back and slowly lower your hips to the floor. Keep the top of your left foot flat on the floor.
- Keep your hips in line, with your weight evenly distributed between them (avoid sinking into your right hip).
- From here, you can either stay upright—keeping your hands on the floor in front of you, chest up, and core engaged—or you can bend forward, slowly extending your arms in front of you and lowering your chest to the floor.
- Hold the pose for 5 to 10 breaths, then switch sides and repeat.
- To come out of the pose, tuck the toes of the left foot, press the hands and slowly return the right foot to the starting position.
