Although basketball players have to get in shape, depending on their position, the need for flexibility and flexibility of the joints is even greater. That’s why basketball players use yoga for stretching and strengthening their muscles.
Most basketball players are too busy shooting hoops to think about what poses they should do before or after a game. However, certain poses can help to strengthen your body and improve your game. While the good news is there are plenty of poses you can do before and after your game to help you improve, these 5 poses are a must for basketball players.
If you’re an athlete who hasn’t tried yoga yet, this is a good time to take off your sneakers and stretch your hamstrings. Yoga will improve your game and your life.
With many physical and psychological benefits, these yoga poses help warm you up and prepare you in all the right places before you step onto the field. Regular practice of yoga can help reduce injuries by relaxing the muscles before a competition, improving balance, reducing muscle soreness after the competition and calming the mind.
Below are 5 helpful yoga poses for basketball players that will surely lead you to success on the mat:
Table of Contents
1. Plank Pose
Title: Plank is often considered a pose that strengthens the core, which it certainly is, but it’s also great for strengthening and stretching the wrists.
While maintaining the prone position, activate your core and slowly rock forward and then backward. After a few of these exercises, try rotating your arm on the mat alternately to the sides. Hands point forward in a normal plank, rotate wrists to the left, then back to center and to the right, then switch sides.
It can be difficult to hold the plank, so go ahead and do the child’s pose and take a break whenever you feel like it.
2. Warrior II
Warrior II gives you time to focus, breathe and work on your balance while strengthening your arms and stretching your shoulder and leg muscles.
Warrior II also warms the ankle joints by slightly rotating the rear foot while the front foot remains flat. Change sides and relax your game face. Yoga is on your side.
3. Pigeon
Think about the impact all that running and jumping has on your hips and lower back!
Stretch before and after the pigeon pose to open your hips and groin, promote recovery and strengthen your lower back. If you feel comfortable and want to get deeper sensations from this pose, lower your head to the floor and rest it on your hands crossed in front of you.
Do this leaning forward pose and enjoy all the benefits of this combination poses.
4. Inclined
Here’s the thigh stretch! A good forward bend relaxes and warms your hamstrings, and trust me, you’ll feel it.
It’s definitely a pose that will come in handy before and after the game. Our muscles are tense after a workout, and some post-workout yoga poses can help release that tension.
Leaning forward also lengthens the muscles of the lower back. Mainly because you’re chasing the ball down the field, stomping on the ground with your foot, and that force and impact comes directly to your lower back.
Bend over and say ah.
5. Wider side angle
This pose works in several areas: Adductors and abductors, core, stretches the upper and lower back and opens the hips. It also warms the shoulders, gives a good stretch to the groin, spine, waist and opens the chest and lungs.
The extended side pose also stretches and strengthens the legs, knees and ankles.
Practicing yoga regularly will have a positive impact on your life, both on and off the field. As always: Listen to your body, be aware of your limits and respect them. Flexibility is not a requirement for the practice of yoga, it’s just a benefit that comes with it.
These are some of the most practical yoga poses that almost anyone can do, but with so many variations, you can always change them and decide which ones work best for you.
So when you score and ask people where you learned these skills, share with them the idea and benefits of yoga to master an asana.