Yoga is a great tool for conditioning tennis players. Just as a proper warm-up aids inpreventing an injury before beginning a marathon or playing a team sport, a regular yoga routine as a compulsory regimen for any serious athlete can be a game changer.
So, do you want to gain an edge in your tennis game?
Read on and learn four significant areas in which yoga can enhance your tennis skills.
Strength: Tennis requires strong legs as well as tremendous upper body strength. Yoga uses weight- bearing exercises, which strengthen your entire body. Warrior One and Triangle Pose will build strong legs. The Plank and Side Plank are excellent exercises for strengthening shoulders. You may also be able to avoid tennis elbow by practicing Child and Chair pose.
Flexibility: Nothing serves an athlete better than flexibility. It is essential in preventing injury, as well as ensuring peak performance. One of the stressful aspects of tennis on the shoulders is the serve. The Cobra Pose is a great asana for stretching overworked shoulders. Open your hips with Pigeon Pose and stretch legs with Reclining Big Toe Pose. Once you are loose and limber, you will fly around the court with ease.
Balance: Good balance is imperative in a sport, which requires a player to leap across a court while preparing their racquet for a powerful stroke. Yoga is a terrific exercise with a great selection of asanas, which will give your equilibrium a boost. Find super stability by regularly engaging in Tree Pose, Half-Moon Pose, King Dancer, or Eagle Pose. An added bonus of great balance is the perception of gracefulness you exhibit to the opposing player.
Composure: In an emotional game, often pitting one against one opponent, composure is imperative. Yoga, long proven to increase focus, also teaches calming breathing techniques. When facing an opponent, use experience gained from meditation and pranayama to put on a serene game-face. Quite a few professional tennis players make headlines with their on-court temper tantrums. Composed players gain more respect from both competitors and spectators.
In addition, tennis players often suffer from muscular imbalances, as most players are either left-hand or right-hand dominant. Yoga poses, which evenly work both sides of the body, can help athletes to regain muscular symmetry. This can assist in preventing injuries. Engaging in a structured yoga practice will also aid in preventing the strain that tennis specifically incurs on elbows, shoulders, and wrists.
It is easy to see why yoga is making headlines as a new training method for all athletes. It is pretty much an all-in-one program that prepares athletes physically and emotionally to be super-stars on and off the court.