Yoga is a great tool for conditioning tennis players. Just as a proper warm-up aids in preventing 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.
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 tennis 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 tennis players gain more respect from both competitors and spectators.
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.