Tennis player uses yoga to improve his back and shoulders

Tennis players have twisted bodies in order to perform all of their sideways movements. Yoga can help to untwist, to rebalance, and to relax all of these tensions.

Tennis players' backs become unbalanced in their muscle and nerve profiles. One shoulder is highly developed (the racket arm shoulder), and the other is almost stunted by comparison.

No matter whether you play tennis competitively or socially, anyone who picks up a racket regularly will benefit from adding a little yoga to their routine.  Ever started feeling a shoulder niggle or back ache after a session or match that was a little more intense than usual?  This article’s for you!

Tennis uses your full shoulder girdle, which is just a concise way of describing your upper back, shoulders and upper chest.  The main shoulder joint in itself is a shallow ball and socket joint.  That means it naturally has a lot of mobility (very handy for fully swinging your arm at the ball!), but this greater mobility generally comes hand in hand with greater instability and a heightened risk of injury.

And to make matters worse, most of us now spend many of our waking hours hunched over a screen or steering wheel, and/or tensed up with stress, creating tension and restriction.  So when you pick up that racket, you’re suddenly expecting full power and mobility from an injury-prone tight shoulder girdle…!  Fear not – it doesn’t have to be an injury waiting to happen, if you can follow this simple five-step prehab routine.

Cat/cow

1. Cat/cow: on all fours, hands under shoulders and knees hip-width apart.

Downward-facing dog

2. Downward-facing dog: from all 4s, push your hips to the sky to an inverted V position and hold. Your arms should be straight, shoulders away from your ears, back straight, and hips to the sky. Your legs can be bent or straight, and your heels don’t have to touch the mat but should still actively aim for the mat. If you’re doing all these things actively, don’t be surprised to find yourself struggling to hold very quickly. Focus on your breath and notice how your body is feeling in this position. Is your dominant / serving shoulder tighter? Hold for 5 to 10 rounds of breath if possible.

Side Plank

3.Side Plank: with your feet stacked and your balancing hand under the shoulder, make sure you’re engaging the shoulder away from your ears. To make sure your hips don’t drop, dumping unnecessarily into your lower back, squeeze your backside. Once again, hold for 5 to 10 breaths if possible – on each side.
Tip: if your wrists are uncomfortable, you can do this on your forearm, ensuring your elbow is under your shoulder.

Eagle arms

4.Eagle arms: cross your right arm under your left, then bend your forearms towards your face. If it’s available to you, aim to press your right palm into your left. If it isn’t, press the forearms against in each other to feel the active stretch in your shoulders. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths with the right arm underneath, then swap arms round.

Cow-face arms

5.Cow-face arms: raise your right arm above your head and bend at the elbow to reach your upper back as if you’re trying to scratch between your shoulder blades. Then bring your left arm down by your side and bend the forearm up as if you’re trying to scratch between your shoulder blades from below. You may find you can bind your hands behind your back – or use a strap, belt or towel to create a little more resistance. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths, then swap sides.

While these postures are a great way to work on strength and flexibility, these steps are also simple and gentle enough to add to any daily routine.

If that’s a little ambitious for you, don’t worry, as you should still feel the benefits even if you can only manage 2 to 3 times a week.

Try this for 30 days and see if you can feel the difference on and off the tennis court.

Article and pictures  - many thanks to our yoga/tennis contributor - Julia.

Disclaimer:

this article does not constitute medical advice.

If you’re experiencing pain or are new to exercise, please consult a medical professional.