Pickleball is the new sport that's spreading across the US. Although the courts are smaller than tennis and the bats are lighter it doesn’t mean you can’t get injured. Here are 12 yoga poses you can use in a sequence. This pickleball prehab yoga will help you avoid injury and improve your game.

How Yoga Helps Your Game

1. Improve Flexibility

   Yoga stretches your muscles and tendons. Over time with repeated practice, you will notice you become more flexible. Better flexibility leads to an increased range of motion. 

   When your range of motion improves you notice you can reach balls you couldn’t get to in the past. You will find it easier to get to overhead balls and get down to those low balls too. With a full range of motion, you can twist more easily which will make you more nimble getting around the court.   

2. Prevent Injury

   Knees, hips, shoulders, and backs, can all take a beating. Ankles and wrists might start to complain too. Yoga helps your joints by strengthening the muscles around them. Pre-game yoga poses & stretching improve blood flow and help prevent muscle soreness and stiffness. This can all help muscle repair and recovery. 

3. Improve Balance & Posture

   Anytime you take a yoga class you spend the hour stretching and straightening. So you leave class feeling like you’re walking a little taller. Better posture avoids being one-sided and helps prevent the joints from overloading. This of course helps prevent injury. . Lots of yoga poses need good balance, so you get lots of practice in a yoga class. Each time you are wobbling and righting yourself in tree pose, remember you are working your core and all the small muscles in your feet as well as your leg muscles. 

4. Mental Clarity

   Yoga allows you to find mental clarity. Intentional breathing, mindful movement, and connecting deeply with your body during a yoga sequence lets the mind quiet its chatter. If you include a small meditation in your practice you start to notice improved focus and calm over time. Some deep, calming breaths before a serve can allow you to settle and be more focused. 

12 Great Yoga Poses for Pickleball Players 

Here are some poses for you to try. Never stretch beyond your limits. You may notice an element of slight discomfort but you should not feel pain. Remember you can ease back and use extra props. Yoga is a balance of effort and ease, you should always be able to breathe fully in the poses. If you are holding your breath maybe you are stretching too deeply, ease back. 

1. Cow pose

2. Cat pose

3. Downward facing dog

4. Cobra

5. Childs pose

6. Side plank

7. Twisted triangle

8. Tree pose

9. Pigeon pose

10. Bridge pose

11. Supine twist

12. Legs up the wall

Do the poses in order to create a home yoga practice

Releases tension in spine and hips

Stretches back of legs and back, strengthens arms, shoulders and legs

Stretches psoas, and hip flexors, strengthens back and glutes

Counter pose to back ends (cobra) stretches lower back

Strengthens arms, shoulders and core & works on balance

Balance, strengthens legs and core, opens chest and shoulders

Balance, core strength, leg strength & focus

Hip opener

Strengthens glutes, back and core

Release tension in lower back

Stretch for back and legs (for some bodies), relaxes leg muscles

Conclusion

Yoga is a great compliment to your pickleball game. Not only will a yoga practice help improve your game it will set you up for greater flexibility, increased strength, and improved focus. Tag onto that lowered stress levels, feeling more relaxed, and increased general wellbeing. What’s not to love.