Top 5 Poses for Baseball

  1. Pigeon pose: from batting to quick sprints down to first it is always important for baseball players to keep their hips open, to increase speed and agility, torque at the plate and lessen the potential strain on the knees. Pigeon pose will open deeply in to the glutes and release any pressure that could accumulate on the sciatic nerve.
  2. Frog pose: frog is another example of how a player can open the hips and at the same time stretch the inner thigh groin which is a point of injury for a lot of baseball players. You should look to hold this pose for 2-20 minutes.
  3. Standing forward bend against the wall: Getting away from seated forward bend when more often than not is done incorrectly, doing this pose while folding in half facing the wall and stabilizing your feet on the floor lean against the wall, gravity takes over. You can get deeper faster to this resistant set of muscles known as the hamstrings. Learn to hold this pose 1-3 minutes, you will also find your mental toughness and focus challenged here, hang tough, literally.
  4. Happy cow shoulder stretch: for throwing either in the infield or outfield, or from home to second with split second reflexes and full extension in your swing it is a well know fact that a baseball player needs strong open stable shoulders. This is once stretch that will focus on the anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder)which is often the tightest part of the intricate shoulder. You can add wall walks and plank holds (check site for more info) to also increase the stability of the shallow vulnerable shoulder joint.
  5. Seated twisting: this is a great movement for a baseball player to increase the rotation in his/her spine on their non dominant side. Keeping equal flexibility helps maintain a more symmetrical body which is more stable. A strong deep rotation with help with torque at the plate. This exercise also helps build total strength in the back and sync the breath with the movement. All athletes can benefit from increased breath capacity to remain calm in the most stressful situations.