Below is a structured yoga flow for softball players to incorporate into their warm-ups. Softball requires an intense amount of running, pivoting, and full-body action. By incorporating this yoga flow pre-exertion, you are setting your body up for success. 

Prior to completing these stretches, be sure that you have conducted at least 10 minutes of a dynamic stretch to allow ample time for blood flow. 

Camel Pose

• Start standing on your knees hip-width apart.
• Slowly bring your hands to your heels behind you.
• Lift and open your chest while lengthening your spine. 
• Allow your head to gently move backward.
• Gently press your hips forward while engaging your glutes.

Child's Pose

• Slowly come out of Camel Pose, with hands on your hips to support your spine on exit, and bring your glutes to your heels. 
• Toes touch, knees wide. 
• Rest your forehead on the floor and reach your arms forward, resting arms on the floor.
• Try to sink deeper between your hips and take a few deep breaths.
• Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with the Camel Pose for 3 sets total. 

Muscles Engaged

These poses are used to stretch the shoulders, scapula, hips, and spine. It is a great flow for softball and baseball players to use as a warm up. 

Do not super set these exercises. Complete the full sets of the Cat Cow Pose before moving on to the Bird Dog.

Cat Cow Pose

• Start on your hands and knees in a table top position.
• Lift your glutes and chest/head at the same time, sinking your lower back to the ground. This is Cow Pose. Your spine is in extension, a backbend, with your head up, gazing up.
• Exhale and transition into spine flexion, a rounded spine bringing your head down between your shoulders. Press away from the ground, gaze at your thighs, as you round your spine and create space between your scapula. This is Cat Pose. 

Bird Dog Pose

• On your hands and knees, in table top position, extend one arm in front of you with the opposite leg extending back.
• Keep your back in a neutral position, core tight, with your hips square.
• Hold for a few seconds then return to hands and knees on the floor. 
• Repeat on the opposite side.
• Complete 3 sets of 5 reps each side. 

Muscles Engaged

The benefits of this pose are to target the spine, abdominals and hips. Incorporating this flow prior to a workout may assist in reducing low back pain and active your core.

Begin with twisted monkey pose on each side, then superset chaturanga in between each set. 

Twisted Monkey Pose

• Begin in Downward-Facing Dog. 
• Step your right foot to the outside of your right hand with your right knee stacked directly above your heel.
• Lower left knee to the floor.
• Plant your left hand on the ground. Bend your back left knee. Press your hips forward. Sweep your right arm back, outside your body and grab the outer edge of your left foot so your palm faces away from you.
• Position your right foot out to the side wider if needed. To create more space in hips, roll onto the outer edge of your right foot and allow your right knee to move out to the side, away from midline. 
• Lengthen your chest and lift yourself out of your hips so you don’t collapse in your lower back.

Chaturanga

• Start in a plank position. 
• Shift your weight forward and lower your body, keeping your shoulders and hips in line.
• Bend your elbows, squeeze your arms and core, and lower until you almost hit the floor.
• Slowly push your weight forward and bring yourself into a sweeping motion, bringing you into an arms extended cobra pose, also called updog.
• Bring shoulders down and back.
• Lengthen your spine.

Muscles Engaged

The benefits of this pose are to target the quads, open up the chest and improve balance and strength throughout the upper body. 

Begin with pigeon pose and complete 3 sets each leg. Then move forward to the hero's pose/tucked toes and complete 3 sets of 30 seconds. 

Pigeon Pose

• Start in downward dog.
• Step your right foot inside your hands.
• Walk your right foot to the left anywhere from behind your left wrist to close to your left hip. 
• Lower your right knee on the floor behind your right wrist. 
• Allow your right foot to be in a position that creates ease in your bent right knee.
• Bring both hips in one line from the side.
• You can either stay here with a long spine up or or lower your upper body to the ground over your knee for a deeper stretch. 

Heroes Pose/Tucked Toes

• Kneeling on the floor, make sure your shoulders are stacked over your hips.
• Bring your heels under your glutes and bend your toes so they are facing the inside of your body.
• Sit back down on your heels, slowly putting pressure on your toes. Try to stay here for at least 20 seconds.

Muscles Engaged

Pigeon pose can help relieve hips, quads and sciatica pain. It is a great opener pregame or workout. Hero’s pose helps with flexion in the knees, stretches out the toes, and helps warm up the feet. 

These are just a few of the many stretches that can help to improve your sports performance. Be sure to give yourself time to warm up before diving into these or any new stretching routine by conducting a dynamic stretch for at least 10 minutes. Listen to your body and never push yourself harder than is comfortable – you should always feel safe and supported throughout your entire stretch session.

Why Stretch Before a Workout?

Warming up before a sports practice, competition, or even a workout can help make a prime difference in your performance. The reason for this is when your body is in a passive state, i.e., sitting around before your exertion, it only produces 15-20% blood flow to the skeletal muscles. This number drastically increases to 70-75% with only ten minutes of pre-activity movement. 

Conducting a proper warm-up also helps raise your body temperature, thus creating an increased range of motion and flexibility. The other benefit of this is injury prevention. Injuries do not have favoritism, and everyone, even young athletes, is prone to experiencing an injury at some point in their lives while playing sports. When your body is warm, loose, and has increased blood flow, you are less likely to experience injuries that could have otherwise taken place had you not warmed up properly.  

If you’re ever unsure about how to properly execute a stretch, please consult with a certified professional who can help guide you through it. Have fun exploring different stretching techniques and finding what feels best for your body!