The 8 Best Yoga Poses For Men
If you think yoga isn’t for you, look to basketball stars Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki. They’re just a couple of the big names that trained with yoga coach Kent Katich to improve their strength, balance, and flexibility, while reducing injuries. And the same principles that help the world’s top athletes gain an edge also work for any amateur athlete, says Katich, whether they’re aiming for a faster 5K, harder tennis serve, or slimmer waist.
Related: 8 Health Benefits to Practicing Yoga
Katich’s method doesn’t require marathon sessions. Eight basic poses can make a difference when it comes to how you look, feel, and perform, says Katich, who just released two new Athletic Yoga workouts with Gaiam staring NFL great Eddie George and NBA star Kevin Love.
Related: 10 Yoga Poses for Runners
Here, Katich shares the eight poses you need to boost your performance. “These moves are very efficient and target everything in a short period of time,” says Katich. “There is no wasted time or energy.” He recommends spending 20 minutes a day, three times per week doing the following sequence. Hold each pose for 30-45 seconds and repeat three times, eventually working your holds up to one minute each.
Related: How To Do Yoga At Your Desk
Down Dog
"Down dog is the most important, and it’s also the most difficult for athletes," says Katich. "It strengthens shoulders, back, hips, hamstrings and calves."
Start with your palms down on the foloor shoulder-width apart and your feet hip-width apart. Curl your toes, lift your hips to the ceiling and form an upside-down “V,” with back flat. Press down through palms and elongate from the hands to the hipbone.
High Lunge
"The high lunge is also known as the runner’s lunge, and it’s critical for athletes because it alleviates the tight hip flexors and lower backs so many people have," says Katich.
For the high lunge, start on your hands and knees, lift your right foot and place it in between your hands and lift your left knee up off the floor to come into the lunge. Alternate legs and bring your left foot in front of the right leg. Targeting the hip flexors with this high lunge is a priority. Make sure that your feet are not lined up — you want your front foot angled slightly out from your back leg.
Plank
"The down dog gets you started, the high lunge warms up your hips, and the plank is going to get you going with ab strength," says Katich. This move is total body and engages all of the muscles in your core.
To do a plank, hold the top of a pushup with your arms straight (shoulders over wrists), back flat, abs and glutes engaged. After holding for 30 to 45 seconds, slowly inch your chest down to the floor, keeping your elbows tight to your body.
Side Plank
"From the plank, you want to go into a one-arm side plank. This move builds stability in the core and is a great for building natural strength. One of the things I find with athletes is that the hands, wrists, and forearms lack a lot of strength," says Katich. That creates a disconnect in the total strength of your arms.
Start in plank, then rotate your body to your right side, extending your right arm straight up, and stacking your feet (if this is too difficult, rest your top foot on the floor in front of your bottom foot). Make sure you don’t allow your hips to drop. Repeat on the other side.
Cobra
"The cobra stretches the lower back, but it also strengthens the lower back more than you would think," says Katich. Keeping the lower back stretched and strong is critical because it’s the first things that will go on an athlete. Tight hips and hamstrings are injuries that play themselves out in the back, he adds. "That’s where they manifest."
For the cobra, lie on your stomach with your legs extended and palms flat on the floor under your shoulders. Press your thighs and pelvis into the floor. Push up through your palms to straighten your arms, lift your chest while keeping your hips on the floor.
Warrior
"The warrior is a hip opener and improves upper back strength when you use correct posture," says Katich. It also strengthens the legs muscles from the hamstrings and quads to the ankles.
For warrior, lunge your left foot forward and about four inches to the left of your back right foot. Turn the right foot slightly out. Bend your front knee, and keep the back leg straight. Alternate legs and repeat.
Bridge
"This is great for your hips and opening the pelvis. That helps undo the damage done by sitting too much. It also strengthens the gluteus muscles," says Katich.
To get into the bridge pose, start on your back with your knees bent and your heels about three inches from your butt. Keep your feet on the floor, hip-width apart and parallel. Inhale and lift your hips as high as you can toward the ceiling. If your shoulders aren’t too tight, interlace your fingers behind your back, or just hold the sides of your yoga mat.
Thread the Needle
"This pose can be held longer than the others. Aim for one and a half or two minutes. This pose is much more restorative and staying in it longer benefits you more during your cool down. It helps release the gluteus maximus and the gluteus minimus, which can get extremely tight from running and jumping during workouts. This is an incredibly effective pose. In fact, it’s the most effective pose I’ve seen with athletes," says Katich.
To do thread the needle, lie on your back with your feet on the floor and knees bent. Cross your right leg to place your right ankle just above the left knee or on your thigh. Reach your hands under your left thigh — or reach both hands to your left shin — and pull your left knee toward your chest. Keep your back flat on the floor. Repeat on the other side.
By Lauren Steele
More From Men’s Journal:
DDP Yoga is Everywhere But Does It Deliver?
