Is Yoga the Key to Avoiding Tennis Injuries?

Tennis injuries: Preventative moves before & after tennis

I´d love to say that adults don’t arrive to adult tennis holidays without pre-existing tennis injuries, but they do.

Their tennis bags are packed with colorful kinesiology tape to reduce inflammation and soreness along with ice packs, knee braces & any other first aid for sprains, strains and joint injuries.

Yet they come to a tennis holiday ready to give it hell despite the pain. A clear sign they love the game and DO NOT want to be sidelined.

But in fact they eventually are sidelined - back at home. Often, for months at a time. Because they refuse to stop playing and give their body a rest. Instead they play through the pain.

Of course the pain isn’t because of the tennis holiday itself. But when you arrive on a tennis trip stacked with 15 hrs. of tennis training and you´ve already been hurting, the chances of you annoying said injury more, is high.

A prime reason I like to limit private lessons after 3 hrs. of daily training. The reason I opted doing my adult tennis holidays at a holistic spot like, Hotel Es Port where the walking trails, sea, pools & spa treatments are at your fingertips.

Knowing adults have limited time, are forever in a rush and will ABSOLUTELY forgo stretching prior to play, I wanted to add an easy stretching routine to help prevent tennis injuries before players begin. Obviously, post play is also important!

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As the Tennis Director working with adults on tennis holidays I work with players individually on your core tennis techniques. Knowing full well you probably didn’t learn well at the beginning. More than likely weren´t corrected enough or exposed to proper grips which all help alleviate tennis injuries down the line.

On a week long tennis holiday it’s important not to make radical changes. I tweak with purpose what ails players so you find relief & improve your tennis game.

Fortunate to collaborate with Tania Rada, Power Yoga Specialist to performance athletes helps to shed light on avoiding tennis specific injuries using yoga. She shares tips for pre & post practice stretches. Both for my tennis holiday players and for beginner tennis players learning how to play tennis, using yoga to AVOID pain altogether & feel more stable, not only flexible.

When you work with Tania, you’re working specific problems you currently have in shoulders, knees, elbows, etc. Her specialty will pinpoint your problem, alleviate pain, strengthen & avoid recurring tennis injuries.

I only work with adult tennis players, but I met Tania Rada  at Spain's junior tennis academy, Global Tennis Team in Mallorca.

She was working with a female junior player I´d sent there with a pretty harsh shoulder injury using yoga. 

Tania ́s a Power Yoga specialist for professional athletes in all sports, not only tennis players. She was brought in to Global Tennis Team to work with injured junior players in need of relief & strength in order to keep competing.

I ́d been doing yoga regularly & noticed tremendous results in my own life. Both for my flexibility & concentration. But I needed to figure out how to help my adult tennis players during tennis holidays with me on Mallorca.

I realized the value of yoga for both my beginner tennis players coming into the tennis world of repetition AND my advanced adults playing my adult tennis camps.

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There’s nothing woo - woo about her. She’s completely approachable, down to earth & knowledgeable. Her other speciality is emotional intelligence in tennis & sport. I appreciate the tips she offers adult players around maintaining your emotions and outlook on court & in match play situations.

The world over in 2020 has clued into yoga now. Today there’s little skepticism around yoga as an alternative & powerful game changer for athletes.

Tennis &Yoga: Professional players use yoga for tennis

When you think of tennis warm-ups you probably think dynamic warm up for tennis, right? Me too.

A dynamic warm-up means you're moving as you stretch. It helps prepare the body for the games inevitable demands. 

It's why tennis players like Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Simona Halep and Serena have incorporated yoga poses & stretches into their pre & post practice routines.

To add a touch of testosterone for those who feel yoga´s not tough enough… Tom Brady of the New England Patriots swears by it.

Yoga a tool for injury prevention in tennis

Because tennis is an individual sport, there's no one to lean on out on court. It's all you player!

Tania ́s message specifically to the tennis world is that it's important to work the body, mind & emotions. All 3 in balance make the perfect trifecta for tennis players.

She noticed how tennis players seem to know more about their tennis rackets & strings than about these 3 core things.

Believing it ́s a LACK of information from the tennis industry itself. Placing more importance on where to find the best coaches, physios & doctors instead of learning ourselves how to take control of our own physical & mental health wellbeing. 

She’s not wrong about that.

Her message? Stop with the automatic pilot and take responsibility for your own body, mind & emotions before, during & after your game. And you´ll be more healthy, in control & confident in your tennis & daily lives.

Rada points out the obvious, we easily forget. Tennis is that rare game that up until that last point, you can win! Other sports like futbol (soccer) is not that way. Time dictates the win.

So, our bodies, minds & emotions should be prepared to go the distance. To give it a mental & physical healthy fight to the finish line. Whether you ́re a beginner tennis player or playing recreational club competition.

Should you play through pain?

Tania explains that when we ́ve developed a tennis injury and have pain it's our bodies way of telling us that something’s gone wrong.

And we need to stop!

When we don't listen to the pain it gets worse. And … there's a big difference between you feeling tired & you being in pain. 

Working through being tired is good for your mind. Your positive effort in continuing to play despite it being hot out & you pushing through for 3 hours is a good effort. A character builder.

But playing through pain should be a FULL STOP!

Tennis Players Use Yoga to Prevent Tennis Injuries  

Rada goes on to explain that using yoga as part of your tennis routine also gives you awareness.

Once you ́re aware of your strengths and the physical weakness in your body you ́re going to need to improve that, physically speaking. 

For example, we take for granted a shoulder gives us mobility. So with a shoulder injury you ́d need to work on stability. Your hips are the opposite. Hips are made for you to stand up. So stability ́s granted but mobility is not.

So the yoga poses you’d work on would give you more stability & flexibility as needed. Because it ́s balanced - you ́re going to get strength, flexibility and stability. Not 1 more than another.

Tania explains that yoga isn't ́t just flexibility. Adding you´ll need to be strong in some muscles & flexible in others.

So when tennis players practice yoga you become aware of your body. You gain more control. And you can improve where you´re both weak & strong and use that in your favor.

Tennis players also struggle with nerves on court. Through yoga & working with deep breathing helps us with our own anxiety. Whether that means beginner tennis players out on court those first few weeks, not knowing what to expect. Or competition adults - playing matches.

Yoga for your mind & emotions excels in matchplay

I get A LOT of recreational competition adults on my adult tennis holidays. They take their improvement seriously. And I feel that heavily.

They may want to win their first club tournament. Be invited to play on a team or simply not want to be embarrassed on court.

I consider suffering emotionally on court something that plagues most tennis players. #emotions

So I asked the question. What can we do when taking big decisions alone on court. How can we use yoga to help us pull through ugly moments in a match?

Tania affirms that yoga helps you attune with your breath & body. You become more aware of your strengths & weaknesses. Being aware gives you the option to love what you like and improve what you don ́t! Not only physically.

When you practice yoga you ́re able to connect with your mind. You become aware of your thoughts. And once you’re aware you can choose what to think next.

So in a tennis match, you can have more clarity. You can be able to control and see what your opponent's strengths and weaknesses are. And take good decisions instead of freaking out … feeling you ́re going to lose the match. You ́re able to choose what you want to think & do next.

Find Your Balance on Court with Yoga

During adult tennis holidays or tennis camps I feel like all I do to increase an adults performance on court is to get them balanced in a shot.

Tania reassures us, age ain't nothing but a number for adult tennis players! 

Neither is weight or any other excuse we have for ourselves.

In yoga like tennis, there's poses that look really easy but in fact they're not when you try them. 

Think how easy serving appears before trying to do it. Much less get the ball in the box consistently. You observe that when you try serving there's something physically that doesn't ́t let you serve like you want to. Many times we feel off balance with so many moving parts.

When a tennis player improves their balance, it’s a huge score for their tennis game! Including your power & confidence game.

Tania reminds us that not only do we warm up our bodies but we realize our breath.

Tuning into your breath is synonymous with tuning into your mind. Your breath is the gateway between the consciousness & subconsciousness mind.

Once you tune into your breath you're able to tune into your mind. A superpower we take for granted. Yet once aware to your thoughts and how you feel become real assets to you immediately. 

Adding a pre-tennis warm-up using simple yoga postures prepares your muscles, joints & ligaments that will be engaged on court. And your muscles will be relaxed in order to do more efficient movement. 

Be aware of how your body is today …

Or to be aware that you have fear somewhere in the body that something won't turn out like you'd like. Or you had a totally unrelated tennis issue yesterday that you ́re body is going to feel today. And it's going to cause you stress in some of the muscles.

Yoga will shine a spotlight on how you ́re feeling today. Aware where the tension is & aware of releasing it. 

And that makes you BE and FEEL more confident.

Give it a shot, with an open mind, allow at least a month of experience before you consider whether or not to adopt the practice as part of your training routine. By far the most important thing to remember is that Yoga is not a practice of improving flexibility, but so much more.”

With love from Mallorca~