Yoga For Women In Sport: Cricketers, Footballers, Netballers, Runners And Swimmers Who Use It

Women’s sport is growing fast, so why does most yoga-for-sport writing still talk to men? Here are women across cricket, footy, netball, running and swimming who use yoga, yogic breathing or meditation, in their own words.

New to Iyengar yoga? Start with Why Yoga Works For Sport: Mr BKS Iyengar, His Book And His Props.

Yoga for female athletes: the short answer

Female athletes use yoga to free up hips, hamstrings and shoulders, recover from hard sessions and steady the mind, and many also train their breathing or meditate. Taniya Bhatia does 45 minutes of yoga every day; Rebecca Soni did up to five classes a week. Regular practice is the common thread.

Who was Mr BKS Iyengar? Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. His style is sometimes called modern classical yoga. It’s the style we teach at Flametree. His book Yoga For Sports has a chapter of hints for sportswomen.

Who uses it, sport by sport

Short summaries in our words; follow the links for the originals. Reported at the time; none endorses Flametree.

• Cricket. India wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia gives yoga 45 minutes every day (The Week, 2 July 2023). Former Australian captain Meg Lanning has said she recently started a little meditation, something she thought she would never get into (Women’s Agenda, 8 September 2021). More on our cricket page.
• Footy. Former Diamonds captain and AFLW player Sharni Layton calls yoga her favourite workout (Women’s Agenda, 28 July 2021). Essendon VFLW player Kendra Heil uses five to ten minutes of mindfulness before games to settle her breathing (Essendon FC, undated). More on our footy page.
• Netball (breathing and meditation). Silver Ferns Sulu Fitzpatrick trains her breathing daily and Ameliaranne Ekenasio meditates; the NSW Swifts breathed together in grand final huddles. See the netball section on our running and swimming page.
• Running. Kara Goucher, Lily Partridge, Chelsea Sodaro and Lina Nielsen on recovery, hips and moving better. See running and swimming.
• Swimming. Olympic champion Rebecca Soni, Paralympian Cortney Jordan Truitt, and Australia’s national swim team, which brought yoga, mindfulness and meditation into training in 2017. See running and swimming.

How Much Did They Actually Do?

• Taniya Bhatia: 45 minutes every day.
• Rebecca Soni: up to five classes a week while training.
• Cortney Jordan Truitt: daily.
• Lina Nielsen: one 30 to 45 minute self-practice a week.
• Kendra Heil (mindfulness): five to ten minutes before each game.

Those with the strongest stories practised regularly, so regular practice is what to try: two or three classes a week, for at least a couple of months.

What Athletes And Researchers Have Found

• Track and field athletes gained flexibility and balance with yoga, and lower anxiety, in a 2025 review. Singh and colleagues. DOI
• Mindfulness training lowered anxiety in athletes, in an analysis of 11 studies of 582 athletes. Si and colleagues, 2024. DOI This tested mindfulness, not yoga; it still counts for our classes.
• Four minutes a day loosened hamstrings in a trial of 150 healthy young adults, men and women. Thapa and colleagues, 2026. PubMed

Looking for mindfulness? Yoga and yogic breathing create it. Read Yoga And Mindfulness.

Ready to give it a try?

1. 2 free classes, plus 2 free ebooks. New to Flametree, or back after 3 months or more? Claim them here, LIVE online or in our Darwin studios.
2. Half price 10 class pass for beginners: 10 half price classes plus 2 free, $59.50.
3. A private lesson: private class pass, $109.
4. For women’s teams and clubs: group class, $149 per session. Ask us about a five-lesson or ten-session club package: contact us.

See the timetable and book here

Frequently asked questions

Is yoga good for female athletes?

Yes. Women in cricket, footy, running and swimming credit it for freer hips, recovery and a calmer mind, and a review of track and field studies found gains in flexibility and balance.

Do netballers use yoga or breathing?

Some use both. Silver Ferns players train their breathing and meditate, and former Diamonds captain Sharni Layton calls yoga her favourite workout.

Can a women’s team do yoga with Flametree in Darwin?

Yes. We run group sessions at your club, at our Woolner studio or online, at $149 a session.

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Sources and dates as linked above. Athlete statements are their own experience, reported at the time; none endorses Flametree. This page is general information.