Yoga For Sport: Why Cricketers, Footballers, Runners And Swimmers Use It, And How To Start
Why would a Test cricketer, a rugby league fullback and an Olympic swimmer all roll out a yoga mat? They say it in their own words below. Some wanted looser hips and hamstrings. Some wanted a calmer head under pressure. Some just wanted to keep playing.
New here? Start with why it works. Read Why Yoga Works For Sport: Mr BKS Iyengar, His Book And His Props first. It explains the style we teach and the book Mr Iyengar wrote for sportspeople.
Yoga for sport: the short answer
Yoga for sport is used by cricketers, footballers, runners and swimmers to free up tight hips, hamstrings and shoulders, steady their balance and calm the mind before a big moment. Teams include it because their players find it helpful, and the athletes with the strongest stories practised regularly, often daily.
This section follows in short form:
- Teams use it: India’s cricket squad did an hour of yoga a day at a 2004 camp.
- Players say why: looser hips, steadier legs, a calmer mind, better sleep.
- Regular practice is the common thread: daily or near daily, for weeks.
- Research is growing: trials of cricketers and volleyball players found flexibility and balance gains.
- Iyengar yoga suits athletes: precise, prop based, one side balanced against the other.
- Try it free: 2 free classes, Darwin studios or live online.
What is Iyengar yoga, and why does Flametree teach it?
Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar (1918 to 2014). 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 such as belts, blocks, chairs and the wall. His style is sometimes called modern classical yoga. It’s the style we teach at Flametree, in Darwin and live online.
He also worked with sportspeople, and his book Yoga For Sports was written for them. The full story is on the why it works page, and there is more on why the style matters in research.
Which sports are covered?
Pick your sport. Each page has athletes who credit yoga, in their own words with a link to the original, the strains commonly reported in that sport, the Iyengar approach we would use, and a short FAQ.
- Cricket: Shane Watson, Sachin Tendulkar, Taniya Bhatia, Justin Langer’s 2004 visit to Mr Iyengar, and the Indian and Australian teams in 2004.
- Footy: AFL, rugby league, rugby union and soccer: Kalyn Ponga, Sam Gilbert, Tyler Ardron, and an Iyengar teacher who has taught a professional English football squad since 2005.
- Running and swimming, for women: Kara Goucher, Lily Partridge, Chelsea Sodaro, Rebecca Soni and more, plus a separate section on breath and mindfulness in netball.
- Women’s sport: women across cricket, footy, netball, running and swimming who use yoga, yogic breathing or meditation.
Already reading about sport? See Yoga For Athletes And Men, Yoga For Golfers, Yoga For Cyclists and Stretches For Runners.
Why do teams and athletes add yoga to training?
They say it in their own words. Each line is a summary of what the athlete said, with a link on the sport page.
- Looser, freer body: AFL veteran Sam Gilbert started yoga because he needed more flexibility, and says it gives stability in his joints and muscles.
- A calmer head: Chiefs rugby forward Tyler Ardron says the main thing he gets is stillness of the mind.
- Being in the moment: Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga says he builds concentration through the breathing and the poses.
- Recovery: triathlete Chelsea Sodaro uses short hip sessions straight after long rides.
- Playing longer: Shane Watson said yoga made a big difference late in his career and wished he had started sooner.
Mr Iyengar gave his own reason in the introduction to Yoga For Sports: sport is often one sided, so one part of the body is overused and another left idle. Yoga, in his words, aligns the right and left sides. That is the idea behind everything we teach athletes.
How Much Did They Actually Do?
The athletes with the strongest stories did a lot of it, and did it regularly. That is the most useful thing on this page. People often try a class or two, feel only a little looser, and decide it does not work. In our experience as teachers, the change comes with regular practice.
Here is what the sources actually say. Where a source gives no amount, we say so.
| Who | How much | Source |
|---|---|---|
| India cricket squad, 2004 | An hour-long yoga session daily at the Bangalore conditioning camp | PTI, 19 August 2004, as printed in Yoga For Sports (Kindle loc 4423) |
| Sachin Tendulkar, 2004 | An extra half hour on top of the team session | Same PTI report, as printed in the book |
| Australian Test team, India tour 2004 | Yoga with a touring teacher, daily, over seven weeks; first class compulsory, then optional | Australian Yoga Life, issue 11, 2005 (print) |
| Shane Watson | About half an hour a day, before training or playing | CricTracker, 9 May 2016 |
| Taniya Bhatia | 45 minutes every day | The Week, 2 July 2023 |
| Tyler Ardron | Tries to do yoga every day, even if only 20 minutes | Chiefs, 1 April 2020 |
| Birmingham City first team | Weekly, every Monday, since 2005 | Iyengar Yoga UK, 16 August 2017 |
| Rebecca Soni | Up to five classes a week while training, by 2010 | Yoga Journal, undated |
| Sam Gilbert, Kalyn Ponga | Not stated | AFL Players 2018; Man of Many 2020 |
The trials point the same way. The cricket trial below ran yoga five days a week for six weeks. A review of track and field studies found programmes of two to four sessions a week, over 8 to 15 weeks.
So the thing to try is regular practice: two or three classes a week, kept up for at least a couple of months. Bring a mate or come alone, but give it 12 weeks.
What Athletes And Researchers Have Found
- Flexibility, balance and core stability improved in cricketers. In a trial of 82 first-class male cricketers in India, yoga five days a week for six weeks improved core stability, flexibility, range of motion, balance and ankle control, and the gains were still there at six months. Rao and colleagues, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2021. DOI
- Volleyball players gained flexibility and balance. In a trial of 26 volleyball players, adding yoga twice a week gave greater gains in flexibility, balance, endurance and serving accuracy than the comparison group. Erkan Özalp and colleagues, Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 2025. DOI
- Track and field athletes gained flexibility and balance. A 2025 review of yoga studies in track and field athletes reported significant gains in flexibility and balance, some strength gains, and lower anxiety. Singh and colleagues, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2025. DOI
- Mindfulness training lowered anxiety in athletes. A 2024 analysis pooling 11 studies of 582 athletes found mindfulness training lowered anxiety and helped athletes reach a focused “flow” state. Si and colleagues, Frontiers in Psychology, 2024. DOI This tested mindfulness training, not yoga. It still counts for our classes, because holding a pose and following the breath builds that same steady attention.
- Four minutes a day loosened hamstrings. In a trial of 150 healthy young adults (not athletes), four minutes of Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) a day, six days a week for four weeks, improved hamstring flexibility. Thapa and colleagues, Advances in Mind-Body Medicine, 2026. PubMed
Most of these trials used yoga in general, not Iyengar yoga. Researchers say longer trials in athletes are still needed. Not yet studied is not the same as not working: Mr Iyengar’s teaching on sport comes from decades of practice with players, which is the first of our three ways of knowing.
What does an Iyengar class do for a sportsperson?
It works the body evenly, with precision, using props so a stiff athlete can get the shape right. Most players turn up stiff. That is normal. Mr Iyengar’s daughter Geeta Iyengar used to say that stiffness is not a big problem, and that very supple people often learn more slowly.
What we usually work on with athletes:
- Standing poses for strong, steady legs. Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana), Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II) and Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana), legs first.
- Hamstrings one leg at a time. Reclined Big Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana) with a belt, and Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana) at a chair.
- Twists to even out a one-sided sport. Bharadvaja’s Pose (Bharadvajasana) on a chair, and Marichi’s Pose (Marichyasana I).
- Supported, quiet poses for recovery days. Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani) and Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) over a bolster.
- Yogic breathing (pranayama). Ocean Breath (Ujjayi) lying down, which Mr Iyengar’s book suggests on the morning of a game.
Looking for mindfulness? Yoga and yogic breathing create it. Holding a pose and following the breath is mindfulness, practised in the body. Read more in Yoga And Mindfulness.
How do I start?
Ready to give it a try?
- 2 free classes, plus 2 free ebooks. New to Flametree, or back after 3 months or more? Choose 2 free ebooks (the men’s and sport book is Stay In The Game) and get 2 free classes, LIVE online or in our Darwin studios. Claim your free classes and ebooks
- Half price 10 class passes. New to yoga: Beginner Yoga Darwin And Online Deal, 10 half price classes plus 2 free, $59.50. Done yoga before: 2 free classes plus 10 at half price, $104.50. Stiff hips and hamstrings: Too Stiff For Yoga? 10 classes for $59.50.
- A private lesson for your sport. One teacher, just you (or you and a mate), in Darwin or online: private class pass, $109. Talk to us first to set a time.
- For clubs and teams. We come to you, you come to us, or we teach your squad online: group class, $149 per session. Ask us about a five-lesson or ten-session club package: contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Is yoga good for sport?
Yes. Cricketers, footballers, runners and swimmers use it to free up tight hips, hamstrings and shoulders and to calm the mind. In trials, cricketers and volleyball players who added yoga gained flexibility and balance.
How often should an athlete do yoga?
Regularly. The athletes with the strongest stories practised daily or near daily, and the trials ran two to five sessions a week for six weeks or more. Two or three classes a week for a couple of months is a good start.
Do I need to be flexible to start?
No. Most players start stiff. Iyengar yoga uses belts, blocks and chairs so a stiff body can get the shape right, and Geeta Iyengar taught that stiffness is not a big problem.
Can my club or team do yoga with Flametree in Darwin?
Yes. We teach group sessions at your club, at our Woolner studio or live online, at $149 a session. Ask us about a five-lesson or ten-session club package.
Is yoga the same as stretching?
No. Iyengar yoga builds strength in standing poses, balance, even work on both sides and a steady breath, as well as length. Mr Iyengar called it a science that aligns the right and left sides of the body.
This page is general information. Athlete statements are their own experience, reported at the time with a link to each source; they are not endorsements of Flametree. Sources: see each sport page, and B.K.S. Iyengar, Yoga For Sports (2015, Kindle edition).