Yoga For Footballers: What AFL, Rugby And Soccer Players Say, And How Much They Did
Can’t touch your toes, but can run all day? AFL veteran Sam Gilbert said he still couldn’t touch his toes, and that was exactly why he kept practising. He is not alone. Footballers in every code are on the mat.
New to Iyengar yoga? Start with Why Yoga Works For Sport: Mr BKS Iyengar, His Book And His Props.
Yoga for footballers: the short answer
Yoga for footballers is used in AFL, rugby league, rugby union and soccer to free up the hamstrings, hips and groins that running and kicking load, and to stay calm and present under pressure. Kalyn Ponga, Sam Gilbert and Tyler Ardron all credit it, and an Iyengar teacher has taught a professional English squad weekly since 2005.
In short:
- Players in every code use it: AFL, NRL, rugby union and soccer.
- They say why: flexibility, joint stability, sleep, a still mind.
- A pro squad does Iyengar yoga weekly: Birmingham City, since 2005.
- The regular ones went furthest: Ardron tries for every day.
- Trials back it: athletes who added yoga gained flexibility and balance.
- Try it free: 2 free classes in Darwin or online.
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.
Athletes who credit yoga
Each entry is a short summary in our words, with a link to the original. They are reported at the time and are not endorsements of Flametree.
Rugby league
- Kalyn Ponga, Newcastle Knights fullback. Did a lot of yoga during the 2020 shutdown and says the part he likes is the mental side: concentration, being in the moment, being present. “You do that through your breathing techniques and being in the poses.” He says teammates got him into it and the club uses it. Man of Many, 30 June 2020
AFL
- Sam Gilbert, AFL veteran (St Kilda at the time). Started yoga because he needed more flexibility, does sessions at seven or eight at night before night games to switch on, and says it gives him stability in his joints and muscles. “I sleep really well post session.” This article was part of an AFL Players’ Association and lululemon partnership. AFL Players, 16 August 2018
Rugby union
- Tyler Ardron, Chiefs forward. Tries to do yoga every day, even if only for 20 minutes, mainly for a calm mind, and says it keeps his body flexible and helps him handle pressure. “The number one thing I get from it is the stillness of the mind.” He prefers a flowing style, so this is yoga, not Iyengar yoga. Chiefs, 1 April 2020
- Tomas O’Leary, London Irish (25 Ireland caps), and Brian Smith, Australia Rugby World Cup player in 1987. Reported in Yoga For Sports (Kindle loc 4426). O’Leary says yoga helped his flexibility and strength and his recovery from professional rugby. Smith calls Iyengar yoga very beneficial for players. No dates are printed for either.
Soccer
- Birmingham City first team, taught by Iyengar teacher Jayne Orton. She has taught the whole first team every Monday since 2005. On Mr Iyengar’s advice she teaches them as she would ordinary students, uses one-leg hamstring poses such as Reclined Big Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana) and Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana) in place of some forward bends, and makes sure players rest and recover after games. She reports that “the players say they can’t do without their yoga classes!” This is the teacher’s account; no player is quoted. Iyengar Yoga UK, 16 August 2017
- Niall Quinn, Sunderland striker. Reported in 2001 to be on track to return from a back injury after a daily course of yoga-type exercises, expecting to be back in full training in about two weeks (BBC Sport, 27 March 2001, as printed in Yoga For Sports, Kindle loc 4425; we have not seen the original report).
Mindfulness and meditation, not yoga
These players talk about mindfulness or meditation rather than yoga. Mindfulness is close kin: holding a pose and following the breath builds that same steady attention.
- Adam Goodes, former Sydney Swan. Says mindful meditation is something he values and that it has really helped him. AFL Players, 21 August 2014
- Brett Kirk, former Sydney Swan. Same article: says he used to worry a lot about his footy and now tries to live day by day, in the present moment.
- Shaun Hampson, AFL ruckman. Has practised gratitude and mindfulness since 2016 and says it took work, and really helped his football. Brand content. Swisse, undated
- Kendra Heil, Essendon VFLW. Takes five to ten minutes before games, with a mindfulness app, to settle her breathing and focus, and says it helped her anxiety about coming back after 34 months out. Essendon FC, undated
How Much Did They Actually Do?
The footballers with the strongest stories practised regularly. People often find a class or two loosens them only a little. In our experience, regular practice is what makes the difference.
| Who | How much | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Ardron | Tries for every day, even 20 minutes | Chiefs, 2020 |
| Birmingham City first team | Weekly, every Monday, since 2005 | Iyengar Yoga UK, 2017 |
| One injured Birmingham player | Three times a week for at least 10 weeks | Same |
| Niall Quinn | A daily course of yoga-type exercises | BBC Sport, 2001, as printed in Yoga For Sports |
| Sam Gilbert | Evening sessions on night-game days; how often is not stated | AFL Players, 2018 |
| Kalyn Ponga | Yoga through an app during the 2020 shutdown; amount not stated | Man of Many, 2020 |
| Kendra Heil (mindfulness) | Five to ten minutes before games | Essendon FC, undated |
The trials point the same way: five days a week for six weeks with cricketers, twice a week with volleyball players. So the thing to try is regular practice: two or three classes a week, for at least a couple of months.
Common strains in football, and what helps
Football is high-speed running, kicking, twisting and contact. These are commonly reported, in general terms. This is not medical advice.
- Hamstrings. In the AFL, hamstring strains are among the most common injuries, linked to high-speed running and gathering the ball with the hip bent and knee straight (Saw and colleagues, 2017). What helps: Mr Iyengar’s book points to quadriceps built at the cost of the hamstrings, and gives one-leg hamstring poses; in trials, athletes who added yoga gained flexibility.
- Knees. Knee ligament injuries are also commonly reported in the AFL (same review). What helps: standing poses build strong, steady legs, and in trials yoga improved balance and ankle control.
- Groins and hips. Mr Iyengar’s book names hardness in the groins as common in kicking sports such as football and rugby. What helps: Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and Wide-Angle Seated Pose (Upavistha Konasana), with props.
- Shoulders. Shoulder sprains from tackling are commonly reported (same review). What helps: Downward Facing Dog and Cow Face Pose arms keep the shoulders moving freely.
More on knees and hips and stiff joints.
A suitable Iyengar approach for footballers
Hamstrings one leg at a time, strong standing legs, open groins, and real rest after games. This is how we would start a footballer in class. Detail is taught in class, adjusted to the player.
- One-leg hamstring poses, as at Birmingham City. Reclined Big Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana) with a belt, and Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana) at a chair.
- Standing poses, legs first. Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana), Warrior I Pose (Virabhadrasana I) and Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II). Geeta Iyengar taught that in Warrior I the back leg holds the pose.
- Groins and hips. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana) and Wide-Angle Seated Pose (Upavistha Konasana), sitting on a blanket.
- Twists to even out a kicking leg. Bharadvaja’s Pose (Bharadvajasana) on a chair.
- Recovery after a game. Hero Pose (Virasana), Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani) and Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana). Mr Iyengar advised Jayne Orton not to overwork players and to respect rest after games.
- Breath. Ocean Breath (Ujjayi) lying down, for the calm Ponga and Ardron describe.
Looking for mindfulness? Yoga and yogic breathing create it. Holding a pose and following the breath is mindfulness, practised in the body. Read Yoga And Mindfulness.
What Athletes And Researchers Have Found
- Athletes who added yoga 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, 2025. DOI
- Cricketers gained flexibility, balance and core stability. In a trial of 82 first-class cricketers, yoga five days a week for six weeks improved these, with gains still there at six months. Rao and colleagues, 2021. DOI
- Mindfulness training lowered anxiety in athletes. An analysis of 11 studies of 582 athletes found lower anxiety and a more focused “flow” state. 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 (not athletes), four minutes of Seated Forward Bend a day, six days a week for four weeks, improved hamstring flexibility. Thapa and colleagues, 2026. PubMed
- Players say why. Ponga, Gilbert and Ardron describe concentration, joint stability, sleep and a still mind. Clubs include yoga because their players find it helpful.
No trial has yet tested yoga in footballers specifically. Not yet studied is not the same as not working.
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 sport and men’s book is Stay In The Game) and get 2 free classes, LIVE online or in our Darwin studios. Claim them here
- Half price 10 class passes. New to yoga: 10 half price classes plus 2 free, $59.50. Done yoga before: 2 free plus 10 at half price, $104.50. Can’t touch your toes: Too Stiff For Yoga? 10 classes for $59.50.
- A private lesson for your position: private class pass, $109. Talk to us first to set a time.
- For footy clubs and teams: group class, $149 per session, at your club, at our Woolner studio or online. Ask us about a five-lesson or ten-session club package: contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Is yoga good for footballers?
Yes. Players in the AFL, NRL, rugby union and soccer use it for looser hamstrings and hips, steadier joints, better sleep and a calmer mind. In trials, athletes who added yoga gained flexibility and balance.
What yoga poses help footballers’ hamstrings?
One-leg poses such as Reclined Big Toe Pose with a belt and Standing Hand to Big Toe Pose at a chair. An Iyengar teacher has used these with Birmingham City’s first team since 2005.
How often should a footballer do yoga?
Regularly. Tyler Ardron tries for every day, even 20 minutes, and Birmingham City’s squad does it weekly. Two or three classes a week for a couple of months is a good start.
Is yoga good for rugby players?
Rugby players Tyler Ardron, Tomas O’Leary and Brian Smith all credit it, for a still mind, flexibility, strength and recovery.
Can our footy club do yoga with Flametree in Darwin?
Yes. We run group sessions at your club, at our Woolner studio or online, at $149 a session. Ask us about a five-lesson or ten-session club package.
Sources and dates: Man of Many (Alex de Crespigny), 30 June 2020; AFL Players’ Association, 16 August 2018 and 21 August 2014; Chiefs, 1 April 2020; Iyengar Yoga UK (Jayne Orton), 16 August 2017; Swisse Wellness Hub, undated; Essendon FC, undated; B.K.S. Iyengar, Yoga For Sports (2015), Kindle edition, Part IV press reports as printed. Research via PubMed, with DOIs above. Athlete statements are their own experience, reported at the time; none endorses Flametree. This page is general information.