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Yoga for badminton players: a 25-minute class for calves and the Achilles, lunges, one-leg balance, the hitting shoulder and the back, after play or on a rest day

A 25-minute class for after play or a day you don't play, once or twice a week. It builds calf strength on the flat, trains the lunge shape standing, works one-leg balance for footwork, looks after the hitting shoulder on both sides, and ends with the back and a short rest. It doesn't replace the PreventiBad warm-up before training or the strength and footwork workout, and no stretch or class has been shown to prevent Achilles ruptures. The structure is our own and untested.

25 minBeginner18 movesWallBack · Abs · Calves · Shins · Hip flexors · Quads
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Settle (about 3 minutes)

  1. Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)2 min
    Beginner · 3D demoIn for about 4, out for about 6, with no holdsEasier: Breath reachHarder: Crocodile breathing (prone diaphragmatic breathing)
  2. Cat-cow8 waves, slower than feels natural
    Beginner · Back, Abs · 3D demoFists if your wrist or elbow complainsHarder: Half lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Calves and the Achilles (about 5 minutes)

  1. Ankle CARs (controlled articular rotations)5 slow circles each way with each ankle
    Beginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoOnly the ankle movesEasier: Ankle circlesHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)
  2. Isometric calf raise hold3 holds of 30 s
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoBoth feet, heels halfway up, hands on the wall; pain no more than 5 out of 10Easier: Seated bent-knee calf raise (soleus raise)Harder: Slow calf raise
  3. Slow calf raise2 sets of 10 to 12
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoUp for 2, down for 3, both hands on the wall; on the flat, never off a stepEasier: Seated bent-knee calf raise (soleus raise)Harder: Standing dumbbell calf raise

Lunges (about 5 minutes)

  1. Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)45 s each side
    Beginner · Hip flexors, Quads, Glutes · 3D demoBack knee paddedEasier: Half-kneeling hip flexor stretchHarder: High lunge (crescent lunge, Ashta Chandrasana)
  2. High lunge (crescent lunge, Ashta Chandrasana)5 breaths each side
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hip flexors · 3D demoHands on your hips; lower the back knee onto a cushion if you wobbleEasier: Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)Harder: Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)
  3. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)5 breaths each side
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoFront knee over your second toe; shorten the stance if the knee complainsEasier: Chair pose (Utkatasana)Harder: Extended side angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
  4. Chair pose (Utkatasana)2 holds of 30 s
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Shoulders · 3D demoKnees over your toes, weight through the whole footHarder: Revolved chair pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

One leg (about 5 minutes)

  1. Single-leg stand2 holds of 30 s each leg
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoFingertips on a wall at first; weaker leg firstEasier: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walkHarder: Single-leg reach matrix
  2. Single-leg reach matrix2 rounds of 5 reaches in each direction, each leg
    Intermediate · Quads, Hip abductors, Glutes · 3D demoLike lunges to the corners of the court, small reaches firstEasier: Standing crossed-leg side reachHarder: Single-leg Romanian deadlift
  3. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)3 breaths each side, twice
    Advanced · Glutes, Hamstrings, Back · 3D demoHands on a chair at hip height, hips levelEasier: High lunge (crescent lunge, Ashta Chandrasana)Harder: Standing splits (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

The hitting shoulder, both sides (about 4 minutes)

  1. Thoracic rotation6 rotations per side, moving with the breath
    Beginner · 3D demoThe same amount each wayEasier: Side-lying open bookHarder: World's greatest stretch
  2. Prone Y-T-W raises5 of each shape
    Beginner · Back, Shoulders, Neck · 3D demoForehead on a folded towel; small liftsEasier: Wall angelHarder: Bent-over reverse fly
  3. Scapular push-up (push-up plus)2 sets of 10
    Beginner · Shoulders, Chest, Abs · 3D demoOn a wall if your shoulder or wrist is soreEasier: Dumbbell shoulder-blade punchHarder: Push-up

Back and rest (about 3 minutes)

  1. Side plank2 holds of 20 s each side
    Intermediate · Abs, Hip abductors, Shoulders · 3D demoOn your forearm, knees down to startEasier: Knee side plankHarder: Side plank with leg lift
  2. Reclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana)45 s each side
    Beginner · Glutes · 3D demoNever press on the crossed kneeHarder: Pigeon preparation (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana prep)
  3. Corpse pose (Savasana)3 min
    Beginner · 3D demoKnees bent if your back aches

Tips

  • After play or on a day you don't play, once or twice a week. Before training, use the PreventiBad warm-up (or the racket sport warm-up before social play), not this class.
  • Calf strength, not calf stretching: no stretch has been shown to prevent Achilles ruptures, and most happen to recreational players in the middle or at the end of a game. With a sore Achilles, keep the calf block to the pain rule in our Achilles tendinopathy guide and never drop your heels below a step.
  • Only if your hitting arm turns inwards clearly less than the other, add a cross-body stretch on that side, as our yoga for tennis players class describes; skip it if the shoulder feels loose.
  • After an eye injury, or with raised eye pressure, skip head-down poses until your eye team says so.
  • Step, never jump, between lunges.
  • No trial has tested this class.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

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Questions people ask

How long does the yoga for badminton players: a 25-minute class for calves and the achilles, lunges, one-leg balance, the hitting shoulder and the back, after play or on a rest day take?

About 25 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 14 of its 18 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.