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Yoga for skateboarders: a 25-minute class for ankles and one-leg balance, the riding stance, wrists in stages, hips and the back, after skating or on a rest day

A 25-minute class for after skating or a day you don't skate, once or twice a week. It works the ankles and calves for pushing and landing, builds one-leg balance, rehearses the riding stance and a soft landing shape, brings the wrists back to taking weight in stages, keeps the hips moving and the back strong, and ends with a short rest. It doesn't prevent falls or fractures: a helmet, wrist guards and pads, and learning to fall on soft ground, do the protecting. The structure is our own and untested.

25 minBeginner20 movesWallCalves · Shins · Hip abductors · Glutes · Hamstrings · Quads
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Settle (about 2 minutes)

  1. Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)2 min
    Beginner · 3D demoLying, knees bent; in for about 4, out for about 6, with no holdsEasier: Breath reachHarder: Crocodile breathing (prone diaphragmatic breathing)

Ankles and calves (about 4 minutes)

  1. Ankle CARs (controlled articular rotations)5 slow circles each way with each ankle
    Beginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoOnly the ankle moves; stay inside the range you controlEasier: Ankle circlesHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)
  2. Knee-to-wall ankle rock10 slow rocks per side
    Beginner · 3D demoHeel down, knee over your middle toesHarder: Deep squat hold
  3. Slow calf raise2 sets of 10
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoUp for 2, down for 3, hands on the wallEasier: Seated bent-knee calf raise (soleus raise)Harder: Standing dumbbell calf raise

One leg (about 6 minutes)

  1. Single-leg stand2 holds of 30 s each leg
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoKnee soft; eyes closed once it's easy. After a sprain, the injured leg second, next to a wallEasier: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walkHarder: Single-leg reach matrix
  2. Tree pose (Vrksasana)3 to 5 breaths each side
    Beginner · Glutes, Hip abductors, Calves · 3D demoFoot on your calf or thigh, never pressed into the side of your kneeEasier: Mountain pose (Tadasana)Harder: Standing hand-to-big-toe pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)
  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)
  4. Single-leg reach matrix2 rounds of 5 reaches in each direction, each leg
    Intermediate · Quads, Hip abductors, Glutes · 3D demoTouch the floor lightly in front, to the side and behind; knee over your middle toesEasier: Standing crossed-leg side reachHarder: Single-leg Romanian deadlift

Riding stance and landing shape (about 2 minutes)

  1. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)5 breaths each side
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoYour riding stance: soft knees, eyes over the front handEasier: Chair pose (Utkatasana)Harder: Extended side angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
  2. Chair pose (Utkatasana)2 holds of 30 s
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Shoulders · 3D demoKnees over your toes, weight through the whole foot, like a soft landingHarder: Revolved chair pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

Wrists, in stages (about 4 minutes)

  1. Wrist & forearm flow60 s
    Beginner · Forearms · 3D demoFull bend and straighten, palm up and palm downEasier: Wrist circlesHarder: Wrist flexor stretch
  2. Wrist flexor stretch30 s each side
    Beginner · Forearms · 3D demoFingers back against a wall; ease off if it tinglesEasier: Wrist circlesHarder: Quadruped wrist rocks
  3. Wall push-up2 sets of 10
    Beginner · Chest, Triceps, Shoulders · 3D demoStep further from the wall to take more weight, closer to take lessHarder: Push-up
  4. Quadruped wrist rocks10 slow rocks in each hand position
    Beginner · Forearms, Shoulders · 3D demoOnly once a broken wrist has healed and been cleared; rock only as far as is comfortableEasier: Wrist flexor stretchHarder: Straight-arm plank (high plank)

Hips and back (about 4 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. 90/90 switch10 slow switches, pause at the ends
    Intermediate · 3D demoHands behind youEasier: Reclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana)Harder: 90/90 hip lift-off
  3. Bird dog2 sets of 6 each side
    Beginner · Back, Abs, Glutes · 3D demoFists or forearms if your wrists are soreEasier: Bird dog, one limb at a timeHarder: Bear crawl
  4. Side plank2 holds of 20 to 30 s each side
    Intermediate · Abs, Hip abductors, Shoulders · 3D demoOn your forearm, knees down to startEasier: Knee side plankHarder: Side plank with leg lift

Rest (about 3 minutes)

  1. Reclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana)45 s each side
    Beginner · Glutes · 3D demoHold behind the thigh; never press on the crossed kneeHarder: Pigeon preparation (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana prep)
  2. Corpse pose (Savasana)2 min
    Beginner · 3D demoLet your breathing slow

Tips

  • After skating or on a day you don't skate, once or twice a week. Before you skate, use the skateboarding warm-up, not this class.
  • A helmet, wrist guards and pads still come first, and falling practice belongs on grass or a mat in the skate warm-up, never on a hard floor.
  • After a broken wrist or a scaphoid fracture, leave out the wall push-ups and wrist rocks until your fracture team says you can take weight through your hands, then build up as our yoga for wrists class does.
  • After a sprained ankle, do the sprained ankle guide's balance programme too, keep a hand near the wall in the one-leg block, and step, never jump, between poses.
  • After a head knock, nothing head-down, and only the stage of your return you've been cleared for.
  • No trial has tested this class, and no study has shown that yoga prevents skateboarding injuries.

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 skateboarders: a 25-minute class for ankles and one-leg balance, the riding stance, wrists in stages, hips and the back, after skating 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. 15 of its 20 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.