Yoga guide
Basketball's commonest injury is a sprained ankle, and knees cost players the most time. Yoga can add what the game wears down: ankle and calf mobility, one-leg balance, hip range for cutting and pivoting, and a calm way to wind down after hard sessions. No trial has tested yoga in basketball players, though, and the injury protection with evidence behind it comes from lace-up braces, balance training and a 10-minute warm-up.
So yoga is an off-court addition, not a replacement for your warm-up, strength and jump training.
This guide covers where players get hurt, what prevents it, what yoga can and can't do, ankles and landings, when to stretch and when to hold, recovery, a free 25-minute class and the warning signs that need help.
Ankle sprains were the commonest injury in US college basketball (about 17% of injuries) and over 17 NBA seasons (13.2%), where kneecap problems cost the most games. Across 11 studies, 63.7% of injuries were in the legs: ankles 21.9%, knees 17.8%.
Lace-up ankle braces cut acute ankle injuries by about two-thirds, a balance programme cut sprains by about 44%, a 10-minute basketball warm-up went with 36% fewer ankle and knee injuries, and ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) programmes roughly halved ACL injuries in young female athletes.
We found no trial of yoga in basketball players, and no yoga trial in any sport has counted injuries. College athletes gained flexibility and one-leg balance after 10 weeks of yoga, in a study that wasn't randomised and had no basketball players.
One-leg balance work is the core of the programmes that cut sprains, so tree, warrior III and one-leg reaches fit well on lighter days, beside the warm-up and braces. In one small study, junior players with stiffer ankles were more likely to develop jumper's knee, though reviews call that evidence limited or conflicting; calf and ankle mobility poses are a sensible, low-risk addition.
Across 25 trials, stretching didn't prevent injuries, while strength and balance training did. Holds of 60 seconds or more per muscle just before explosive work cut performance by about 4.6%, so keep to short flowing moves before a game and save the holds for after.
Fifteen minutes of yoga after interval training slowed breathing faster than stretching in 20 athletes, but stretching barely changes next-day soreness, and slow breathing after sprint sessions didn't speed recovery. Jump height comes from jump and strength training, which our basketball guide covers.
Repeated sprints, jumps, landings, cutting and pivoting, with contact. In the NBA, 73% of injuries that cost games came on suddenly, and about half of those involved contact with another player.
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US college players had about 8 injuries per 1,000 games and practices in men and 6.5 in women, more than half costing less than a day. Finnish teenagers had 2.64 per 1,000 hours, 34.47 in games against 1.51 in practice. British players recalled a median of 2.1 injuries per 1,000 hours, 70.7% of them in the legs.
Across 11 studies, legs took 63.7% of injuries, ankles 21.9% and knees 17.8%; across 22 studies, the head and face took 16.3%. Over 17 NBA seasons, lateral ankle sprains were 13.2% of injuries and kneecap inflammation 11.9%, and kneecap inflammation cost the most games (17.5% of games missed).
In Finnish teenagers, 28% of injuries were repeats, mostly ankle sprains. A past ankle injury went with about 5 times the odds of another, and landing was the commonest way it happened.
Women tore an ACL more often than men in US college basketball (0.29 against 0.08 per 1,000 games and practices), mostly without contact. Jumper's knee (pain just below the kneecap) affected 31.9% of Norwegian national-level male players, 20.8% of players pooled across studies and 19.0% of youth players over a season.
In 1,460 high school players, lace-up braces cut acute ankle injuries by about two-thirds (from 1.41 to 0.47 per 1,000 games and practices), with or without a past sprain. Across 6 trials in athletes, braces cut first sprains (low-quality evidence) and repeat sprains (moderate quality).
In 765 high school soccer and basketball players, a balance programme cut sprains by about 44%; in 232 basketball players, a multistation programme cut ankle injuries by about 65%; and after a sprain, an 8-week home programme cut repeat sprains from 33% to 22%. A wobble-board programme in 920 players cut sudden injuries a little, though only 60% kept it up.
The SHRed Injuries Basketball warm-up (10 minutes, 13 exercises) went with 36% fewer ankle and knee injuries in players aged 11 to 18, in a study that wasn't randomised. A multicomponent warm-up cut ankle sprains in 112 trained players, and across 10 studies, prevention programmes cut ankle sprains but not clearly ACL ruptures in basketball.
Neuromuscular training roughly halved ACL injuries in young female athletes (from 1 in 54 to 1 in 111), more so in younger players, with lower-body strength and landing control as the key parts. Most trials were in soccer and handball.
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Yoga's one-leg poses are close to the balance part of these programmes, and its planks match the warm-up's. Use them on lighter days, alongside the warm-up and braces, not instead of them.
Our searches of PubMed, Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov found no trial of yoga in basketball players, and no yoga trial in any sport has counted injuries.
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In 26 male college athletes, the soccer team did two hour-long yoga classes a week for 10 weeks and improved sit-and-reach and one-leg balance, while the baseball team didn't; it wasn't randomised. In 26 volleyball players, 8 yoga sessions improved flexibility and balance more than strength exercises did.
Across 25 trials (26,610 people), stretching showed no protective effect (risk ratio 0.963), against 0.315 for strength training and 0.550 for balance training, where lower means fewer injuries. Earlier reviews agree.
Static holds of 60 seconds or more per muscle cut performance by 4.6% on average, against 1.1% for shorter holds, and short stretches inside a warm-up followed by dynamic moves had "inconsequential effects". Stretching researchers agree it isn't an all-round injury prevention strategy.
Fifteen minutes of yoga after interval training slowed breathing and raised heart rate variability faster than stretching in 20 athletes. But stretching reduced next-day soreness by only about 1 point on a 100-point scale, and 4 weeks of slow breathing after sprint sessions didn't improve recovery or performance.
In 75 junior elite players followed for a year, those with less ankle bend (dorsiflexion, under 36.5 degrees) had an 18.5% to 29.4% chance of jumper's knee, against 1.8% to 2.1% above it. But there were only 12 cases, and the cut-off was worked out in the same players, so it's an early lead; a review calls the evidence limited or conflicting. Stiffer ankles also go with stiffer landings and knees caving in, in studies that measured both at once.
A review of prospective studies found ankle range "strongly predicted" sprains, but a later meta-analysis of 16 prospective studies didn't list it as a risk factor, and in 534 youth players, landing technique and ankle bend weren't linked to past injuries.
Calf and ankle mobility poses are low-risk and reasonable for players with stiff ankles, especially after a sprain. They haven't been shown to prevent jumper's knee or sprains (our reading).
Follow your rehab's balance programme first: an 8-week home programme cut repeat sprains from 33% to 22%. Then add one-leg poses on your good leg first, next to a wall, and wear a lace-up brace when you play.
ACL programmes teach landing with the knees over the toes. Chair pose, warrior II and goddess practise that shape slowly, but holding a shape isn't landing training, so keep doing the warm-up's jumps.
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Weaker side-hip muscles went with ankle sprains in men across 16 prospective studies, but not in 169 high school athletes. Weaker hips predicted ACL injuries across sports in one study, but stronger side-hip muscles went with ACL injuries in 171 Japanese female basketball players. Side-hip work is a reasonable addition, not proven protection.
Our jumper's knee guide has the loading programme that treats it. In yoga, keep chair pose and goddess shallow, and leave out deep kneeling and hero pose while it's sore.
Rate your knee pain from 0 to 10 during and after exercise. In the pain-monitoring model used in knee trials, 0 to 2 counts as safe, up to 5 as acceptable and above 5 as too much. Aim for 0 to 3 most of the time.
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Before practice or a game, keep to short flowing moves inside your warm-up. Save held stretches of 30 seconds or more for after, or for a separate session.
Once or twice a week, after practice or on a lighter day. The yoga study in college athletes used two hour-long classes a week.
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In season, short sessions after practice and on rest days; off season, a longer class or two a week alongside your strength work (our suggestion).
Knee-to-wall rock: 10 slow rocks per side, daily (the move's page). Wall calf stretch with the back knee straight, and soleus stretch with it bent: 2 holds of 30 seconds each side; calf raises: 2 sets of 10, up for 2 and down for 3 (our editorial starting points). Ankle circles: 5 slow circles each way, each ankle (our rheumatoid arthritis class).
One-leg stand with a soft knee: 2 holds of 30 seconds each leg, eyes closed once it's easy (our martial arts yoga class). Tree pose, your foot never pressed into the side of your knee: 3 to 5 breaths each side; warrior III with your hands on a chair at hip height: 3 breaths each side, twice (our yoga for footballers class). One-leg reach: 2 rounds of 5 reaches in each direction, each leg (our yoga for balance class). Half moon near a wall: 2 holds of 20 seconds each side (our editorial starting point). Hip airplane holding a counter: 5 slow turns each leg (our yoga for tennis players class).
3D demoSingle-leg standBeginner · A wall
3D demoTree pose (Vrksasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWarrior III (Virabhadrasana III)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoSingle-leg reach matrixIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoHalf moon pose (Ardha Chandrasana)Advanced · A step
3D demoHip airplaneAdvanced · No equipmentChair pose with your knees over your toes and weight through the whole foot: 2 holds of 30 seconds; goddess, kept shallow: 3 holds of 3 breaths; single-leg bridge: 8 each side; side plank on your forearm, knees down to start: 2 holds of 20 to 30 seconds each side; forearm plank: 2 holds of 20 to 30 seconds (our yoga for footballers class). Warrior II with your front knee over your middle toes: 5 breaths each side (our yoga for balance class).
3D demoChair pose (Utkatasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoGoddess pose (Utkata Konasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWarrior II (Virabhadrasana II)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoSingle-leg glute bridgeIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoSide plankIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoForearm plankIntermediate · No equipmentLow lunge with the back knee padded: 45 seconds each side; 90/90 lift-offs: 3 holds of 5 seconds each way, each side; lizard: 30 to 45 seconds each side, coming out if the front of your hip pinches; reclined figure four, never pressing on the crossed knee: 45 seconds each side (our yoga for footballers class).
Slow breathing: 2 minutes, in for about 4 and out for about 6; strap hamstring stretch to a mild pull: 45 seconds each side (our yoga for footballers class). Thread the needle: 30 to 45 seconds each side (our yoga for tennis players class). Legs up the wall: 2 to 5 minutes (our editorial starting point); its caution lists who should skip it.
Holds of 60 seconds or more per muscle: use short flowing moves inside your warm-up, and save the holds for after.
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Your rehab's balance programme comes first. Keep one-leg poses next to a wall and on the good leg first, skip deep lunges and the knee-to-wall rock if they hurt the ankle, and wear a brace for the season.
Leave out camel, wheel, bow and cobra and get it checked:
Back pain that is worse arching back and has lasted more than a couple of weeks can be a stress fracture of the spine (spondylolysis): get it checked.
Do planks and side planks on your forearms, and skip downward dog and crow until they settle.
If you're hypermobile, don't use mobility work to push further: the NHS says "do not overextend your joints just because you can". See a GP if you think you have joint hypermobility syndrome: for example, your joints keep dislocating, or you keep getting sprains, strains, pain or stiffness.
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Before every practice and game: the 10-minute basketball warm-up, the part with injury evidence. After practice or on a lighter day, once or twice a week: our 25-minute off-court yoga class for ankles, one-leg balance, landing shapes and hips. The strength and jump workout covers what yoga can't, the Pilates class is the other off-court option, the footballers' and balance classes add hip and one-leg work, and the foot and ankle routine suits the weeks after a sprain.
A 25-minute off-court yoga class for basketball players: ankle and calf mobility, one-leg balance, landing shapes, side planks, hips and a slow-breathing finish.
25 minBeginner16 movesA wallA 10-minute basketball warm-up from a Canadian programme: runs, shuffles, line hops, jump landings, planks, Nordics, lunges and one-leg balance with a ball.
10 minBeginner12 movesCardio machine, A wallA 45-minute basketball gym session: landings, box jumps, skater bounds and hop-and-sticks, then squats, hinges, split squats, Nordics, calf raises and planks.
45 minIntermediate13 movesA bench or box, A dumbbellA 25-minute Pilates class for basketball players: planks and side planks, trunk control, hip strength, calf and ankle work and one-leg balance, for lighter days.
25 minBeginner15 movesA step, A wallTwenty-five minutes of yoga for footballers: hip and groin range you control, hamstring holds, single-leg balance and side planks, then gentle stretches and rest.
25 minBeginner17 movesA wallThirty minutes of standing yoga for balance: strong standing poses, one-leg poses at the wall, and side steps, backward steps, reaches and sit-to-stands.
30 minBeginner16 movesA wall, A bench or boxA 15-minute barefoot routine for stronger toes, arches, calves and ankles, finishing with balance. You need only a towel, a wall and a resistance band.
15 minBeginner11 movesA wall, Other / check instructionsThese are the warning signs from our sport guides, word for word. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you heard a crack, the joint has changed shape or points at an odd angle, it's numb or tingling, or the skin has turned blue or grey or is cold. Get help from NHS 111 or an urgent treatment centre if you can't put any weight on it or walk more than a few steps.
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Go to A&E (accident and emergency) if you've injured your knee and it has changed shape, it becomes very swollen very quickly, you felt a pop or snap, you can see bone sticking out, or it's bleeding heavily. Don't drive yourself: ask someone to take you, or call 999 if the pain means you can't move your leg to get there.
Get advice from NHS 111 now: you cannot move the knee or put any weight on it, or it is very painful, badly swollen or has changed shape, or it locks, gives way or clicks painfully. A pop, quick swelling and a knee that gives way point to an ACL injury: our ACL injury guide says what to do.
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Same day: a sudden snap or pop at the back of the heel or calf, or a feeling of being kicked there, then walking flat-footed and being unable to push off, stand on tiptoe or climb stairs. It could be an Achilles tendon rupture or a broken heel bone. Go to A&E or a minor injuries unit, or contact NHS 111.
Call 999 if someone has hit their head and has been knocked out and hasn't woken up, can't stay awake or keep their eyes open, has a fit, has fallen from a height of more than 1 metre or 5 stairs, has problems with their vision or hearing, has clear fluid coming from their ears or nose, has new numbness or weakness, has problems with walking, balance, understanding, speaking or writing, hit their head at high speed, or their behaviour has changed. Get help from NHS 111 if they're being sick, feel dizzy or take medicine that thins the blood. If you're told to go to A&E (accident and emergency), don't drive yourself there if you have hit your head.
With a suspected concussion, if in doubt, sit them out. The UK's grassroots guidelines say no sport for at least 24 hours, get checked by a healthcare professional or NHS 111 within 24 hours, follow a staged return, and no competition before day 21; if symptoms last beyond 28 days, stay out of sport and see a doctor. Yoga waits too: gentle breathing fits the early, light-activity stages, and no head-down poses or inversions until you're cleared (our reading). Our concussion guide has the stages.
Go to A&E if a finger points at an odd angle, looks blue or feels numb, or is cut with bone showing. Get help from NHS 111 if it's painful, swollen and bruised, or stiff and difficult to move. A fingertip that won't straighten needs same-day advice, as our mallet finger guide explains.
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Call 999 if:
Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) straight away for severe difficulty breathing (gasping, choking or not able to get words out), a chest that feels tight or heavy, pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw, lips or skin turning very pale, blue or grey, or sudden confusion. If you're more short of breath than usual, or your heart is racing, fluttering or skipping beats, contact NHS 111.
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A joint pain that is sharp, gets worse during a session, lingers into the next day or changes how you move is a reason to use an easier version, and to see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (the rule in our plans). Muscle soreness for a day or two after something new is normal. In a hot class, stop if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell; our hot yoga guide lists the signs of heat illness.
The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
No trial has counted sprains after yoga. Lace-up braces, balance programmes and neuromuscular warm-ups have the evidence; yoga's one-leg poses can add to them.
Stretching showed no protective effect across 25 trials, and long holds just before explosive work cost about 4.6% of performance. One study linked not stretching with ankle injuries, but only as an association in 40 cases.
No yoga study in basketball measured jumping; the yoga studies in athletes measured flexibility and balance. Jump and strength training are the tools, as our basketball guide explains.
Hypermobile athletes in contact sports had more knee injuries, and hypermobile Premier League footballers had more injuries, though not in every group studied. In 171 Japanese female basketball players, those who tore an ACL had less general joint looseness, not more.
A professional's routine isn't a trial. Ankle sprains were still the commonest NBA injury over 17 seasons.
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It can add ankle and hip mobility, one-leg balance and a calm cool-down. No trial has tested yoga in basketball players; college athletes improved flexibility and one-leg balance after 10 weeks, in a study that wasn't randomised.
That hasn't been shown. Lace-up braces and balance training programmes have, and yoga's one-leg poses are similar to the balance part, so they can sit alongside your warm-up and braces, not replace them.
Some say they do, but a professional's routine isn't evidence that yoga prevents injuries. Ankle sprains were still the commonest NBA injury over 17 seasons.
After practice or on rest days for held poses. Just before a game, keep to short flowing moves inside your warm-up: holds of 60 seconds or more per muscle cut performance by about 4.6%.
For ankles, the knee-to-wall rock and calf stretches; for balance, tree, warrior III and one-leg reaches; for landings and the trunk, chair pose and side plank; for hips, low lunge and 90/90 lift-offs. Our 25-minute class puts them together.
It hasn't been tested. In one small study, players with stiffer ankles were more likely to develop jumper's knee, so ankle mobility may help, but that's an early finding. The loading programme in our jumper's knee guide is the treatment, and the knee pain rule keeps yoga within limits.
There's no evidence it does; jump and strength training raise jump height, as our basketball guide explains. Yoga's job is mobility, balance and recovery.
It calms you down: 15 minutes of yoga after hard intervals slowed breathing faster than stretching. It hasn't been shown to speed physical recovery, and stretching barely changes next-day soreness.
Once or twice a week on lighter days is a reasonable start (our editorial suggestion). The yoga study in college athletes used two hour-long classes a week.
Once your rehab has started: balance training after a sprain cut repeat sprains, and yoga's one-leg poses can continue it. Start on the good leg next to a wall, and wear a brace when you play.
Yes, as a fun extra, but the warm-up matters most: ACL prevention programmes worked best in younger female athletes. Our yoga for kids guide covers children.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
