Yoga guide
Yoga can give cricketers even turning through the upper back, hip and hamstring range, trunk endurance on both sides, one-leg balance and a calm way to wind down after a long day in the field. Two small trials in cricketers found improvements in muscle function and fitness, but neither counted injuries, and in club bowlers yoga did as well as, not better than, ordinary conditioning.
Fast bowlers are injured most, and young bowlers' backs need the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) limits on overs, rest days and an early check for back pain more than any stretch. This guide covers what each role asks of your body, why more flexibility isn't the aim, the throwing shoulder, hamstrings and side strains, heat and head knocks, the poses to use and to leave out, and a free 25-minute class for rest days.
In 82 first-class cricketers, 6 weeks of yoga improved muscle function measures against a waiting list, though only the trial's summary, without effect sizes, could be read. In 60 club bowlers, yoga did as well as, not better than, ordinary conditioning. Neither counted injuries.
In elite Australian cricket, about a fifth of fast bowlers were unavailable at any one time, against 12.5% of all players, and stress fractures in the lower back cost the most playing time. In English county cricket, 56% of these fractures came at ages 18 to 22, each costing 239 days on average.
In bowlers, more hip rotation went with more injury, not less, though the studies were small with wide margins of error, and trunk side-bend range didn't predict side strains. Yoga for cricketers is about even, controlled movement and endurance, not chasing range.
The ECB's limits on overs, rest days and gradual build-up protect young fast bowlers' backs; yoga never replaces them. Back pain that lasts or hurts when arching back means stopping bowling and getting it checked.
The delivery already bends, arches and twists a young bowler's lower back under load, so deep backbends on rest days aren't needed.
Hamstring strains are elite cricket's commonest injury, and stretching programmes don't prevent sports injuries. The Nordic hamstring programme and strength work on our cricket page stay.
In 50 professional fast bowlers, front-foot contact took the lower back beyond its standing range of side-bending, away from the bowling arm. The ECB puts the load on the lower back at about three times bodyweight every delivery, and says bone takes about 15 years of gradual bowling to grow strong enough.
Over half of 207 first-class fast bowlers had had at least one side strain, a tear of the trunk muscles at the lowest ribs; 77% of first strains came at 24 or younger, 30% came back, and return to play took a mean of 39 days. In county cricket, hamstring strains were commonest in April and when running between the wickets in one-day and T20 games; in Australian professionals, fast bowlers had about 2.5 times the risk.
In one season, 23% of English professionals reported a shoulder injury and 18% pain on throwing, and most played on. Throwing-related shoulder injury was the commonest injury in elite women's T20. The cricketer's shoulder adapts differently from a baseball pitcher's, and a 40-throw fielding drill reduced inward turning of the shoulder by about 4 degrees for a while.
A rest-day or after-play session: turning the upper back both ways, hips for the front-leg brace and the stride, hamstring range for comfort, trunk endurance on both sides, shoulder-blade work on both arms, one-leg balance and slow breathing. It doesn't replace the ECB's limits, the warm-up, the Nordic programme or strength training on our cricket page.
The ECB's limits on overs, rest days, strength training and helmets carry the evidence. Yoga has two small trials, neither counting injuries.
PubMed found 4 records for yoga with cricket, two of them trials in cricketers. In one, 82 first-class male cricketers aged 18 to 35 were randomised to yoga 5 days a week for 6 weeks or a waiting list, and the authors report that the yoga improved their measures of muscle function: core stability, flexibility, range of motion, balance and ankle position sense. We could read only the summary: it gives p values without effect sizes, doesn't report whether the testers were blinded, and the trial didn't measure injuries.
In 60 club bowlers aged 13 to 25, yoga or ordinary conditioning, 45 minutes three times a week for 12 weeks alongside bowling practice, improved bowling speed, accuracy, fitness, strength and flexibility by similar amounts: bowling speed rose 6.52% with yoga and 5.18% without. The summary doesn't say how the groups were formed, and injuries weren't measured.
Source 3
In 91 fast bowlers followed for a season, those with less inward hip rotation on the bowling-arm side (30 degrees or less) had fewer injuries than those with more than 40 degrees, though with a wide margin of error. In 97 professionals, more inward hip rotation weakly predicted injury, and none of the 21 tests was a strong predictor. Side-bend range and side-plank endurance didn't predict side strains. So more flexibility isn't shown to protect.
Across 16 studies, mostly at high risk of bias, injury in teenage pace bowlers went with bowling technique, weaker trunk endurance and poor control of the lower back, pelvis and hips. In 65 teenage pace bowlers, an 8-week exercise programme at training improved strength, balance and back endurance (by about 20 seconds), but injuries weren't measured.
Across 25 trials, stretching programmes didn't prevent sports injuries, while strength training cut them to under a third. In 120 cricketers with tight hamstrings, soft tissue massage improved a hamstring test more than passive stretching, but injuries weren't measured.
No study has tested yoga breathing or mindfulness in cricketers. Across 9 trials in athletes, mindfulness practice improved performance in shooting and darts; batting hasn't been studied.
Source 24
Our cricket page has the ECB's full tables of overs and rest days.
In 40 symptom-free academy fast bowlers aged 14 to 17, 20.5% already had bone stress on a scan. In 98 youth bowlers aged 10 to 20, 16.3% had a stress injury in the lower back in one season, and a previous one was the only factor that independently predicted another. The ECB says bowlers in or just after a growth spurt are at greatest risk.
In 90 elite bowlers, bowling sessions less than 2 days apart and 5 or more days apart both went with more injuries. In 44 junior bowlers, fewer than 3.5 rest days between bowling days went with about three times the risk, and a week of more than 234 balls went with 11 times the odds of a stress fracture in county bowlers. These are cohort studies, not trials.
In England and Wales, bowlers aged 19 and under have mandatory maximum overs per spell and per day, from 4 and 8 at 11 and under to 7 and 18 at 18 and 19. The guidelines add weekly targets, no more than 4 bowling days in any 7, and following the age group below in a growth spurt of more than 7 cm a year. Yoga doesn't change any of these.
Young fast bowlers leave out deep backbends such as wheel, bow, camel and upward dog: the delivery already arches and twists the lower back under load, and nothing about bowling needs more arching. Keep sphinx and locust small. This is our suggestion; no study has tested it.
Source 11
A teenage fast bowler with back pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks, is worse arching back or stops them bowling should stop fast bowling and see a GP or sports physiotherapist, as our spondylolisthesis guide advises. Afterwards, and after any break of 2 weeks or more, the ECB's Ready to Bowl template rebuilds bowling in stages: lower weekly overs, bowled across 2 to 3 days, starting lower the longer the break. Use the template in the ECB's guidelines, linked in the sources, with your clinician or coach.
In 105 elite South African cricketers, shoulder rotation range didn't predict shoulder injury in a season. Cricketers who throw or bowl overarm turned the throwing shoulder in less and out more than the other side. Our rule, as on our yoga for baseball players guide: strengthen the back of the shoulder and the shoulder blades on both arms, and stretch across the body only for a loss a physiotherapist has measured.
Stop an exercise, or shrink its range, if you get the feeling the shoulder is about to slip out (editorial).
Stop for sharp pain, a feeling that the shoulder is slipping, pins and needles or numbness down the arm, or pain that is still worse by your next session after strengthening.
In 38 first-class cricketers, batters' core temperature rose about 1°C for every two hours of batting. The ECB's heat guidelines for the professional game suggest shorter bowling spells in extreme heat, noting that 5 overs at 38°C give the heat stress of 9 overs at 25°C. On hot days, rest-day yoga is gentle and cool, not hot.
In elite Australian men's domestic cricket, there was a head impact every 2,000 balls and a concussion every 9,000. After helmets became compulsory for junior batters in one association, head, neck and face injuries fell from 62% to 4% of batting injuries. The ECB's guidance: a helmet can help prevent serious injury but can't guarantee a concussion won't happen.
Slow breathing, gentle hip and upper-back moves and legs up the wall suit the evening after a long day in the field; save stronger poses for a rest day.
Our editorial starting point:
Source 10
Thoracic rotation: "6 rotations per side, moving with the breath" (the move page's dose). Open book: "8 to 10 slow openings each side, pausing 2 seconds at the end" (the move page's dose). Cat-cow: "8 waves, slower than feels natural" (the move page's dose). Thread the needle, 30 to 45 seconds each side, on your forearm if a finger or wrist is sore (our yoga for tennis players class).
Low lunge, 45 seconds each side, back knee padded (our yoga for tennis players class). 90/90 switch: "10 slow switches, pause at the ends" (the move page's dose). Hip airplane: "2 sets of 5 slow turns each leg" (the move page's dose), holding a counter. Standing figure four, 2 holds of 20 seconds each side (our yoga for baseball players class).
Strap hamstring stretch, 45 seconds each side (our yoga for runners routine): for comfort and range, not to prevent strains. Bird dog, 2 sets of 6 each side with 5-second holds, and glute bridge, 10 slow lifts (our yoga for glutes class). Side plank, 2 holds of 20 seconds each side, on your forearm, knees down to start (our yoga for tennis players class); leave it out after a side strain until cleared.
Y-T-W raises, 5 of each shape with your forehead on a towel, and band turn-out, 2 sets of 12 each arm with your elbow by your side (our yoga for baseball players class). Warrior III, 3 to 5 breaths each side, hands on a wall (our yoga for glutes class). Single-leg stand, 2 holds of 30 seconds each leg (our yoga for tennis players class).
Slow breathing, 2 minutes, in for about 4 and out for about 6, with no holds, and lying twist, 45 seconds each side (our yoga for baseball players class). Legs up the wall, 2 minutes, optional after a long day on your feet (our editorial starting point). Corpse pose, 3 minutes (adapted from the move page's dose).
Young fast bowlers leave out deep backbends (our suggestion). Leave the sleeper stretch and the cross-body stretch out unless a physiotherapist has measured a clear one-sided loss, and skip them with a loose shoulder. After a side strain, no side bends, deep twists or side planks until a physiotherapist agrees (our suggestion). Headstands and shoulder stands aren't needed, and after a blow to the head none until you're cleared. With a finger injury, put your weight on your fists or forearms (our suggestion).
3D demoWheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoBow pose (Dhanurasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoCamel pose (Ustrasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoUpward-facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoSleeper stretchIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoCross-body shoulder stretchBeginner · No equipment
3D demoTriangle pose (Utthita Trikonasana)Intermediate · A step
3D demoHalf moon pose (Ardha Chandrasana)Advanced · A step
3D demoSupported headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)Expert · A wall
3D demoSupported shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)Advanced · No equipmentOn a rest day or after a long day in the field, our 25-minute class for cricketers: our own selection, untested in a trial. Before play, the cricket warm-up; for strength, the strength workout for fast bowlers and the hamstring and groin programme. Our yoga for baseball players class is the nearest alternative for throwers.
A 25-minute yoga class for cricketers: turning both ways, hips for the stride, hamstrings, trunk endurance on both sides and one-leg balance, with no backbends.
25 minBeginner13 movesNo equipmentA 12-minute cricket warm-up: a jog, side-steps and skips, hip and shoulder mobility, planks, squats and lunges, one-leg catches, then sprints and turns.
12 minBeginner17 movesCardio machine, A wallA 40-minute gym session for fast bowlers: squats, split squats, single-leg hinges, Nordics, Copenhagen planks, back and side work, shoulder work and throws.
40 minIntermediate16 movesA band, An anchor pointThe Nordic hamstring and Copenhagen adduction programmes from the football trials: a 10-week build, three adductor levels, then once a week in season.
15 minIntermediate6 movesA wall, An anchor pointA 25-minute yoga class for baseball and softball players on non-throwing days: trunk turning, the back of the shoulder, hips for the stride and one-leg balance.
25 minBeginner17 movesA band, An anchor pointTwenty-five minutes of yoga for tennis and padel players: rotation both ways, shoulder blades, hips, one-leg balance and forearms, for non-match days.
25 minBeginner19 movesA wallA 45-minute restorative yoga sequence: five fully supported poses held for 4 to 10 minutes each, with slow breathing and a long final rest.
45 minBeginner6 movesFirm cushion, A wallA 6-minute breathing routine: slow breathing, crocodile breathing, alternate nostril breathing, box breathing and 4-7-8 breathing.
6 minBeginner5 movesNo equipmentThese are the warning signs from our cricket, baseball, spondylolisthesis and yoga 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 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.
Stop playing: if in doubt, sit them out. Contact NHS 111 within 24 hours, and straight away if they're being sick, feel dizzy or take medicine that thins the blood. Then follow the ECB's six stages, with no matches before day 21. Signs can be harder to spot under a helmet, so watch closely.
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.
A teenage fast bowler with back pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks, is worse arching back or stops them bowling should stop fast bowling and see a GP or sports physiotherapist, as our spondylolisthesis guide advises. Afterwards, and after any break of 2 weeks or more, the ECB's Ready to Bowl template rebuilds bowling in stages: lower weekly overs, bowled across 2 to 3 days, starting lower the longer the break. Use the template in the ECB's guidelines, linked in the sources, with your clinician or coach.
A teenager in a sport that arches or twists the back, such as gymnastics, dance, diving, volleyball, cricket fast bowling, baseball pitching, weightlifting, football or rugby, with back pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks, is worse arching back or stops them training: get it checked by a GP or sports physiotherapist. It can be a stress fracture in the spine.
Back pain on arching, a sharp pain in your side when bowling, or a pop at the back of the thigh: stop and get it checked (our spondylolisthesis, rib injury and hamstring strain guides).
Call 999 or go to A&E: after a fall or injury, your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape, you cannot move your arm, or your shoulder is painful, bruised or swollen. Do not drive yourself, and do not try to put it back in yourself.
Source 37
Losing throwing speed or control, needing a much longer warm-up, a dead arm, or pain that comes back each time you build up your throwing: see a physiotherapist or sports doctor.
Source 44
If a player collapses and isn't breathing normally: call 999, start CPR straight away and send someone for a defibrillator.
Source 45
Call 999 if:
The NHS advises shade between 11am and 3pm from March to October, and sunscreen of at least SPF 30 with at least 4-star UVA protection. Drink plenty on hot days, and know the signs of heat exhaustion below.
Call 999 if someone is still unwell after 30 minutes of resting somewhere cool, being cooled and drinking fluids, or has a very high temperature, hot skin that isn't sweating, a fast heartbeat or fast breathing, confusion, a fit or loss of consciousness.
Source 40
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.
With glaucoma, or high blood pressure that isn't under control, skip headstands, shoulder stands and long head-down holds. With osteoporosis, swap deep forward folds for a flat-back hinge from the hips, and twist smoothly. In pregnancy, our yoga in pregnancy guide covers the changes. NCCIH advises beginners to avoid headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing.
You can say no to any hands-on adjustment, and a teacher registered with Yoga Alliance must get your explicit consent each time.
Source 41
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.
In bowlers, more hip rotation went with more injury, not less, in small studies, and side-bend range didn't predict side strains. Reviews link bowlers' injuries with control and trunk endurance.
Neither yoga trial in cricketers counted injuries, and stretching programmes don't prevent sports injuries.
The delivery already arches, bends and twists the lower back under load. Young bowlers leave deep backbends out (our suggestion) and get back pain checked early.
In 60 club bowlers, yoga improved bowling speed no more than ordinary conditioning (6.52% against 5.18%). Our cricket page's strength and power work has better support.
Source 3
The cricketer's shoulder adapts differently from a pitcher's, and shoulder range didn't predict injury in one cohort. Strengthen first, and stretch only a measured loss.
Source 18
No. Every pose here has an easier version, and in cricket, chasing range isn't the aim anyway.
It can add even turning, hip and hamstring range, trunk endurance, balance and calm breathing on rest days. Two small trials found improvements in muscle function and fitness measures, but neither counted injuries.
Upper-back turns both ways, low lunge, 90/90 switches and hip airplanes, a strap hamstring stretch, bird dog and side planks on both sides, Y-T-W raises and warrior III. Our 25-minute class puts them together.
As rest-day work, yes, with deep backbends left out for young bowlers. It doesn't replace the ECB's limits on overs and rest days, and in club bowlers yoga did as well as, not better than, ordinary conditioning.
No study shows it. Bowling too much and too little both go with injury, so the ECB's limits and gradual build-ups are the protection, and back pain that lasts or hurts when arching back needs checking.
Not more range for its own sake. In bowlers, more hip rotation went with more injury in small studies, and side-bend range didn't predict side strains; control and endurance matter more.
Stretching doesn't prevent sports injuries. Hamstring strains are cricket's commonest injury, and the Nordic hamstring programme on our cricket page has the evidence from other sports.
Turning the upper back and hips both ways, and one-leg balance, suit batting, though no study has tested yoga for batting. Mindfulness helped precision sports such as shooting in trials; batting hasn't been studied.
Use the cricket warm-up before play, and save longer holds for afterwards or rest days. Holds of a minute or more just before hard efforts can cost a little power.
Strengthen first and stretch only a measured loss, as on our baseball guide; the cricketer's shoulder adapts differently from a pitcher's. A shoulder that slips or a loss of throwing speed with pain needs checking.
Gentle yoga can help balance and body awareness. Young fast bowlers keep deep backbends out, follow the ECB's limits, and stop bowling and get checked if their back hurts.
If in doubt, sit them out: no cricket for at least 24 hours, and no matches before day 21. Yoga waits too, with no head-down poses until you're cleared.
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.
