Doing yoga for boxing is great for your rest days and will aid your recovery, flexibility, and breath work.
Keep reading so you can add these easy yoga poses to your boxing routine!
Yoga Poses For Boxers
Try these yoga poses if you’re a boxer:
- Downward Facing Dog
- Child’s Pose
- Cobra Pose
- Side Plank
- Bridge Pose
All of these poses are simple and can be the foundation of your yoga practice.
When you cycle through these basic poses, you’ll feel the benefits immediately!
Downward Facing Dog
The first pose is the downward facing dog.
This pose is great for activating your shoulders, core, and legs (hamstring and calves).
To do the downward facing dog:
- First, you’ll start on your hands (shoulder-width apart) and knees on the mat.
- Next, tuck your toes and lift your hips with your feet hip-width apart.
- Lastly, shift your shoulders from side to side or paddle your knees to further activate your calves.
Hold for 10 deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Your back should be straight and your fingertips should be holding your weight to take stress off your wrists.
Child’s Pose
Next is the child’s pose.
This pose stretches your shoulders, arms, and lower back.
To do the child’s pose:
- First, start off kneeling on the mat and spread your knees out.
- Next, fold forward with your hips, place your head on the mat, and extend your arms with your palms facing either up or down.
Hold for 10 deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Though it feels like you’re just lying there, it should be an active pose. The key is to engage your shoulders.
Cobra Pose
Next is the cobra pose.
This pose stretches your back and core at the same time, which makes it a great complement for a boxing ab workout.
To do the cobra pose:
- First, start on your stomach on the mat and turn your feet so your heels are facing upward.
- Next, place your hands close to your chest or lower ribs and press upward.
- Lastly, puff your chest outward and roll your shoulder blades back towards your ears, all while keeping your feet on the ground to create an arch.
Hold the pose for 10 deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth, while looking upward.
If you want a deeper stretch, lift your legs off the mat as well.
You can also vary the position of your hands; instead of keeping them close to your chest, you can move them farther out or use your forearms.
Moving your hands can change your full arch to a slight bend, depending on your flexibility.
Side Plank
Next is the side plank pose.
This pose engages your core, shoulders, and hips. It’s also a great way to strengthen your wrists for boxing.
To do the side plank pose:
- First, start in the plank pose and twist your body so one foot is stacked over the other.
- Next, as you twist, position your lower wrist under your supporting shoulder.
- Lastly, raise your opposite arm upward on the opposite side, creating a stacking effect with your arms.
Hold for 10 deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth.
If having both legs up is too difficult or if you have wrist pain, you can use your forearm or put your lower leg down to support your body.
From here you can further stretch your hips instead.
Bridge Pose
Last is the bridge pose.
This pose engages your core, glutes, and shoulders.
To do the bridge pose:
- First, start by lying down on your back with your arms extended along your side, palms facing down.
- Next, place your feet on the ground hip-width apart so that your knees are bent at an angle.
- Lastly, raise your pelvis upward while keeping your shoulders and upper back grounded.
Hold for 10 deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth.
To further activate your shoulders, interlace your fingers under your back.
Advantages of Yoga For Boxers
Practicing yoga has these advantages for boxers:
- Body Awareness and Flexibility
- Mental Focus
- Enhanced Recovery
One of the biggest benefits of yoga is that these poses can be intense to train strength, or they can be gentle and restorative.
Research shows that you can gain substantial mental health benefits when your boxing is combined with yoga and a proper diet.
Body Awareness and Flexibility
First, practicing yoga will give you body awareness and flexibility.
Certain poses will give you better balance, while others will strengthen your core, leg muscles, and shoulders.
Most importantly, you’ll learn to treat your body kindly, while challenging it at the same time.
Mental Focus
Next, practicing yoga will help with your mental focus.
Yoga helps you get “in the zone”; when you’re in a difficult pose, all you can do is focus on your balance and breathing.
In the boxing ring, using this proper breathing technique will help you control your heart rate and stay mentally sharp.
Enhanced Recovery
Lastly, practicing yoga will enhance your boxing recovery.
It’s best to practice yoga on your rest days, as you won’t be training 7 days a week.
Certain poses will stimulate your tired muscle fibers and will help relieve stress.
It’s also a great warm up for days that you are training and can help with preventing some of the most common boxing injuries.
Conclusion
Yoga is a great complement to any boxer’s stretching routine.
It’s not necessary in order to succeed at boxing, but it’s highly recommended since it has little to no drawbacks.
Regular yoga practice is great for life in general and for reaching the full potential of your body’s movement.
If you’re an older boxer, practicing yoga is especially useful as your body becomes stiffer with age.
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