By Ryanne Cunningham, Manager,
You Flow Studios (Green Bay)
Shoulder Rotation with Strap
Players in all positions greatly benefit from the shoulder rotation with strap. This exercise helps stretch the muscles used when reaching for a block or to catch a pass at any angle of the arm rotation or when throwing the football at high speed or height down the field. Stand and hold a strap in both hands; hands are more than shoulder-width apart and arms are straightened in front of you (figure 10.7a). Lift your arms up over your head (figure 10.7b), and allow your arms to fall behind you (figure 10.7c). Separate your hands along the strap enough to allow your arms to fall behind you. Slowly lift the arms back up and in front of you. Follow this motion, walking the hands in closer together once the shoulders loosen up.
Figure 10.7a
Figure 10.7b
Figure 10.7c
Knee to Elbow
A strong core powers all movements on the field for speed, agility, and strength. This variation of plank pose works the core. Starting from downward-facing dog pose, lift your right leg to the ceiling to three-legged downward-facing dog pose. Bend your right knee, and shift forward to plank pose, aligning your shoulders over your wrists and taking your right knee to your right elbow (figure 10.8a) and squeezing your core. Move back to three-legged downward-facing dog pose. Bend your right knee and shift forward to plank pose, bringing your right knee to your nose (figure 10.8b). Go back to three-legged downward-facing dog pose. Bend your right knee and shift forward to plank pose, bringing your right knee to your left elbow (figure 10.8c). Finish in downward-facing dog pose. Repeat the sequence using the left leg.
Figure 10.8a
Figure 10.8b
Figure 10.8c
Excerpted from Yoga for Athletes by Ryanne Cunningham (copyright 2017). Reprinted with permission from Human Kinetics. Find Yoga for Athletes at HumanKinetics.com, your local bookstore, or at major online bookstores.