How Yoga Can Improve Your Climbing + 7 Poses to Start
We’re big yoga lovers over here at ClimbWell. In fact all three founders are yoga instructors. The benefits of this 5,000 year old holistic practice is not lost on us. Every retreat we begin the day with mindfulness, breath work and yoga asana. It provides an anchor for presence, an opportunity to refine attention and supports both physical and mental performance on the rock.
Some of the benefits you ask?
Flexibility supports creative movement, mobility and body English on the wall
Balance makes tricky sequencing smooth and nimble
A strong core enables the grace of powerful static moves
Body awareness and increased proprioception strengthens intuitive flow up a climb
Breath practice combats mental cruxes and enhances efficient energy management
Here are 7 simple poses you can incorporate into your yoga practice.
Hold each pose for at least 5 slow, intentional breaths (in and out through the nose).
1. Tabletop Pose with Wrist Flexion Stretch
Simple way to start: this pose loves up the forearms and helps prevent the getting pumped too fast.
How: Begin on your hands and knees. Stack your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees. Let your shins and the tops of your feet rest on the ground. Spin your fingers towards the back of your mat, keeping the palms of your hands on the ground.
Modify: If this feels too intense, do one hand at a time.
2. Down Dog with optional calf stretch
This one is clutch for building upper body strength, increasing shoulder stability, opening the chest and lengthening the backs of the legs. Hamstrings, calves and ankles all get a stretch. As climbers, loving up the feet is important. This pose fine-tunes the muscles the feet. In addition, down dog is considered an inversion as your hips higher than your heart, this improves circulation and stimulates blood flow.
How: From table pose, tuck your those and bring your hips up to the sky so your body mimics and upside-down V shape. If your shoulders are tight, widen the space between your hands. Spread the fingers and press into the “L” of your palm to help strengthen and support your wrists. Press your chest towards your thighs, keeping a bend in your knees. Sink your heels towards the Earth.
Optional: Add the calf stretch by using the toes of one foot to press down on the heel of the other.
3. Plank Pose
Hello core. If you do this to the fullest integrity, you will improve shoulder stability, strengthen abdominal muscles, light up the glutes and more.
How: From Down dog, shift forward and stack shoulders over wrists, heels over the balls of the feet. Tuck the chin slightly to create length behind your neck, widen across the collarbones, create a little space behind the shoulder blades, lengthen your tailbone towards your feet while drawing the navel in and up. For extra spice, traction your hands towards your feet to light up greater engagement in the muscles.
Safety: Be mindful not to lock out or hyper extend the elbows. Do not let your booty sag too low, as this may compress your low back.
4. Crescent Lunge
This pose increase hip flexibility, strengthens thighs and glutes, making it great for the high-step on the wall. Add interlaced hands behind the back for a heart opener to open your respiratory system and loosen the often tight pectoral muscles in the chest that created a hunched over posture.
How: Step your right leg forward, stacking knee over ankle. Drop your back knee to the earth, untucking the back toes. Hips remain square to the front. Lengthen your tailbone down as you draw your navel in and lift your chest towards the sky. Imagine telescoping the ribs away from your pelvis. Either bring your arms up to frame your face, spinning the palms towards each other or for the chest opening variation, interlace your hands behind your back. Repeat on the other side.
5. Tree Pose
This one improves balance, strengthens core stabilizing muscles, increase hip flexibility, stretches the groin and gently opens the shoulders.
How: From a standing with two feet on the ground, anchor your gaze on one steady spot (this helps support balance) and shift your weight into your right foot. Press the four corners of your right foot into the Earth, while drawing up from the inner arch to stabilize the ankle and strengthen muscles in the feet. Bring your left foot to the inseam of your right leg either below or or above the knee (but not on the joint). Spiral your left knee out to the left, opening your hip. Lengthen your tailbone down slightly, tone the belly in, bring hands to heart center and lift your sternum into your hands.
6. Pigeon Pose
This one isn’t for everyone. If your knees feel sensitive or tweaky, opt for Figure 4 on your back. Both poses are great for hip mobility. Crack lovers out there, these hip openers will be gold for your technique.
How: From down dog, plant your right knee behind your right wrist. Flex your right foot as your swing it towards the left wrist. (The more your shin is closer to parallel with the front of your mat, the bigger the hip opener. If you hips are tight, your right heel may be closer to the groin). Lower your back knee to the earth, untuck the back toes. Take a breath to lengthen the chest towards the sky and as your exhale fold forward to your preferred depth. Repeat on the other side.
Safety: Be mindful not to roll onto your right hip. If needed, add padding. Make sure your back food is not sickled, so to protect the ankle.
How alternative: Figure 4
From laying on your back, plant both feet on the ground close to the booty, knees bent towards the sky. Cross your right ankle just above your left knee cap. Interlace your hands behind your left calve. Flex both feet to protect and strengthen the ankles. Let your back melt to the earth, including your head and shoulders. For depth of sensation, lengthen your tailbone towards the front of the mat.
7. Bridge Pose
Another chest opener that packs the punch for the gluteus muscles, making those heel hooks and high steps feel like a breeze. It also supports spinal health which is vital for anyone who loves living an active life. Your spine is essential for body movement, nervous system functioning, brain coordination amongst a wealth of benefits.
How: From laying on your back, plant both feet on the ground, hips width apart and close to the booty. Keep your knees bent towards the sky. Bring the arms into a 90 degree bend, palms face each other, fingertips to the sky (some teachers describe this like “robot arms.”) This will enable more opening in the chest. Lengthen the tailbone slightly, press into the feet and then light the hips up high in the air. Lift the chest to the sky and draw the chin away from the chest slightly. To protect the cervical spine and neck region, keep your gaze straight up.
Safety: Any pain in the knees may be an indication your heels are too close towards your head. Make sure your knees are stacked over your ankles.
These poses can be done with presence and integrity in a quick 10 minutes. Integrating them into any climbing warmup is sure to enhance performance and support injury prevention!
Written by Gaby Colletta | www.gabycolletta.com | @wanderingvayu