Yoga Poses and Stretches for Pole Vaulting

The hip joint is formed where the pelvis and the thighbone (femur) meet. The muscles that surround the hip joint are connected to several places:

* the front of the spine * the hip bones * the sitting bones * the lower back * the thigh bones * the lower leg (below the knees)

Underlying these muscles are smaller muscles and numerous ligaments that further stabilize the hip joint. The tilt of the pelvis is determined by how the thigh bones and the pelvis fit together. If the muscles, ligaments, or tendon that join the leg to the torso are too loose or too tight, they will affect how the pelvis rests on the thigh bones. If the muscles and ligaments around the hip joint are strong and flexible, the pelvic bones (these are the bones you rest your hand on when you put your hands on your hips) will be horizontal and symmetrical.

Pose 1: Runner’s Lunge

Strengthens: Legs and Upper Back

Stretches: Groin, lateral thighs (IT bands) and hips; opens up your calves, quads, hamstrings,

Benefits: The groin or adductor muscles provide strength and stability for the femur (thigh bone) and hip joint. Keeping this group of muscles flexible will decrease the likelihood for a groin strain or imminent ITBS. Strengthening your quadriceps & hamstrings will allow for more power per “push off” of every step

1. Start in a lunge position with your right foot back first.2. Press back through the right heel to straighten the back leg. Lift through the knee to engage the thigh.3. Make sure the left knee is over the ankle.4. Bring the hands to the sides of the front foot, under the shoulders.5. Draw in the navel and tuck the tailbone.6. Raise the heart toward the sky without taking the hands off the ground.7. Hold for 30 seconds.

Pose 2: The Crescent Moon

Strengthens: Glutes, hamstrings and core

Stretches: Hip Flexors

Benefits: opens up your calves, quads, hamstrings, lateral thighs (IT bands) and hips. But it also stretches the quad of the extended leg and the hip of the bent leg.This move is good for activating glutes and hamstrings needed for a more powerful stride. By incorporating the balance, your body’s smaller stabilizing muscles are ignited and will give you a smoother, more efficient, more gazelle-like stride.

1. From Low Lunge, drop the back knee and the top of the back foot to the floor.2. Keep the front leg in place, with the knee over the ankle.3. Drop into the hips to stretch both the front hip and the back quad.4. Raise the upper body in line above the pelvis, head lifting toward the ceiling.5. Bring the arms up by the ears, elbows straight, hands reaching toward the sky. Keep dropping the shoulders away from ears, even as you lift the arms.6. Engage the navel and tuck the tailbone slightly under to keep the abdomen strong.7.Drop opposite arm to the side and reach down to the ground while reaching up and slithly over with the other arm8. Hold for 30 seconds before

Pose 3 & 4: Hamstring Tower

Stretches: Hamstrings

Benefits: lengthens and opens the hamstrings.Comprised of 3 muscles on the back of your thigh, the hamstrings have a major role in extending and hyper-extending the hip and in controlling the opposite action in hip flexion. In running if your hamstring flexibility is hampered then your running speed will be limited.

1. From Crescent Moon, straighten through the front leg and draw the hips back behind you.2. Place the hands on the floor for balance.3. Bend through the spine, bringing the nose toward the knee and draw the shoulders down the back, away from your ears. You should feel a stretch in your hamstring.4. To deepen the calf stretch, try flexing the foot and drawing the toes back toward you even more.5. Relax the spine and neck completely.6. Hold for 30 seconds before moving into Lateral Hip Stretch.

Lateral Hip StretchBenefits: IT band

1. From One-Legged Forward Bend, walk the hands over to the same side of the body as the extended leg.2. Keep the hips over the back knee and keep the front leg extended.3. The further back and away from the body you place the hands, the more you’ll feel the stretch in the lateral hip and thigh.4. Make sure to keep the head dropped and the neck relaxed.5. Hold for 30 seconds

Pigeon Benefits: hip flexor, IT band Stretches the outside of the hips and the inner thighs

1. Step your right leg forward between your hands. 2. Drop your back leg to the ground. Keep the back leg turned under. 3. Keeping your front leg bent, place it shin down on floor behind your right wrist.

Tip: Align your right knee straight in front of your right hip and your right shin parallel to the front of your mat.

4. Lower your hips, bringing your left knee to the floor and walk your left foot back a few inches to straighten your left leg directly behind your left hip. Then rest the top of your left foot on the floor.5. Walk your fingertips out to 18 inches in front of your right shin and bring your elbows to the floor, forearms parallel to each other. 6. Draw your right hip back, and your left hip forward 7. Make sure your front foot is well flexed. 8. Hold for 30-60 seconds; and then repeat poses 1-5 using the other leg

Alternative to the pigeon pose:

Lie on your back on the mat.Bring your knees in towards the chest, at a 90-degree angle.Place your right ankle on your left thigh, interlace your fingers and place them behind your left thigh, and pull your left thigh towards your chest.Repeat on the other side.

TIP: Flex your feet to deepen the stretch. Press your elbow against that bent knee to feel an inner thigh stretch. If you have knee problems, adjust the angle of the knee so you feel comfortable.

Triangle: Stand with your feet three to 3 - 3.5' apart. Turn your left foot in 30 degrees and your right foot out 90 degrees. Be sure that your right heel is in line with the arch of your left foot. Bring your hands into a T position and take a deep inhalation. Exhale and move your pelvis toward the left as you extend your torso to the side and over your right leg. Place your right hand down on your shin and stretch your left arm vertically overhead, palm forward. Turn your head to gaze softly at your left thumb. Hold for three breaths. Release by coming back to standing and practice on the opposite side.

Extended Side-Angle Pose

Strengthens the shoulder girdle: serratus anterior, posterior deltoid, infraspinatus and teres minor.

BenefitsStretches the upper back, neck, chest and shoulders: latiissimus dorsi, levator scapulae, pectoralis major and teres major.

1. Stand tall with your feet about 4-feet apart. 2. Turn your left foot in slightly toward the right and turn your right foot out to the right 90 degrees. 3. Align the right heel with the left arch. 4. Raise the arms parallel to the floor and reach them actively out to the sides with palms face down.5. As you inhale, gaze over your right fingertips. 6. Exhale; bend the right knee over the right ankle, so that the shin is perpendicular to the floor. 7. Lean the torso forward, resting the right elbow on the knee. 8. The left arm extends over the left ear and your palm faces the floor. Activate the left leg and press the outer edge of the left foot into the floor. Roll the left hip open and reach through the extended arm to lengthen the torso. 9. Stay here for five breaths and then switch sides.

Eagle Pose

Strengthens the chest, back and shoulders: pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi and teres major.

Benefits:Stretches the shoulders and upper back: supraspinatus, rhomboids and posterior deltoids.

1. Begin standing with your knees slightly bent. 2. Lift the right foot up, balance on the left foot, and cross the right thigh over the left. 3. Hook the top of the right foot behind the left calf. 4. As you balance on the left foot, reach the arms out in front of you, cross the right arm over the left, and bend the elbows.5. Wrap the left hand around the inside of the right wrist and press the palms together. 6. Raise the forearms perpendicular to the floor and squeeze the arms together while slightly dropping the shoulders down. 7. Sink into the standing leg, gaze forward, and breathe. 8. Stay here for 15 to 30 seconds, reverse sides.

Upward Plank Pose

Strengthens the back and shoulders: posterior deltoids and rhomboids.

Benefits:Stretches the chest, neck and shoulders flexors: pectoralis major, sternocleidomastoid, the anterior deltoids and biceps brachii.

1. Come to the floor in a seated position with your legs extended forward, feet together.2. Place your hands several inches behind your hips with the palms on the floor and fingers point forward. 3. As you inhale, press into your hands and feet to lift your body up. 4. Press the feet down into the floor with your big toes and inner thighs pressing toward each other. 5. Lift through the front of the body by pressing the hips and chest toward the sky. Keep your glutes relaxed. 6. Slowly drop your head behind you.

Modification: Go into a reverse tabletop position. Keep feet hips-distance apart and under the knees. Stay for five breaths.

Cow Face Pose

Strengthens the back and shoulders: rhomboids and infraspinatus.

BenefitsStretches the external shoulder rotators: subscapularis, infraspinatus, teres minor andposterior deltoid. Stretches glutes and hips, IT band.

1. Come to a seated position with both legs extended forward. 2. Slide your left foot under the right knee to the outside of the right hip. 3. Cross your right leg over the left, stacking the right knee on top of the left. 4. Now bring the right foot to the outside of the left hip. 5. Sit evenly on the sitting bones.6. As you inhale, reach the right arm up. 7. Exhale, bend the elbow, and place your hand on your upper back. 8. Inhale. Reach the left arm behind your back and reach up between the shoulder blades to interlock the hands, or you can use a towel to bridge the gap. 9. Gaze forward, lengthen the torso, and draw your right elbow and shoulders down. Breathe steadily. 10. Stay for five breaths and switch sides reversing the legs and arms.Modification: You can also take a cross-legged position.

Standing wide-legged forward fold

Benefits:Opens the hips and stretches the hamstrings

1. feet about a leg's length apart.2. Turn your heels slightly out and your toes slightly in. (Imagine you're slightly pigeon-toed.)3. Inhale, stand tall and stretch your arms out to a T.4. Exhale, fold forward, taking your hands to the floor or a yoga block. Allow your head to hang down, straightening your spine. Do not lock knees5. After five breaths, inhale as you roll up slowly, engaging your abs and pressing in to your feet to help you rise.6. Exhale, step your feet together.

Standing forward fold with "ragdoll" arms

Benefits:Stretches the hamstrings and straightens the spine.

1. Inhale and take your hands to your hips as you step your feet hips' width apart.2. Exhale, fold forward. If you can straighten your legs in this pose, grasp each elbow with the opposite hand. If you can't straighten your legs or need more support, place your hands on a yoga block (or even a chair, if you prefer).3. Allow your head to hang down limply--like a ragdoll, straightening your spine. Gaze past the end of your nose.

Sumo Squat

Strengthens: Inner strength and centeredness

Stretches: This pose stretches the ankles, groin, and back of the torso. If your heels don’t reach the floor, rest them on a folded blanket.

Benefits: helps to maintain optimal range of motion for your ankles and helps to open hips gently.

Child’s pose (Balasana):Benefits:Stretches hips, thighs and ankles; arms can help alleviate back pain.

1. Start to lower to the floor. 2. Your belly will rest on or between your thighs, and your forehead will reach towards the mat. (Place a towel under your forehead if it won't reach the floor.3. Stretch the arms out in front of you to feel a stretch up the length of the back.4. Stretch the arms alongside the body, with the fingertips facing the toes, to stretch between the shoulder blades.

Pose 16 For tight lats Stretches:latissimus dorsi muscles, the muscles that connect your upper arms to your lower back. When you raise your armsoverhead, the “lats” stretch, so tight latsmake it difficult to reach up

BenefitsImproves rainge of motion; can help protect you from rotator cuff injuriesAgainst a chair1. Kneel in front of a chair. 2. Bend your elbows 90 degrees, and carefully place the backs of your elbows, near their tips, on the front edge of the chair seat, about shoulder-width apart or slightly closer. Adjust the backs of your elbow tips so they rest as close as possible to the chair’s front edge without risk of sliding off when you put weight on them. 3. Walk your knees away from the chair until your trunk is parallel to the floor and your knees are directly under your hip joints. 4. Draw your front lower rib cage upward so it does not sag toward the floor, and keep it there throughout the pose. 5. Exhale, and being careful not to allow your elbows to slide off the chair, move your hips horizontally backward to lengthen your spine, slide your outer shoulders toward your ears, and draw your head away from the edge of the chair seat. If there’s room, allow your head to hang down in the space between your trunk and the chair. 6. Exhale again and move your hips back more. Press your tailbone slightly toward the floor to stabilize your sacrum, pelvis, and lower back; keep your ribs slightly lifted; and move your outer arms (triceps) toward the floor as far as you comfortably can. 7. If you experience discomfort in your shoulders, back out of the pose a little by moving your shoulders up away from the floor; then, as you reenter the pose, squeeze your elbow tips toward each other without actually sliding them closer together. 8. When you have found a strong yet comfortable stretch, relax your outer armpits, the sides of your trunk, and the surface of your lower back all the way to your sacrum to allow the latissimus muscles to fully release, lengthen, and permit deeper movement.

Against a wall: 1. Stand with your back against a wall, 2. externally rotate your arms as far as you can, and reach them overhead until you can press your palms into the wall. 3. Step forward a few inches, maintaining the same alignment with your hands off the wall. 4. Then—without arching your back, poking your lower ribs out in front, or moving your hips forward—reach your arms still higher and farther back until your palms press into the wall again. This backbending movement of the shoulders is the same movement required in poses like Downward-Facing Dog Pose and Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose). 5. To make it work, put extra effort into maintaining the rotation of your upper arms, because losing rotation would unwind the upper latissimus muscle from the humerus, putting slack on it.

Butterfly/cobbler stretch

Benefits: Opens the groin and hips; stretches the inner thighs Forward folding stretches the back

How to:Sitting tall on your mat, bring the soles of your feet together.Interlace your fingers and place them around the toes.Sit tall, rolling the shoulders back, and gaze past the end of the nose.Lean forward for a deeper stretch, stopping when you start to "feel" the stretch.With every inhale, feel your spine growing longer (imagine the crown of your head reaching out in front of you to the wall); with every exhale, allow the body to sink lower (the chest is getting closer to the floor).

Seated wide angle forward fold (Upavistha konasana):Benefits:Stretches the hamstrings and calves; the forward fold straightens and lengthens the spineHow to:From butterfly pose, extend your legs out to either side of you at a 90 degreeangle.If you can --straighten the legs, flex the feet, and engage the quadriceps (by lifting your knee cap) to keep your knees from locking.Lean forward slightly and place your hands on the mat.With every inhale, feel your spine growing longer (imagine the crown of your head reaching out in front of you to the wall); with every exhale, allow the body to sink lower (the chest is getting closer to the floor).TIP: Bend your knees as much as you need to, and bring the legs closer together if needed.

Seated forward fold (Paschimottanasana):Benefits:Stretches the spine and the hamstrings.

How to:Sit on your mat, with your legs extended in front of you, heels slightly flexed and bellybutton pulled to the spine for support.Inhale, sit tall and raise your arms in the air.Exhale, lean forward and reach for your toes. Allow your arms to rest on your thighs, shins or at your ankles.Allow your head to drop and gaze past the end of your nose. Allow your upper body to relax.If you can straighten the legs, flex the feet, and engage the quadriceps (by lifting your knee cap) to keep your knees from locking.With every inhale, feel your spine growing longer (imagine the crown of your head reaching out in front of you to the wall); with every exhale, allow the body to sink lower (the chest is getting closer to the floor).TIP: Can't reach your toes? Wrap a towel around your feet and grab either end with your hands to improvise a yoga strap. If your hamstrings are tight, you can bend your legs.

Head to knee stretch (Janu sirsasana A):Benefits:Stretches the hamstrings.

How to:From the previous pose, slide your right foot inside your left thigh, the right knee coming out at least a 90-degree angle.Center your torso over the extended left leg and exhale as you begin to lower to that thigh.Flex your extended foot and reach for your toes (or use a towel as a strap).With every inhale, feel your spine growing longer (imagine the crown of your head reaching out in front of you to the wall); with every exhale, allow the body to sink lower (the chest is getting closer to the floor).Inhale as you roll slowly up and repeat on the other side.TIP: If your knee can't rest comfortably on the floor, roll up a towel to support the bent knee.

Hero pose/Thunderbolt pose (Virasana/Vajrasana):Benefits:Stretches the quadriceps and ankles.

How to:Starting in a kneeling position.For hero pose:Keep your knees together but separate the feet and allow your bottom to rest on the floor. Roll your calves away from your thighs (use your hands) to help you get comfortable.For a deeper stretch, try thunderbolt pose:Sit back on your heels, shins together. (Place a rolled-up towel between your heels and hips to ease this stretch.)TIP: If you feel any discomfort in this pose, sit on a rolled-up towel or a block.

Legs up the wall (Viparita Karani):Benefits:Stretches the hamstrings gently, allows blood that has accumulated in the feet and legs to re-circulate in the body. Offers a gentle release for the low back.

How to:Sit next to a wall and lie onto your back, bringing your knees into your chest.Straighten your legs and place them on the wall while wiggling your bottom closer to the wall.Allow your heels to rest gently on the wall.Extend the arms overhead for an added stretch.TIP: This pose is great for anyone who works on their feet. Spend a few minutes in this pose (you can even do this in bed) each night to give your legs a break.