YOUR GAME FITNESS

A POTENT BLEND: Practising yoga has helped Novak Djokovic developed his remarkable strength, balance and flexibility.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH Novak Djokovic has relied on a holistic approach that incorporates yoga to maintain his long-term dominance. NATHAN and GISELLE MARTIN explain how players of all standards can benefit from his positive example. t is great to see how much tennis has session. It sets their pathway for years to evolved off court in the past five years. come. IWe see players focusing more on their Try these four tennis yoga poses for health and recovery than ever before. 10 days straight. Start by holding the Players such as Novak Djokovic have poses for 20 seconds and then build to opened up avenues for other athletes to 40 second holds for each exercise. explore. Try to complete two-three sets of these The world No.1 advocates healthy for the 10 days straight and see for eating, following a gluten, dairy and sugar- yourself, how your flexibility, balance 11. STAR POINTER free diet. Djokovic also practises yoga and and strength improves. FOCUS: meditates. Such lifestyle choices keep him Performing these exercises on a Hip flexors, lumbar, pectorals, balanced and on top of his game. regular basis, you will be surprised latisimus Yoga has been around for centuries how you will increase mobility in TIPS: and it has many benefits. For tennis your joints and lengthen muscles 3 Drive hip forward as far as possible players, it helps elongate muscle tissue, throughout the body, which will 3 Stretch arm away from body as far improves balance and co-ordination. Due enable you to maintain optimal as possible to the focus on breathing, when practiced functional movement. 3 Allow lumbar to extend regularly it improves player’s ability to Your shot execution breath more effectively, which helps with and control will 7 2. WARRIOR POSE recovery between points. improve and you We have developed our own tennis will feel more FOCUS: yoga program that we have been using balance over Trunk rotators, gluteals, hamstring, with our tennis players for many years. the ball. adductors, balance There is a misconception that yoga is TIPS: only for the middle aged, however we 3 Wide leg base have had some fantastic results from our 3 Drive front knee forward as far as players as young as 10 years old. possible It’s great to use as a workout or even 3 Rotate torso as far as is comfortable to recover after a hard match or training

76 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE 73. SPLIT POSE FOCUS: Hip flexors, latisimus, shoulders, balance TIPS: 3 Wide leg base 3 Drive hip forward 3 Stretch up pushing arms away from the body as STAR far as possible TRAINERS NATHAN AND GISELLE MARTIN, of 34. STRONG POINTER 2 Tennis Fitness, have been in the health If you would like more and fitness industry for 20 years. They FOCUS: specific yoga exercises that can travelled on the WTA Tour for numerous Hamstring, shoulder stability, balance help improve your flexibility, years and also worked at the Sanchez Casal Tennis Academy in Barcelona, TIPS: balance and core strength, Spain. They’ve worked with Sam Stosur, 3 Keep hips in neutral we have just released our Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jennifer Capriati, 3 Keep leg as straight as possible new “Tennis Fitness Yoga Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Monica Seles, Martina Navratilova, Casey Dellacqua 3 Maintain a straight back Program” which has over 14 and Lleyton Hewitt. For further exercises. Check it out at yoga. 3 Draw arms back by recruiting information and for previous articles, posterior shoulder muscles and hold tennisfitness.com visit tennisfitness.com.

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