Throwing a ball, swinging a racquet or just doing too many push ups in the gym puts the athlete at risk for a muscular imbalance in the chest, back and shoulder complex. Muscular imbalances lead to numerous injuries in the shoulder (think rotator cuff) and even the low back due to “rounded shoulders” (think hunchback of Notre Dame) revealing excessive tightness (caused by overuse) in the front of the chest and weakness in the upper back. 
To prevent injury it is necessary to incorporate a balanced workout regimen that will strengthen the chest, back, anterior delts (front of shoulders) and posterior delts (back of shoulders). Two classic yoga poses, Chaturanga and Cobra, can get the job done!
The interesting thing about these two yoga poses is that as you transition from one to the other the body is required to activate the muscles sequentially (as one muscle group activates, the opposing muscles must stabilize and vice versa). This form of movement is quite different than machines that isolate one muscle group at a time.
Incorporate these two poses into your chest/back/shoulder routine to teach your muscles to work as a team! Try doing 3 sets of 5-8 reps, move through each transition with a slow and controlled speed (let the slow pace of your breathing guide you). Check out Yoga w/Ozzie: Chaturanga and Cobra for a demonstration.
