Whether you’re working towards your first ‘couch to 5K’ or tapering down after a long marathon training slog, yoga can be hugely beneficial to practice alongside running.
I'm not just talking about finessing your recovery stretches either, although that helps! A regular yoga practice will give your whole holistic approach to running the reboot it deserves.
1. Flexibility:
If your muscles stay tight after exercise, the next time you come to do the same movement your joints won’t be able to go the same range of motion as before.
This can lead to muscular imbalances & ultimately injury, which no wants.
Yoga serves up an array of delicious deep stretches to avoid this & keep your muscles & joints in a healthy place – think little & often, not once in a blue moon.
2. Stability & balance:
Strength is often over looked, we need to bulk up!
Strong glutes can keep your ankles & knees injury free & a strong torso can ease lower back pain, improve your upper body posture & improve the way you breathe.
The longer you run the more cross-body power you need from your torso to help swing your arms too.
It’s important to remember you are never actually on two feet whilst running. Your outer hips need to be super stable to keep your pelvis in place & your feet need to be resilient!
There’s buckets of strength in a yoga practice you can bring to the table here.
3. Self-care, massage & fascial release:
Practicing yoga is a great way of deepening your relationship with yourself & this can be applied to your approach to running.
With greater proprioception (how your body feels & knowing where it is in space), you will develop a greater understanding of which days to dedicate small amounts of time to self-massage.
Knowing when to rest & your approach to sleep as a recovery tool will be higher up the priority list & you can think more about diet, nutrition and any other holistic self-care tips that may help your running.
4. Breathwork & mental state:
Yoga can be a great tool for improving your breathing awareness, mechanics & efficiency.
Dipping your toes in a meditation practice will help you tune into how you feel in the moment.
You will be less reactive and more composed when you’re in the midst of a challenge, stay rooted in the present moment & enjoy the small, continual steps rather than worry about the finish line ahead.
Yoga after all is a practice to unify body and mind, something that will help connect each arm swing, each leg stride, each breath in and out and every inch of your mental landscape in between.
Join me for weekly yoga for runners classes in South London:
🌟 Monday 6.45pm ~ Beckenham Place Mansion House 🌟
🌟 Tuesday 7pm ~ Life Brown & Green, Crystal Palace Park 🌟
You can also practice from the comfort of your own home (or wherever suits you post-jog).
Visit my online video platform for a collection of yoga for runners to improve flexibility, boost strength & stability, explore various breathing exercises & stay injury free.
Unlimited monthly access for £10/month or £5 for 24 hour access:
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