Runners often struggle to see the importance of anything other than running for exercise. However, if you’re a weekend warrior who pushes your body through long runs and race training, yoga should be an extremely important part of your weekly routine. And that doesn’t automatically mean stretching it out at a yoga studio — just adopting a few simple poses as part of your usual pre-run ritual can improve flexibility and strength over time and help prevent injury.
Specifically, yoga can reduce the risk for common running injuries, such as plantar fascia and Achilles tendonitis. This allows the runner more efficient running with less effort, increased flexibility in hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves, and open supple hips to decrease knee strain and injury.
If you are a regular runner, you are probably familiar with the importance of stretching. Yoga is a particularly good way to stretch your body, but also provides many other benefits for runners such as improving your flexibility, range of motion, and your muscular strength. Thereby, it assists in improving your running ability and posture in the long term.
However, some people don’t have time to do a full yoga workout alongside their regular running routine. Luckily, yoga is full of fantastic poses that you can incorporate into your regular stretches to receive the benefits of yoga stretching, while not losing any time.
Here are five poses that are key for runners:
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Forward Fold
The forward fold stretches the hamstrings, lower back, and glutes – areas often overworked in runners.
Method: Standing feet hip-width apart slowly bend forward at the hips, folding forward. Hold onto your shins. Reach further towards your toes for a deeper stretch. Maintain this position for as long a period that you possibly can, but do not push yourself. If you are in pain, try bending over less (i.e. holding the shins, not the ankles) or holding the position for less time.
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Low Lunge
The low lunge stretches your hips and helps to build stretch in your hamstrings as well as your quads.
Method: From a plank position, step your left foot forward to between your hands. Lower your right knee and slide it back, pointing your toes back (the top of your foot should be on the floor). Then carefully lift your body upright and stretch your arms upwards with your face to the sky. Hold and breathe in and out deeply. Repeat on the other side.
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Reclining Pigeon
The reclining pigeon is a great move for releasing tightness in your hips.
Method: Lie on your back and bring your knees up to your chest. Make a cross with your right ankle on your left thigh and then hold your left thigh with both hands. Point your left foot. Press your right leg against your leg to stretch. Repeat on the other side.
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Downward Dog
The downward dog or downward-facing face is a great pose for stretching your hamstrings.
Method: On your hands and knees (hands below shoulders and knees below your hips) slowly push your toes under and bring your knees off of the floor. Push your hips towards the sky and flatten your heels down as much as you can without discomfort. You can make sure that your knees remain bent slightly if necessary.
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Reclining Spinal Twist
This post is perfect for cooling down as it is a calm relaxing stretch that allows you to stretch you back and glutes.
Method: Lying on your back with your arms stretched out away from your body, lift your right knee up and slowly twist it over the left side of your body until it crosses your left leg and your knee is resting on the floor. Keep your head and chest on the ground and feel the twist stretch your back. Repeat on the other side.
All of these poses can be easily incorporated into a busy runner’s routine, from a quick stretch in the evening to a warmup before a run. If you have any pain while performing the yoga asana, you should stop immediately. It is crucial to comprehend the difference, on the one hand, between feeling a “stretch” and feeling pain on the other hand. Stretches should feel like a position that you can hold comfortably for 30 seconds.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Are you attracted to learning more about yoga – and possibly even becoming a yoga instructor yourself? If you are, then you need to do our Yoga Instructor Course. Read more about this course here.