I was never extremely sporty as a child. Team sports have never really appealed to me. Basketball, soccer, and baseball were all mediocre for me; I was clumsy and uncoordinated. Even trying out for football was a waste of my time.
However, I fell in love with running at a young age and have been running for the most of my life. Running was enjoyable to me, not because I was the fastest or longest runner, but simply because I was running. Running's full-body activity and the isolation of a long run are what provide me delight, particularly when I can maintain a comfortable and steady pace. Additionally, running helps me decompress and often even has a spiritual aspect to it. I never felt better as a child than I did during and after a long run, particularly a trail run.
Until I found yoga, that is.
I was thrilled to find an exercise that wasn't competitive and that left me feeling as wonderful physically, mentally, and spiritually as running when I first began doing yoga in my early 20s. However, when I mentioned to my yoga buddies that I also liked running, they would often raise their eyebrows over their bindi and tell me bluntly that yoga and running aren't compatible. I beg to disagree, however, since I do both. Yoga, on the other hand, has helped me run better and has kept me injury-free for decades.
My yoga practice has benefited greatly from running since it has increased my stamina, attention, and breathing capacity. In this post, however, I want to discuss a few of the many advantages yoga offers runners and how adding yoga to your training regimen may significantly improve your running's lifespan, pleasure, and performance.
Read also: Breathing Techniques For Fat Burning.
The Physical Benefits of Yoga for Runners
1. Better Flexibility
Improved flexibility is one of yoga's main advantages for runners. Running mostly consists of forward-moving, repeated motions, which almost always results in tense muscles. Because restricted range of motion is a result of tight muscles, a runner must use more effort to move their body the more taut their muscles become. Yoga poses assist runners experience increased flexibility and mobility by stretching and lengthening their muscles, which is like someone finally releasing the parking brake on your jogging.
Certain muscular areas, such the hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves (always my enemy), become tighter when I run. Pose like Downdog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Kneeling Lunge (Anjaneyasana), Pigeon (Kapotasana), or Figure 4 Stretch help me keep these muscle groups flexible and loose. In addition to improving their running technique, runners lower their risk of strain and injury by maintaining a flexible physique. Running is smoother and more pleasurable for those with flexible bodies because they can adjust to the dynamic motions of running considerably better than those with tight bodies.
2. Physical Balance and Stability
My proprioception, balance, and stability have all improved as a result of yoga, which helps me avoid any unintentional Pete Rose slides during a run—one of the few technical baseball terms I learned during my brief little-league career—and navigate technical terrain on trails or uneven roads.
Running poses like as Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III) and Tree Pose (Vrikshasana) may improve proprioception, stability, and balance. Additionally, by strengthening the ankles and feet, these postures assist runners avoid rolling their ankles during a run, which may result in a sprain or even a break.
3. Increased Strength
Yoga is beneficial for runners because it promotes strength in addition to flexibility. I always had the nagging idea, "I should have held Chair Pose (Utkatasana) and Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) a bit longer to build up my quads and hamstrings," around mile 20 of a marathon. Strengthening positions like these help runners run more efficiently and with less weariness. Weakness causes poor form and raises the risk of injury during running.
Running is a true full-body activity that requires more than just lower body strength. The fact that yoga is good for the whole body is something I adore about it and the reason it goes so well with other sports and physical activities like jogging. Multiple muscles must be activated concurrently for poses like Plank Pose (Phalakasana), Lower Pushup (Chaturanga Dandasana), and Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), which directly benefits a full-bodied running style.
Yoga strengthens the upper body, which helps runners keep good posture and keep their upper bodies from collapsing. Lower performance and ineffective breathing might result from upper body collapse. The lungs remain open and responsive to the breath when the upper body is robust and erect.
The core comes next. For stability during running, a strong core is essential. Yoga positions like Boat Pose (Navasana), Crow Pose (Bakasana), and Scale Pose (Tolasana) work the core and aid in strengthening it. In addition to improving posture, a strong and steady core helps runners avoid problems like lower back discomfort.
Read also: Yoga For Back Pain And Sciatica
4. Better Breathing Techniques
Yoga’s emphasis on coordinating movement and breath helps runners benefit greatly from learning to control their breath. Proper breathing techniques for runners can help runners stay steady and energized all the way through a run rather than sucking wind so hard that they see stars and have to stop to catch their breath. Learning to breathe well and efficiently while holding poses in yoga can also help a runner enhance their endurance and reduce fatigue. With a regular yoga practice, runners can develop a deeper understanding of their breath and learn how to synchronize it with their running cadence.
Yogic breathing exercises (aka pranayama) helps runners improve their lung capacity and oxygen intake making energy more readily available and accessible to the necessary muscles. Techniques like deep belly breathing and ujjayi breath can even be applied during runs to stay relaxed and energized, even and especially when running uphill.