Yoga for runners

For some, running is a sport, a hobby for others, and a great tool when you need help getting in shape. Anyone who falls in love with running knows that it can be quite exciting (in a good sense of the word), but no matter how much you do, it imposes a heavy burden on the body. To counter this, you need to implement good prevention and recovery strategies that will help keep your muscles and joints healthy, so that you can run faster and optimize your endurance.

Strong blows and repeated movements of the legs to the sidewalk can cause you aching joints, and if you run too much, overtraining can make it difficult to sleep and fully recover. Yoga can help restore your mind, as well as help your recovery and keep you in great shape for your next race.

You have probably heard that yoga is an excellent tool for practicing before and after jogging, but you may not know that it can also adapt to the technique and reduce muscle fatigue. This means the best lead time! There are certain movements that will benefit all runners in general, and some that you need to focus on, depending on what type of run you are doing – sprinters and distance runners will have different needs, as they experience different models muscle fiber development

Here are some of my favorite poses that all runners can incorporate in their warm-up and after-sales recovery, regardless of their style or workout mode. Hold each pose for 3-5 deep breaths. Grab a yoga mat and pose!

Anjaneyasana: lunge runner

Runner's lunge is one of the best yoga poses for active stretch marks; hence the name. Using several muscles at the same time, this can be an excellent warm-up before starting, as well as a recovery movement after a run. Although it seems that your hamstrings do all the work, hip flexors and fours are also heavily involved, which is important, as they both hit hard against asphalt. Make sure your leg is straight and strong, and the foursome is active, and keep your chest open. You want to use your breath to sink into a pose and enjoy stretching!

Trikonasana: triangle pose

The triangular posture is one of the best openers for thighs and hip flexor stretch marks, and it includes a slight twist, which gives you excellent relief of the lower back after a long run. Activating quadrangles while holding a pose will protect the hamstrings from over-exertion. Use each breath to increase spinal stretching, and use exhalation to go deeper into the rotation. You will feel this yoga pose all over your body, from the shoulders and bends to the buttocks and hamstrings.

Utrasana: camel pose

The camel pose is amazing for stretching four legged and hip flexor when you push the hips forward. You can control how deeply you want to go and protect your lower back while growing with each breath. Raising your arms above your head, you can avoid excessive compression of the lower back. Running really strains your front body, and your camel posture works better than your regular wheel posture, since you can isolate quad bikes, hip flexors and a press to give the front half some significant relief.

Marichyasana: sitting twist

All the turns are useful, as they help to supply fresh oxygen to the muscles, but this sedentary turn is one of my favorites. You can actively work on stretching your lower back, sitting higher with each exhalation and feeling “growing out of your seated bones.” As always, you control how deeply you want to go. After such a hard move forward in a hard run, it can be a pleasure. You can also do it lying down, but I prefer the sitting version because it is more active than passive, and you can focus on the depth of the pose.

Ado Mukha Svanasana: dog facing down

Absolute basic yoga! This is one of those positions that you can use anytime, anywhere to warm up and relax your body – for any movement, even to stretch your legs after a long plane ride. It stretches the spine, back muscles, shoulders, hamstrings and calves – all this causes a serious blow to the runner! You can make it as dynamic or passive as possible, depending on whether you are looking for improved mobility before launching or using it to recover from.

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