5 reasons why runners should try yoga

If you want to take your running to the next level, you might want to hit the mat. Here are 5 reasons why runners should try yoga.

I’ve been a runner for longer than I’ve been a yogi. In fact, I accidentally discovered yoga because of running. It was a Monday night ashtanga class somewhere in north Oxford, attempting to get my sports-obsessed (then) boyfriend to stretch out his sore back. Two London marathons, countless 10k runs and three yoga teacher trainings later, running and yoga continue to go hand in hand for me. Why? Clearly, hibernating in a snug warm yoga studio, especially at this time of year, is the perfect compliment to the dark and icy early morning runs- but the benefits are much bigger than that…

1. Injury-proof the body

There is no doubt that running, especially distance-type training, is seriously intense on the body. Leg muscles and tendons are the obvious candidates for storing tension, but the shoulders and back muscles can also suffer as we begin to ramp up the miles. Yoga offers the perfect antidote to ease tension, promote flexibility and help avoid pesky injuries that come from the repetitive stressing of tired muscles. A word of warning – start slowly and gently! Especially in any hot room style of yoga, it’s easy to be lulled into thinking the body is warmer and bendier than it actually is and to overstretch. Keep it simple with postures like downward-facing dog to stretch out the backs of the legs and reclining pigeon pose to stretch out the glutes and illiotibial band. Find a weekly group class to integrate into your training, learn the safe alignment, then integrate some of the simple postures into your post-run stretch.

2. Whole body strength

With the exception of restorative yoga classes, which work with long-held floor-based stretches, most yoga classes such as vinyasa flow will blend standing and seated postures and more dynamic styles, working both upper and lower-body strength. The upper-body work such as the transition from high plank pose to low plank pose will help to balance out upper and lower-body strength. The standing postures themselves, such as the warrior postures, will help to strengthen the tendons and ligaments, which helps with stability and control in the hips, knees and ankles.

3. Spinal alignment and core awareness

Practicing yoga helps us to become more mindful of our physical alignment and the position of the spine. This awareness in turn helps remedy bad postural habits during running – such as leaning too far forward, which stresses the lower back and causes pain in the lower back and sacrum. Yoga uses what are called ‘bandhas’ (energetic bonds or locks) which can be thought of as internal scaffolding for the body. The root lock, which is performed by engaging the pelvic floor muscles, and the upward abdominal lock, which is an engaging and hollowing of the abdominal wall, can help to protect the lower lumbar from over-arching and collapsing both on the mat and on the road. They also provide stability and deep core power during tempo training and sprints.

4. Breath control

Yoga teaches us that by controlling the breath we can control both the mind and the body. Faced with a challenge (such as a strenuous run), the breathing is often the first thing to suffer as we begin to tighten up and shallow-breathe. Physically, learning how to use the full capacity of the lungs unlocks athletic performance via increased blood and oxygen supplies. Mentally, by focusing on an even, audible and metronome-like breath, such as we would use when practicing yoga, a simple run is transformed into a moving meditation.

5. Mental focus

In yoga class, we are often invited to set a personal intention or dedication before we practice. By doing this, we create a personal focus, which acts as our inner compass. Yoga helps to develop the discipline of returning to this focus – remembering who or what we are practising for, no matter how challenging the posture. This drowns out mental chatter and creates a bridge between body and soul. The same mindfulness can be applied to running. If, for example, you’ve set yourself a new year’s resolution or are running a race for charity, spending a few quiet moments before you run and coming back to this every time you feel challenged brings a whole new feeling and sense of purpose to the toughest of training runs. Simple standing balances such as tree pose or eagle pose, where the emphasis is on stilling and fixing the gaze, are really helpful in developing this mental focus.

Sarah Thompson is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and a committed running partner to her labradoodle Bruno. Sarah teaches at Triyoga, Europe’s leading yoga studio,and Equinox, as well as leading workshops and retreats internationally.