However, Giamo and Covill warn against overstretching, especially right before a run. “It helps to increase flexibility, which can improve stride length and speed.” “Yoga is not only a great compliment to running, but stretching is crucial for runners and yoga is a perfect way to get the recovery your body needs,” says McFaden. It also helps you use and conserve energy, as you practice pacing alongside each breath. Staying tuned into your breath helps minimize anxiety before a long run, or pre-race jitters. Simply being aware of your breath during exercise can reduce tension, and conscious breathing exercises soothe the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. “The pranayama (breath) practices and the teaching of mindfulness through meditation or asana benefits runners the most.”Īnd it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Though most people hear “yoga” and immediately think about the physical postures (called “asana”), Covill says breathwork serves as one of the greatest benefits for runners. Yoga teaches you to use your breath as a tool.Īaptiv trainer Jaime McFaden calls running and yoga the “perfect combo” because they’re both based around breathing. So, yoga can help runners elongate and relax their upper trunk.”Ĭheck out the latest yoga classes we’ve just released in the Aaptiv app today. Many runners hold the upper body in contraction as they pump their arms and breathe deeply. “Yoga classes, especially ones targeted to runners, have goals of flexibility to the trunkd, pelvis, and lower extremity. “Yoga can strengthen any muscle, but the emphasis on hip stability in many of the yoga poses is very good for running,” agrees Covill. Yoga will likely improve your running.Īaptiv trainer Jennifer Giamo says yoga may actually lead to better overall running performance, because core strength gained helps stabilize your body, and strengthened lower back and abdominal muscles aids in proper running form. Runners are also consistently moving in a forward direction, whereas yoga forces your body to move along different planes: side-to-side, top-to-bottom, front, and back. Eventually, imbalanced muscles get weaker and become vulnerable to injury or chronic pain. Without any opposing movement, the body will try to compensate, which puts extra stress on the entire skeletal system. The muscles of typical runners can be regularly stressed and tightened. It also develops stability and strength within the trunk and hips, which is essential for running, and can lengthen chronically shortened tissues.” “Yoga’s use of all muscles in positions very different from running allows for cross training. “As far as the physical practice, running is a repetitive activity using similar muscles over and over,” says Laura Covill, D.P.T., OCS, COMT. Yoga strengthens all the muscles in your body. Here are seven major yoga benefits for runners. Yoga, on the other hand, (especially with our yoga workouts in the Aaptiv app) increases your range of motion and helps you build mental focus, endurance, and mobility. If you only choose to run for exercise, it can lead to injury and imbalance. Running impacts your joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons in a big way. Yoga boasts a ton of physical and mental benefits, such as reduced stress, better balance, more strength, and greater flexibility.Īnd these yoga benefits for runners makes it the perfect cross-training workout. Whether you’re an avid runner or brand new to the sport, you might want to think about the last time you got your ‘om on.
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