Yoga for Runners
In this post on yoga for runners:
- how to feel more connected to your body to enjoy running more.
- how to relax or energize your body at will for better running and recovery.
- how to align your body better for pain-free running.
- how to strengthen your breathing to run easier and faster.
I found the practice of yoga during a stressful time in my life. Mental and emotional stress were tearing down my physical body.
I found myself unable to recover from intense workouts or long runs. Nagging aches and pulled muscles plagued my workouts. These injuries and stress led me to yoga.
I had dabbled with yoga before, going to several group exercise classes at the local YMCA. But I had never made it a regular practice until then. Life stress drove me to find refuge on the yoga mat.
The mental clarity, emotional stability, and a physical feeling of lightness kept me coming back. The practice brought my body, mind, and emotions into unified balance. I found better connection to my spiritual center.
I was actually able to sit still and meditate for the first time in my life.
Eventually I returned to running and the following is how the regular practice of yoga changed my running. I believe it will also help you do the same.
Yoga For Runners: Reason 1
You will feel more connected to your body which puts you in the zone.
Yoga teaches you the important skill of tuning into the sensations of your body. The human body has deep and profound wisdom hard-wired into it.
There is a brief moment when a feeling in your body is only a feeling. This happens a split second before the mind can get to it and begin to analyze, interpret, and judge.
In that space is the peaceful serenity of complete immersion in the present moment. Some sport psychologists may call it flow, or the zone. Sometimes this is referred to as mindfulness, or meditation. Yoga is mindful movement.
I am now capable of bringing my mind to that place much more frequently while running. I get more runner’s highs. You can too.
Yoga For Runners: Reason 2
You will develop a greater ability to relax and move more efficiently.
This ability to relax into the zone allows you to run faster with less effort. From the physiological standpoint, excess tension in the body creates peripheral resistance to blood flow.
As a result, the heart has to pump faster to create circulation in the pressurized blood vessels throughout the body. Releasing the tension allows the blood to flow easier throughout the entire body with a lower heart rate and less perceived exertion.
Yoga teaches you how to release the unnecessary tension by tuning into the bridge between the body and the mind, the breath.
Yoga For Runners: Reason 3
You will have stronger breathing.
Yoga is essentially a breathing exercise. Some practices entail simply sitting and performing breathing techniques. Others require you focus on your breathing while engaging your body in physical positions that challenge some combination of strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance.
This systematic cultivation of attention and control of your breathing gives you benefits too numerous to describe in detail here.
But the main benefits for you as a runner are stronger breathing muscles, better control of energy flow throughout your body, and an ability to relax or energize yourself at will.
If you are interested in learning more about better breathing, check out this free program I developed for you.
I’ve been a student and teacher of human movement for years now and regret not realizing how important this was sooner.
