To many runners, the idea of yoga holds limited appeal due the perception it has of being slow. In fact, yoga can be a hugely complementary activity, as Natalie Treacher reports.
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I used to practice yoga and running separately, but when I started to take running more seriously, the realisation dawned that reaching my goals would have been far harder without yoga.
Yoga is increasingly recognised by runners as an important element of cross- training and as a practice that can improve performance, style and recovery. It can improve breathing, develop core strength and help prevent injury.
I ran this year’s London Marathon, my first attempt at this distance, and started training before Christmas. I hadn’t practiced yoga for a while and, with the increasing demands of my training programme, it seemed unlikely I would fit it in.
Yet my experience in the months leading up to the marathon convinced me that yoga should remain in my running training.
A few weeks into my training, having begun to clock up about 15 miles on long runs, I treated myself to a new pair of trainers. A visit to a specialist shop involved a gait test and running on a treadmill. It is then analysed by a professional who points out how your feet hit the ground and which shoes would best support your style.
The shop assistant urged me to practice yoga for 20 minutes after a 40 minute run in order to develop core strength, improve balance and help protect knee and hip joints from the impact of running.
I didn’t need to be told twice and began practising yoga at home and getting to a class whenever I could. My core strength improved and I remained injury-free in the lead up to the big day.
Yoga also had the effect of slowing down the mind, and helping me take more care of the things runners often forget. I was listening to my body more attentively, breathing more efficiently and appreciating my surroundings.
I felt myself checking my posture and relaxing each part of my body as I ran. This is incredibly useful for isolating any areas of pain and tension or even those that are slightly unaligned or not moving freely.
If you are one of those runners whose idea of a cool down if a quick splash in the shower, take my advice and try yoga for a few weeks. It seems counterintuitive but taking things slower really can make you faster!
Top tips for runners
During the average mile run, a runner’s foot will strike the ground 1,000 times, with the force of impact crashing down at around three to four times your weight.
* Yoga can help balance out the physical stresses caused by running – including the tightening and shortening of muscles and stress on the whole skeletal system.
* Yoga can be used to balance strength, train the mind and body and boost the range of motion.
* Regular practice can help reduce the risk of injury – particularly that of lower back pain, and increase flexibility in the hamstrings, hip flexors and muscles attached to the pelvis.
Natalie Treacher, a keen runner and yoga practitioner, writes on sports and health issues.
To order a book on yoga and runners through amazon, click on: Yoga for runners
Image source: © Andriy Rovenko - FOTOLIA
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