Yoga is a perfect complement to running, and integrating a yoga practice into your weekly fitness plan is an excellent way to safeguard against injuries. In addition to eliminating those nagging aches and pains that like to settle into the body, yoga can prevent and heal injuries.
Yoga immediately reveals and addresses the muscle imbalances that often lead to injury. By its very nature, yoga helps restore the body to balance and symmetry. Runners who take part in yoga are often surprised to discover the differences in strength and flexibility between their right and left sides. Likewise, many make the unexpected discovery that they have a weak upper body and core and learn that this can contribute to injury. But often most astonishing is the discovery that their legs may be strong for running but not overall, because they have not developed strength in all muscle groups.
Take a simple lunge, for example. It is not uncommon for runners new to yoga to be very unstable and shaky in this pose, doing all they can to stay upright and not fall over, rather than being grounded through the feet, stable in the legs, and strong through the torso with straight arms extended overhead and breathing deeply and calmly. The position of the legs in a basic high lunge may seem very similar to a running stride, but a running stride involves movement; the lunge is static, meaning that you can?t escape the work. During a lunge all the muscles in the legs, as well as the ankles and feet, are either contracting or stretching.
When executed with correct alignment and attention to detail, the high lunge holds many benefits for runners:
Bent Front Leg
- Strengthens the hamstrings
- Strengthens the ankle
- Strengthens the gluteus medius
- Strengthens muscles of the front shin
- Strengthens the inner quadriceps
- Stretches the outer quadriceps
Straight Back Leg
- Stretches the sole of the foot
- Stretches the ankle joint
- Stretches the Achilles tendon
- Stretches the calf
- Stretches the hip flexors
Torso
- Lengthens the spine
- Strengthens the abdominals
- Strengthens the muscles of the upper back
- Stretches the shoulder muscles
- Improves the range of motion of the shoulder joint
Overall
- Improves balance
- Improves focus and concentration
Lunges can be very challenging for runners at the beginning. However, the balance of strength and flexibility they develop reduces the risk of a number of injuries. Additionally, as runners improve in their performance of the lunge, their running strides lengthen, they move with greater ease, and their athletic performance improves. Finally, remaining in the pose for a period of time requires the focus of mind and will, as does successfully crossing the finish line at a race. And these are the benefits from merely one pose! Compound this effect with the number of yoga poses done in a full yoga practice, and the results are truly astounding.
A yoga practice, especially one designed to meet the specific needs of runners, reduces the risk of injury. A yoga practice that focuses on proper alignment with a balanced blend of stretching and strengthening is ideal. Furthermore, practiced mindfully with appropriate attention to detail and accompanied by deep diaphragmatic breathing, yoga offers tremendous mind-body benefits.
From Yoga for Runners by Christine Felstead. Copyright ? 2013 by Human Kinetics?
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