Archives for February 2014

Yoga and running might well seem to be at opposite ends of the exercise spectrum. Many runners I know would rather get in another few miles than spend time on any another activity. And even those who know they should be stretching…well, who has the time…?
But yoga is more than just stretching. It’s a work out for your whole being and might just be the key to achieving better run times, further distances and protecting yourself against injuries and fatigue that can mean skipped runs (or worse). Here are just a few reasons why you might want to consider diversifying your training programme to include a little bit of yoga power……

1. INCREASED STRENGTH + STABILITY

Core strength and alignment are often focussed on in yoga classes and explored through breath work and the physical poses (asana). Increased core strength is a huge part of creating more energy, more balance and stability through the WHOLE body. Many runners suffer joint issues in the ankles, knees and hips which can be traced to imbalanced or lazy foot placement. Yoga balances will not only help to show you how to distribute weight evenly across the feet, but build strength and improved alignment throughout the whole body. Standing yoga postures strengthen the feet and teach how to place the feet evenly and draw up from the arches of the foot so that the joints and spine are better protected.

Take a look at your running shoes. You may well find wear uneven across the soles: we can see our misalignment right there.

As Olympic distance runner and barefoot running devotee Zola Budd explained in her autobiography, “I felt more in touch with what was happening—I could actually feel the track.” Yoga is practiced barefoot so that we can escape the confines of our shoes and get directly in touch with our feet and begin to realign the body from the ground up. It teaches proper placement and posture which work to deeply strengthen core muscle fibres and tissues from within.

2. BETTER POSTURE

Your mum knew what she was talking about when she told you to stop slouching. The importance of good posture cannot be over stated.

Good posture means that the body is held in a position that allows best function, putting least strain on muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. Poor posture makes you tire more quickly as abnormal strain is put on joints and bones and the lungs are crowded decreasing breathing capacity.

By bringing focus to posture and alignment we begin to understand and correct our own postural deficiencies. As a runner, sharpening awareness of the spine, rib cage, hip and shoulder girdles leads to an understanding of how posture can limit breath efficiency, create sore lower backs and tense, tight shoulders and necks.

3. FLEXIBILITY

I hear time and time again: “I could never do yoga, I’m too inflexible!” But yoga isn’t about tying yourself in knots. It’s about understanding how your body works, and then allowing it space to function in the most efficient way.
Athletes, and runners particularly, often end up with shortened muscles from tension build up and intensive impact training. This is often most pronounced in the hamstrings, glutes and calves, where muscles become very developed but tight and unyielding. Yoga helps to release these muscles, increasing the resting muscle length, improving range of motion and helping tight muscles become more juicy and supple. The more elasticity there is, the quicker post-run recovery time is and less chance of pulls and tears in the future.

4. BREATH CONTROL + LUNG CAPACITY

Runners often think about training their legs and heart, but rarely think about training their lungs. Breath awareness and breathing exercises in yoga help not only to focus the mind, but increase lung capacity and teach fuller breathing techniques which will benefit your running.

It’s a simple equation: Better lung capacity and breath control equals more oxygen reaching the muscles; the more oxygen reaches the muscles, the more power and stamina you have.

5. INJURY PREVENTION

Many sports involve repeated movements in a certain direction or form. This repetitive motion, can build and compact certain muscles, leaving other muscle groups lacking or over compensating. In time, repetitive motions mean a great deal of stress in certain areas (knees and hips for example) which can lead to injury through over use. Yoga provides a whole body exercise, moving the body in all different directions, increasing your range of motion, stretching and strengthening all muscles groups.
With better breathing, better alignment, better toned muscles and a more tuned-in attitude to our body and its restorative needs, the body is better equipped to recover post-run, meaning less skipped runs due to muscle fatigue or injury.

6. MENTAL FOCUS

Whether it’s the motivation to get out and run, or to prepare for a competitive event, you’ll already be aware of how running isn’t just an activity for the body. The mind has to be willing and able too. It’s the same with yoga: Whether it’s grappling with challenging postures, finding a restorative space or meditation, the yogi goes inside, monitoring the breath, surrendering to the situation and releasing unnecessary energy. On the mat we encounter challenges to our physical body, our thinking minds and our intuitive spirit: we play and practice on the mat so that we might recognise patterns in our thinking and actions in the rest of our lives too.
We often hear about runners being ‘in the Zone’. Yoga provides a fertile ground for cultivating the mental stillness distance runners particularly require.

7. MEDITATION + BODY AWARENESS

Many see their running as a kind of meditation in itself. The rhythm of the breath, feet softly pounding on the ground, it’s easy to let the mind still and just focus on the next stride. Yoga too is a form of moving meditation where we can become even more aware of the subtleties of the body and the breath. The more curious we are about the nature of our aliveness, our being, the more in tune we become with what is happening within. We open to experience, whatever comes our way, a resilience that comes from within, and an understanding of our motivations, goals and ambitions, whether that’s out on the track, on the yoga mat, or in our wider lives.
Yoga helps to cultivate awareness of your body and take a proactive approach to overall health. We become aware of misalignments or where we hold tension that can be the cause of niggling pains. We become more aware of our emotional responses, of what’s going on inside of us, and the more aware we are too if things don’t feel quite right. And if you can become aware of it, you can start to do something about it, preventing damage and strengthening from within.

In yoga, we don’t just work on developing one area – it is a full body experience: breath work doesn’t just benefit physical lung capacity, it also calms and focuses the mind and emotions. The postures don’t only provide an amazing cardio and strength building opportunity, but also build self-awareness, better alignment and posture, mental resilience and a restorative system for recovery from and prevention of injury. Meditation is not just about mental clarity, but fosters deep understanding on both physical and emotional levels. All of this together can’t help but positively impact your training routine…and maybe life off the track too.

As my marathon-running friend Niall says: “The main thing [about doing yoga] is that it gives me balance. It balances out the running, it balances out my mind, it quite literally gives me balance.”

Do you run and have a yoga practice?  How has it helped you? Tell us in the comments!

Still wondering what it’s all about? I’m running (pun intended) The next Yoga for Runners workshop  on 22nd March 2015!

xoxo lucyogini