Yoga and Running are sometimes seen as activities on opposite sides of the exercise spectrum; while running is an intense cardiovascular activity, yoga is seen as a practice of relaxation and stretching. Yoga, however, is not merely relaxation and stretching. Yoga is a practice that builds body strength, improves breathing technique, and stretches muscles that tighten over time from sedentary daily activities. Yoga is an excellent complement to the tightness and soreness that many runners experience from logging long distances on the track or trails. Below are five benefits that yoga can bring to your running or athletic performance.
1. Improved Breathing
Breathing is a natural process, and we do not need to consciously think about breathing in order to do it. But once you begin to be more conscious of your breath, you will notice a great difference in your body’s ability to breathe more efficiently. Being conscious of breath work and breathing efficiency can also help you push past any obstacles or difficult moments you face during your run.
2. Balance and Core Strength Development
Balance and core strength are so important for runners. Both help with maintaining proper form as well as to keep you feeling strong. Yoga is an ideal activity to build core strength, as many of the poses require you to support and balance your own body weight. Yoga also incorporates many side twists and back bends, which will activate lower and oblique abdominal muscles that you rarely use.
3. Flexibility
Yoga uses slow steady movements and isometric contractions to improve your flexibility and range of motion, which is beneficial for any athlete. Flexibility is important for running, since tight muscles limit range of motion and are pulled or damaged more easily. With consistency, practicing yoga will improve your range of motion and flexibility.
4. Injury Prevention
Running and many stop-and-go sports are repetitive motions that put much pressure on your joints and muscles. Yoga poses offer fluid and transitional movements that release tension from tight muscles. It loosens those hamstrings that become tight and contracted from long distance runs and alleviates much of the pressure we put on our knees. Many runners also have much tension in their low back, and yoga poses such as Bridge are excellent at relieving this lower back tension.
5. Relaxation
Yoga is a very relaxing activity, and is typically the main reason many people first seek out a yoga class. Yoga allows your mind to ease itself after a busy day of the stresses in daily living, much like casual running does. The final pose, savasana, allows the mind to relax in brief mediation while the body also relaxes after practicing many poses.
-Christine Scarcello - I have a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a B.S. in Nutrition from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. I currently live in Chicago and am both excited and nervous to be applying to dietetic internships this fall! I am pursuing a career as a Registered Dietitian because I value the healing properties of food and firmly believe that a healthy diet contributes to and encourages a healthier mind, body, and life. My career interests include public health nutrition, exercise and wellness, disease prevention, and nutrition education and communications. I also love staying active and enjoy snowboarding, yoga, running, mountain biking, and being outdoors.
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