Yoga for Runners
If you are a regular runner, then hats off to you first of all! Secondly, we know that it can be easy to neglect stretching or avoid things like yoga altogether because they kind of do the opposite of what running does, and therefore it can be quite hard to find stillness in some of the postures.
If this sounds all too familiar then here are some poses that you can have a go of and see how you get on. If you’re unsure of any of these, check out the movement breakdowns on MADE on Demand.
Pigeon Pose
You will feel this in your hips and your legs no end, so make sure you go easy on yourself with this one. Pigeon pose is a great way to open out through the hips and start to feel some stretches in the lower half of your body.
There are different variations depending on where you are at in your practice and it is one you can see progression in quite easily if you practice it regularly. Have some blocks to hand to prop up the hip of the bent leg so you’re not rolling around in this pose.
Splits Pose
Absolutely one to ease into and it is best to warm up with runner’s stretch and other hamstring warmers. Splits pose is not about reaching the ground but it is a great way to stretch off the legs, the hamstrings in particular, and to find space in these places where runners hold quite a lot of tension.
Downward Dog
A deceiving pose if you are not familiar with it and this will create a lovely pull in the hamstrings. Remember that you don’t want to feel any pain here and the goal is to create length in your spine as opposed to straightening the legs. Keep a deep bend at the knees and focus on that length before you start to straighten the legs and press the heels down towards the ground or the mat.
Child’s Pose
Tuck the toes in the child’s pose to really feel the stretch in the hamstrings or place the backs of the feel on the floor to feel it more in the hips. This is a resting pose but you could still feel stretched here even though you may be taking a little break while you’re here.
Start to creep the hands out in front for more of a stretch and see if you can sink the chest a little lower to the ground to open up those hips a little more.
Warrior 1
The first in the warrior sequence and arguably the hardest of them all. You will feel the stretch down the back of the straight leg and really power into the bent leg as well. This is a strong pose for the thighs and you may feel a little wobbly here. If you do, that is totally fine; just keep working at it until you find a space of comfort and perhaps a bit of stillness too. A note on this one, make sure the ankle doesn’t overshoot the knee here!
Triangle pose
One that you will feel all over. By keeping the pelvis tucked you will feel it in your hips and the extension of the legs will work your hamstrings. Try and keep the body as straight as possible here and know that it isn’t about reaching the floor with your hand. Work on elongating the body and drawing the lifted hand away from the body in order to stretch a little further here.
If these poses have sparked a yogi fire within you, take a look at our yin classes, which are deep, slow, and stretchy, or our vinyasa classes which are fast-paced and guaranteed to make you break a sweat.
If you’re not yet a member of MADE On Demand, you can get a 2-week free trial so you can check out our yoga and other fitness classes virtually before you commit to a membership.
