While it might come as a surprise, there are a lot of benefits to be found by adding yoga to your training schedule. Yoga for runners can bring a lot of unexpected benefits.
Improves breathing technique
Yoga relies on mastering breathing techniques. It’s used to deepen into poses and also as a method of relaxation. As a runner, you can use breathing techniques to calm yourself before a race. You can also adapt breathing practices to teach your body that you’re not under threat because you are running (these days it’s for fun, not because a sabre-tooth tiger is behind you).
Improves posture
Find a yoga studio that has smaller class sizes. There are so many different styles of yoga that you’re bound to find one you enjoy. Speak to your instructor about your running, and they can help you focus your yoga routine to strengthen your posture. This improvement in biomechanics should see better results on the track and shorter recovery periods.
Focuses on overall mobility
One benefit of yoga for runners is the chance to focus on muscle groups in a slow and considered way. Various common yoga poses teach balance, correct body alignment and core stability. Use the quiet time to learn new techniques. Translating this knowledge to the road will see improved movement across the multiple planes you push your body through.
Helps to identify weak points
Incorporating a regular yoga practice into your training routine will help to strengthen muscles as mentioned, but it will also help you to identify your weaker areas. As yoga often follows a systematic flow of poses, you’re likely to notice if some areas are less strong, or if you are less flexible in some joints. Use this systematic repetition to improve those areas. It should also help to relieve tightness in joints and muscle groups that are heavily used in running.
Teaches patience and consistency
If you’re looking to see consistent split times, you need to learn to moderate your pace. Running longer distances also requires patience and restraint. Yoga for runners teaches these qualities. Yoga and running both offer the chance to build consistency and discipline. Keep returning to the yoga mat on days you don’t feel like it. Lace up your running shoes even when it’s cold. The persistent effort will see excellent personal results.
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Whilst Enertor has over 18 years Orthotics experience, our blog content is provided for informational purposes only and it is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical advice. Enertor advises anyone with an injury to seek their own medical advice – and do not make any health or medical related decisions based solely on information found on this site.
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