Like many runners, I’m a cardio addict, but yoga for runners can be something that you can add in. I love the physical exertion of running and the challenge of pushing my body to new limits.
Over the years I’ve tried many other forms of exercise, but unless they pushed me as hard as running, I always felt as though my time had been wasted. I had a particular bias against yoga and was convinced it would have no place in my fitness routine. In fact, I refused to even try it. That is until the flare-up of an old back injury side-lined me for over a week. A co-worker recommended doing yoga and poses to help ease my pain, and reluctantly, I tried them.
To my surprise, I immediately, began to feel relief. However, I still wasn’t convinced I needed to regularly practice yoga. I would return to the poses only when I began to again feel twinges of pain.
One day it finally occurred to me, however, that if I began to regularly practice yoga, I might be able to prevent my recurring pain instead of just react to it. Consistent practice brought mobility improvements that positively impacted my running and a sense of calm that improved my mental health.
Yoga can be beneficial to runners in three major areas: range of motion, injury reduction, and relaxation/recovery.
1. Range of Motion
Running is a repetitive motion exercise. This causes tightening and shortening of the muscles that are regularly in use and weakening of the muscles that are not. With no counter action to offset this repetition, tight muscles get tighter and weak muscles get weaker.
The repetitive motion of running also creates imbalances which can cause some muscles to overcompensate, yet again leading to an increase in rigidity. Rigid muscle can cause joints to rub and grind further limiting our range of motion. Regular yoga practice creates supple, malleable muscles by loosening and elongating tight fibers. It also opens joints increasing flexibility. This increased range of motion and flexibility can improve both form and speed in running.
2. Injury Reduction
Rigid muscles are poor shock absorbers, which can make every pounding step of a run extremely painful. Such tight, rigid muscles are hard, inflexible, and more vulnerable to tears. In addition, the muscle imbalance caused by repetitive motion activities increases the risk of injury due to overcompensation. These muscle imbalances can also cause literal balance issues, which increases the risk of a fall.
Yoga encourages the development of well-balanced, supple, shock-absorbing muscles. It also helps to improve actual balance, making runners more sure-footed. Not only does this decrease the risk of falling, it also decreases the risk of knee and ankle injuries related to poor form and balance.
3. Relaxation and Recovery
Rest and relaxation are overlooked components of a successful running program. Reduced activity can seem counter-productive to improving aerobic performance. However, relaxation and recovery are necessary to avoid both the physical and mental exhaustion that can come as a result of over-training.
Yoga can ease soreness after a strenuous run. In addition, it can help us to slow down and adopt a mindful, inner-focus, which can be difficult for high-strung, goal-oriented runners. Yoga also teaches us breath control, which is proven to aid in relaxation.
As you can see, there are several benefits to adopting yoga as a part of your regular routine, especially if you happen to be a long-time cardio-addict.
Though you may have phenomenal aerobic capacity, your body likely has muscle imbalances and repetitive motion issues that cardio alone cannot address. Regular yoga practice can improve not only your running performance but also your over-all well-being and peace of mind.
