Run Yoga Run

MYTH:  “Yoga is for flexible people.  And since I can’t bend like a pretzel I guess that leaves me out.”  In fact, tight, inflexible runners and ‘wanna be’ runners stand to gain the most from many of the classical Hatha yoga postures.  Although one might think yoga and running are diabolically opposed to one another on the exercise spectrum, the two make an excellent marriage of strength and flexibility.

Yoga’s internal focus will draw your attention to what is going on with your body rather than be externally focused on winning or finishing the race.  Runners, and any athlete for that matter, benefit greatly from practicing yoga by building and balancing strength, increasing range of motion, and training the body and mind to work synergistically. 

Run Yoga Run is designed from my own experience as a runner and years of practicing yoga. This 10-week series is influenced by the following esteemed yogi’s: Christine Felstead, Christine Felstead’s Yoga for Runners™, Susi Hately Aldous, Anatomy and Asana, Roger Cole, The Science of Yoga – Yoga Injuries, Causes, Prevention & Recovery, Ray Long, MD FRCSC, The Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga & The Key Poses of Hatha Yoga, Leslie Kaminoff, Yoga Anatomy and Miriam Austin, Cool Yoga Tricks.

Each week the focus is on a specific anatomical part of the body.  Knees, abs, hips and hamstrings seem to be the most popular!  From all accounts, there is a direct benefit in performance by strengthening these core areas of the body.

Yoga has been lauded by not only runners but athletes around the globe including golfers, cyclists, hockey players, and swimmers, to name a few.  These are some of the key benefits for athletes who practice yoga:

• Improved range of motion and muscle tone
• Increased flexibility, strength and stamina
• Reduced stress and tension
• Able to ‘lean in’ to challenges with greater ease
• An ability to stay focused and balanced
• To become more relaxed and refreshed