Yoga for Runners has Many Benefits

As a private yoga teacher based in Chelsea in Manhattan,

I daily see tons of peeps running or biking over by the piers.  And lets not forget the new Citibikes- they are all over Chelsea.  From experience-basically I could spot a runner right away in a yoga class.  A forward bend is usually the give away! Their hamstrings are invariably quite tight; as well as their back muscles.  Yet they are usually quite fit and toned, I’ve never been wrong when I ask “are you a runner?”  They usually smile sheepishly, “yesssss.”  While I personally don’t run now, I have felt the endorphin high that would kick in after a while-but luckily I didn’t have to run very far to get it.

There are a lot of yoga poses that would be helpful for flexibility & overall fitness of a runner and to address imbalances that develop.  Each person’s body is different-but some general insights are below.

Some of the yoga poses I would give a private yoga client after a through warm-up would include:

• Breath awareness-deepening the breath is crucial for the relaxation needed to stay in a stretch long enough for positive benefits and to coax the muscles to relax and release.  Runners like many of us, don’t breath deeply enough.
• Standing forward bend-hamstrings and entire rear of body.  Also stimulates the bladder meridian which governs stress and our sexual energy.
• Lunge pose variations- kneeling, stretches quads in the back thigh and the hips/psoas and more.
• Single leg forward bend-same as standing forward bend plus: more relaxing as one is seated, and usually can get deeper stretch over one leg at a time.  Also gives an opportunity to address imbalances between right and left legs.  Variations can include cushion under the knee or elevating the buttocks.
• Downward dog- great for the upper (stretches shoulders, upper chest) and lower body (all along the backs of the legs)
• Also some chest & shoulder openers as runners tend to have a bit of upper back rounding (as we all do esp. us computer jockeys!)
  • Eagle pose-arms
  • Hands clasped behind back lift up
  • Camel pose
• And finally a nice cool down, and deep relaxation to release tension in the body and mind.

Contact me for question about private or semi-private yoga sessions for runners.

Check out this CNN article “…Why Runner’s Need Yoga.”  Some books on yoga & sports are below:

[amazon_image id=”1482046628″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]The Ultimate Beginners Running Guide: The Key To Running Inspired[/amazon_image]

[amazon_image id=”0307888177″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind[/amazon_image]