8th January 2022
Yoga is not just for thin and bendy people, or as an easy alternative to ‘proper’ sports. Sure you can find gentle classes that can be done without much physical effort, but you can also develop a yoga practice that builds muscular strength, endurance and considerable cardiovascular capability. Yoga is the perfect complementary activity for runners and other athletes – even the England football team are known to incorporate it into their training regimes.
Yoga’s benefits are good for the sedentary and serious runner alike. A regular yoga practice helps develop flexibility which puts less strain on your joints, enables faster recovery and more fluid movement. Yoga also dramatically lowers your propensity to injury, reducing joint pain and the wear and tear on the body that develops in us all over time but particularly on runners who pound the pavements with repetitive actions. Yoga helps improve balance and posture – this will contribute to improved running and more efficient use of the body. It will help you build strength and endurance recruiting more muscle fibres for increased stamina and power. The focus on breath work increases your cardiovascular ability and also the way in which you can control your body and manage your stress response.
And even if you are not going to a regular yoga class, incorporating key yoga stretches into your warm up and cool down routines will benefit your body and your mind.
If you would like to learn more about how yoga can benefit you as an occasional or veteran runner why not join myself and local Personal Trainer and endurance runner Shaun Bigg for a fun, informative and practical Runners Workshop where we’ll explore:
- How our body moves, specifically when we run
- Building muscular endurance and strength
- Mobility, balance and agility
- Tips on making the most from your running
- How to incorporate dynamic and static yoga stretches to your training regime
There will be some talking, plenty of time to ask questions, some practical yoga and strength activities, a chance to have a coffee and a chat with like minded people and then an optional guided run on the Downs or runners-focused yoga class.
Click here for more information and to book.
I am also running an evening Yoga For Runners Workshop in Henfield on Monday 24 January.
