If until now your only mantra has been “keep moving!” maybe it’s time
to change your approach. Here, four yoga fundamentals to apply to your
running.
You strive for speed, stamina, power. You're a runner, and you do it
all: You run hard, you run long, you strength train. Lately, though,
you're feeling sore after long runs, and you're not able get into the
"zone" anymore.
So what's a runner to do? Yoga, perhaps. If until now, your
only mantra has been, "keep moving!" maybe it's time to change your
approach. "The things I had to learn to succeed as a world-class runner
are the things they teach in yoga," says Thom Birch, a former elite
runner and instructor of Astanga yoga. Here Birch and other running and
yoga experts explain four fundamentals of yoga that you can apply to
your running.
Breathing
Although breathing might seem elementary, believe it or not, this is an
area that most runners need to work on, says Mindy Solkin, USA Track
& Field Level II certified running coach and owner of The Running
Center in New York City. "Proper breathing is critical for runners, but
many really don't know how to breathe properly," she says. Yoga
emphasizes focus and control on the breath, which can help lower the
heart rate and relax the body.
Focus
Think of a race. Your adrenaline is pumping, spectators are cheering on
the sidelines, a guy is moving up beside you. Certainly being able to
focus your nervous energy into a useful force would be ideal. Yoga can
help you do just that, says Birch. "Yoga teaches you how to concentrate
while the nervous system is running rampant and is constantly being
bombarded with stimuli."
Balance
Practicing yoga poses requires and teaches balance, which is essential
for good running form. "My best running performances came from a
surrender into steadiness rather than from out-muscling or forcing it,"
says Steve Ilg, a former world-class runner.. "Practice steadiness in
holding a yoga pose and the mental concentration and willingness to
persevere will immediately transfer into running." And being better
balanced will help prevent injuries. "I believe that 99 percent of
running injuries are caused by imbalance problems, and yoga is the
answer to that," says Birch.
Flexibility
Yoga stretches promote relaxation in the joints, says Marcus Battle, a
track and field coach to professional athletes in Silver Springs,
Maryland. "Increasing the range of motion in joints not only helps
prevent injury by aligning the body but also increases power. Speed
comes from power, which comes from range of motion. You have to be in
touch with every part of your body to call on whatever you need to
perform."
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