Why Yoga for Runners?

 Because I want to be able to run as long as I can! 

 I first fell in love with Yoga because of peace of mind I felt after my first class. I just knew there was something special about this form exercise and was in Yoga Teacher school 3 months later. I can’t really explain the science of how Yoga works. I studied Kinesiology (and it still surprises me that Yoga never came up). I just know that for me my body and mind react differently to Yoga than it did to all the years of running and weight lifting that I’ve done, with the added benefit of a lingering feeling of goodness. 

 I also love running. In my late 20’s I started noticing that a lot of my runner friends who ran long distances (20 plus miles a week) were beginning to have problems and couldn’t run anymore. Knee pain, back pain you name it. I thought it was because they were over doing it so my game plan was t to run less so I kept my runs to less than 10 miles a week. This worked for a little bit but in my early 30s I noticed that I woke up in the morning with “minor” back aches or “minor” knee pains. I also began getting hip pain after my runs that was getting increasingly worse. 

 A few months after I started Yoga I noticed the hip pain was gone. I also didn’t feel the aches and pains anymore. I actually felt really good in the morning (well physically I did). I did some research and found that Yoga helps runners! 

 As beneficial as running is to your heart and major muscle groups (especially of the legs), it does have it’s consequences. Running shortens your hamstrings (because of the consecutive lifting of the legs), it contributes to slouching or rounding of the shoulders (because our arms don’t really move when we are running which sometimes leads to locked shoulders), it can be damaging to your knees, hips, and lower back. Any repetitive motion with out a counteraction can cause these symptoms.

 But what to do? It feels so good to run and it can help release so much tension. For me it’s almost like a need. Sometimes I come home from a stressful day and just need to go for a run because it releases so much tension and I feel so much better afterward. 

 Luckily Yoga can help keep you running longer, prevent the chance of injury and can potentially increase your performance.    

• It stretches and strengthens all your muscle groups (Yoga is much more than just stretching it actually does increase strength in your upper and lower body and especially your core). 
• The long holds help lengthen muscles that get shortened during running and strengthen muscles that are under used. Creating a balance that reduces chance of injury. 
• Yoga poses (asanas) also help increase the range of motion of all your joints (especially your shoulders and hips). Again reducing the chance of injury. 
• Most Yoga poses also involve core strength (more than you think).  This allows your core to do more work while running making your running more efficient.
• Yoga poses increase your balance. The balance you gain from Yoga poses helps to correct muscle imbalances (preventing the chance of injury). Balance is an often over looked area which could help increase your performance and lessen the chance of injury.
• Yoga is a great form of cross training.  Sometimes more running is not the best thing for increasing your performance. Yoga can be a great addition to your exercise options.

 Technically running does not really help my Yoga practice, because it counteracts all the things I do in my practice (well most of them).  Even though I think, Yoga offers a full body workout (that does include a cardiovascular workout), I still need my runs, and I’m glad that Yoga will help to keep me running longer!  

 Why is Tadasana so important??

Below is a list of  three things that make this pose so importan:

1.      Tadasana and your spine:

This pose aims at elongating the spine which in turn allows your energy (in yoga prana) to flow more easily through your body.  We all know how we feel when we slump (blah) and that just by straightening up a little bit you somehow feel better.   

In Tadasana:

·          you press into the floor (evenly through your feet), distribute the weight as evenly through both legs, push your thighs back as you release your tailbone down (bringing your lower belly in).  These actions elongate your lower spine (lumbar spine).

·          you then make all four sides of your torso long and even, release your shoulders away from the ears, broaden across the collar bones, lift your sternum, slide your shoulder blades down your back (to make them flat on your back). These actions help elongate your middle spine (thoracic spine).

·         you then elongate all four sides of your neck evenly, make your chin level with the floor and imagine a string pulling the crown of your head up (gently).  These actions elongate your upper spine (cervical spine).

So just by standing in Tadasana you have elongated your spine as much as possible which allows you to then move your body more efficiently and freely.

2.      Tadasana in your other poses.

Another important thing to know about Tadasana is that all the other poses contain aspects of or flow from Tadasana. So if you can remember your Tadasana points through out your practice you will see a big difference in your practice. 

·         Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog) is Tadasana folded into a triangle your feet, thighs and torso are doing the same actions.

·         Plank pose is a horizontal Tadasana. Your feet, thighs and torso are doing the same actions. In fact the end goal is to keep this alignment as you come all the way down toward the floor (Chaturanga Dandasana).

·         Prasarita Padottanasana (Wided Legged Forward Fold) also has the actions of Tadasana. You are still pressing evenly through all sides of your feet, lifting your knee caps, and releasing your inner thighs back.

·         In Virabhadrasana II (Warrior 2) your back leg is in Tadasana and so is your torso.

·         The list goes on and on. But if you are ever at a loss as to what you should be doing in a pose (especially the standing poses) think of Tadasana and you will have an idea of what to adjust or what doesn’t need to be changed. . . . . .

3.      Tadasana in the world:

·         To me the most important thing about this pose has been practicing it in my daily life. Practicing Tadasans in class makes you more aware of your posture in your every day life. I’ve always been a little self conscious about my body and a bit shy.  And began to notice that in certain situations I would either lift my should toward my ears (when stressed) or slouch my back upper bringing my shoulders forward (when nervous). I even noticed it during my runs. By making a conscious effort to keep my shoulders relaxed, my sternum lifted and collar bone broad, it somehow allowed me to feel more grounded and secure. Standing this way helps you accept yourself as you are because you are no longer shrinking away from situations. You are who and how you are in this moment and that is OK.   The picture below of my niece (when she turned 3) illustrates this point better than my words.  She is just being and it is beautiful.