Why runners should do yoga
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Rachel finds yoga helps greatly in her training for marathons.
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Are you taking part in a marathon soon? There are a few on the horizon, including the Blackmores Sydney Marathon next month, while the ASB Auckland Marathon, the Air NZ Queenstown International Marathon and the Taniwha marathon in Waikato are some 42-kilometre events on in November.
If you are running in one of these events then you will be increasing your training miles. So below I've listed 15 reasons why you should incorporate yoga into your weekly training. I love both of these disciplines, by the way. I'm a qualified yoga teacher who takes yoga sessions for runners (I work with weekend warriors mostly, but some elite athletes too). I always joke with them that I'd like to swap some of my flexibility for their speed; while they sometimes wish they could borrow some of my flexibility.
No matter what speed you run at – whether you are at the back of the pack or leading a race – injury prevention is important. But there are so many other reasons why runners should tap into the ancient practice of yoga.
Meanwhile, I've been working hard on my own home yoga practice too. I ran the Taupo Marathon two weeks ago (a beautiful course that started at Huka Falls and also showcased Lake Taupo), and I'm running my ninth marathon very soon in Sydney. It's part of my goal to smash 10 marathons!
15 reasons why you should mix yoga with running:
1. It's about using a tool that will help you to become a better runner. It's as simple as that. Running and yoga complement each other.
2. It can increase your range of motion in muscles and across joints. This can be key to preventing too much pressure and wearing down on some areas, which can lead to injuries.
3. You learn to feel where imbalances and weaknesses are in your body so you can work on these. It's about getting the body in balance.
4. It can help loosen tight spots. Again this is key to injury prevention and affecting your range in motion. Tight spots don't feel good either, so iron them out.
5. You'll discover your core and this helps you keep upright in an event! You know when you get to the finish line and you think you look amazing, but then you see the finish- pictures and you resemble a hunched-over 100-year-old? That's why you need yoga.
6. It's good for focus. Train the mind to help you to go further in a race – it's about will power when you get past the halfway mark.
7. Yogis are strong. People think it's all about stretching and looking glam, but that's a tiny part of it. Yogis have a lot of all-over body strength.
8. It improves ankle stability. Everyone wants to avoid rolling their ankles, right? Balance postures are amazing for this – think the tree, eagle and aeroplane poses.
9. Proprioception – know where your limbs are in space. Think rock-hopping on off-road races – one slightly misplaced toe and a race can be all over.
10. Meditation at the end of yoga will help you chill out. Come on people, how many of you are a tad stressed?
11. You learn great form and alignment. Good posture is helpful for standing well and running. You also look good with better posture.
12. It's about engaging muscles too. Doing yoga can help you switch on muscles or fire them properly. Injuries can happenwhen you don't "fire your glutes" properly", as just one example.
13. It's great for breath work i.e. using belly breathing. This can increase your use of oxygen.
14. Yoga is fun. Feel like a kid again. This will help you smile and to be a happy runner. Well, it works for me anyhow.
15. Yoga is about connecting well with your own body, but also too about connecting well with others. Sharing a yoga class with other runners means you have a lot in common with the yogi next to you!
If you'd like to join Rachel for a "yoga for runners" session (Auckland only), then email rachel@inspiredhealth.co.nz
Rachel Grunwell is a mum, marathoner, yoga teacher, adventurer and a "wellbeing warrior". She writes a weekly column for Well & Good.