I hear a lot of runners say they don't do yoga because they aren't flexible, or they're intimidated about being in a room full of bendy bodies and being the only one who can't touch their toes. To that I say, first off, in nearly every class I teach there are people (plural) who can't touch their toes. No one cares if you "can't do the pose" except for you. And, I might add, you can do the pose because a good instructor will offer options to make each pose work for each person.
Second, saying you can't do yoga because you're not flexible is like saying you can't go to the dentist because you have bad teeth. That's why you go! Yoga will make you more flexible! You're not expected to come into the studio for the first (or even hundredth) time and do a "perfect" asana practice. Yoga isn't even all about the asana, or physical, practice. That's the draw that brings us to the mat, but the practice goes far beyond that, and for a runner, this multifaceted practice has tremendous benefits.
Let's start with the obvious. I've noticed that most runners don't stretch out sufficiently after a run. I've been guilty of this in the past, saying "I don't have time for 15 minutes of stretching. I have to get my miles in." Oh, those miles! Why do we do it to ourselves? I've found yoga to benefit my running, not to mention my life, so significantly that I would go so far as to say do one less mile so you have time for 15 or even just 10 purposeful minutes of yoga post run.
During last year's running season I co-designed a half marathon training program that integrated yoga with a running program and I used it to train myself and a group of runners for the Madison Half Marathon in Madison, Wisconsin. There were first time half marathon finishers in the group, and others, myself included, who ran their personal best, or PR'd. In fact, in all my races that season, while running less and making yoga integral to my training, I either PR'd or came close. Yoga, it seems, is a runners best friend.
The potential to run faster isn't the only draw of yoga for runners though. It also prevents injury, increases mental focus through mindful breath work and meditation, and makes you a more efficient runner. Yoga not only builds strength and increases flexibility where runners need it most, it also teaches you to slow down, something most runners aren't encouraged to do. Yoga is about the self and so when we practice we're encouraged to free ourselves from competition, to not worry about what the person on the next mat over can do, and to instead focus inward. A regular yoga practice allows us to nurture and care for ourselves, to recognize our holding patterns and where we are tight or stuck, and to work with those parts of ourselves instead of always pushing through it or working against it. As a long distance runner, I was all about pushing through pain, being tough, and getting the miles in. Yoga has taught me that it's ok to back off when there's pain, to honor how my body feels, and to be mindful of my intention when setting out for a run. And with that, it's truly made me a better runner and a better me.
"Yoga isn't about touching your toes. It's about what you learn on the way down."
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