In the past I have suffered from knee pain (due to IT Band tightness) and low back pain (from tight hamstrings) after my long runs. I have found that performing yoga stretches 10 minutes before and after runs can be a great way to make your muscles loose and flexible. If you don’t stretch before a run, you risk injuring your cold muscles. Stretching after a run keeps your muscles long and loose and can prevent the soreness caused by a buildup of lactic acid.
Yoga improves strength and balance, but one of the best things it can do for runners is increase flexibility. If you don’t have the flexibility in your hip flexors and hamstrings to create an adequate range of motion, your body will ask that motion to come from other joints–joints not meant to produce that motion. So you get early fatigue, early breakdown, and you expose yourself to injury.
Try these yoga poses in order and hold each pose for 5–10 deep breaths.
Pre-Run Poses
- Interlace and Fold
Opens chest and shoulders, stretches hamstrings
• Start by standing hip-width apart.
• Reach your arms out and back, interlacing your fingers behind you.
• Fold forward, taking your arms up and overhead, keeping knees slightly bent.
• Shake out your head and relax your neck. Release your hands toward the ground and roll up slowly.
- High Runner’s Lunge
Trains the knees to stabilize, strengthens and lengthens stride
• Take a long step back with your left leg and come into a lunge with your front knee at 90 degrees, keeping knee directly over the ankle.
• Keep your back leg straight and your front knee stable over the ankle as you raise your arms overhead.
• Find your balance, relax your neck and shoulders and breathe deeply.
- High Runner’s Lunge with Side Bend
Lengthens side body, stretches top of the IT band and improves balance
• Place your right hand on your right hip, bend your torso to the right and reach your left arm overhead and to the right (stretching the left side of your body).
• Keep that right knee over that ankle (you should see your toes).
- Warrior III
Strengthens ankles, legs, core
• Balance on your right leg and lift your left leg behind you as you drop your torso parallel to the ground.
• Keep your arms out like airplane wings, or reach them forward.
- Low Lunge Twist
Stretches hips and twists spine
• Step your left leg back into a lunge, dropping that knee to the ground and releasing your hands to the ground.
• Put your right hand on your right thigh as you rotate your chest to the right, while keeping your left hand on the ground.
• Reach your right arm up and look towards the sky.
Return to your standing forward bend and repeat poses 2–5 with the opposite foot forward.
Post–Run Poses
- Forward Fold
Stretches hamstrings
• Lean forward with your feet hip-width apart and parallel.
• With an inhale, bring your arms overhead. Exhale as you bend into a standing forward fold.
• Bend your knees slightly and relax your neck.
• From there, cross your right leg over your left and hold for three to five breaths, without locking your back knee.
• switch legs.
- Figure Four
Stretches the outer hips and glutes
• Cross your right ankle over your left knee. Pull left leg in towards your body as you press the right knee out. Then, switch legs.
- Wide Legs
Stretches hamstrings and re-circulates the fluid that has collected in your legs.
• Straighten both legs up.
• Slowly open your legs into a wide straddle, keeping the knees slightly bent.
• Extend your arms overhead for added length.
- Butterfly
Stretches hamstrings and hips, decompresses low back
• Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
• Use your hands to press your thighs away from you.
Recovery is just as important to your training as the run itself.
Happy & safe running!
Paula Smith, ACE CPT