However, here I am ready to try it again. I know there are countless resources out there touting the benefits of yoga for runners. Lately my legs have been feeling pretty heavy and tired. My cross training has also taken a back seat with quarantine and my general lack of motivation.

This has me thinking maybe yoga is the answer. Full disclosure, I tend to think this every few years and it has yet to take. This time though, I’m committing to giving it a solid try and stick with it long enough to have an honest to goodness opinion and not just my whining. You might say I’m willing to bend over backwards to make it work this time…see what I did there?

So, why am I so determined to do this?

Increased Range of Motion

Anyone else have weight training back in high school gym where they scare you about using proper form so you don’t become muscle bound and limit your range of motion? Anyone?

Anyway, running tends to use the same range of motion on your legs over and over…and over. Yoga gives us a chance to stretch and use muscles in a way we might not otherwise be doing.

Breathing

One thing yogis are good at is breathing right? I’m always a little weirded out in yoga class when everyone breathes out in a hummmmmmm.

Obviously, breathing while running is important. Not just the gasping for breath people think of while sprinting, but also the ability to control your breath and use it to your advantage to keep your heart rate in check, etc. So it stands to reason that learning new breathing techniques can only be helpful to your running (because science).

Reduced Risk of Injury

For me, I know that my hamstrings get super tight and I don’t always stretch them properly. I’m probably rolling the dice each run when I could be preparing my muscles for better recovery and keeping them a bit more loose. At least, that’s my current theory.

One of the running blogs I follow recently (and timely for me) wrote a post on weights vs yoga for cross training. Check it out for some good ideas on incorporating yoga into your run routine. I’ll keep you updated on my progress and hopefully will be able to follow up with a story of amazing success.

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