Yoga for Distance Runners

If you’ve lived in Fort Collins for awhile, you know that there is at least one 5K practically every weekend of the spring and summer. Running culture and Fort Collins go hand-in-hand. If you consider yourself a runner, whether you do an occasional trail run after work or have qualified for the Boston Marathon, you know the importance of a training schedule and whole-body care. No matter how fit you are, running takes its toll on your body. Enter: yoga.

Yoga Classes for Runners

Yoga is one of the best forms of fitness to compliment your running lifestyle. When you take a yoga class, you’re simultaneously recovering from your last one, strengthening for your next, and stretching so that you can run for years to come.

Runners comprise a significant portion of the Yoga Pod Fort Collins community, and we want to do our part in supporting your lifestyle. Stop by our yoga studio today and see how taking yoga classes can transform your body and mind.

Incorporating Yoga Classes into Your Routine

One way to incorporate yoga into your running routine is simply by warming up with yoga stretches. To get the maximum benefits of a yoga practice, though, taking yoga classes in a heated studio is the best bet.

Yoga and Running Have an Inverse Relationship

According to Runner’s World, a trusted publication in the running industry, yoga should have an inverse relationship to your training. So, if you’re preparing for a half-marathon and really increasing your mileage, use yoga as a form of relaxation and recovery.

For this need, YIN yoga classes are an incredible option. In these cool, slowed-down classes, you hold stretches for anywhere from three to seven minutes and focus on stretching.

When your calves are screaming and you have an off-day in your training, get yourself to a YIN class and feel the benefits immediately.

When you ease up your training, maybe after marathon season, you should increase your yoga workouts. During this time, try a podFLOW, podHOT, or podFIT class. These classes all build strength and increase flexibility to keep your body lean even when you aren’t running as much.

Benefits of Yoga Classes for Runners

Adding yoga to your fitness routine is about so much more than getting a good stretch. Yoga has proven benefits for runners, both physical and mental.

According to Yoga Journal and Baron Baptiste, yoga enhances a running routine exponentially. For a runner, yoga classes can:

• Reduces physical stress: Running leads to shin splints, stress fractures, low back pain, tight hamstrings, and, as you know, the list goes on. Running also causes an imbalance in our bodies, as we tend to rely on one side more than the other when we stride. Yoga can balance our bodies, increase range of motion, elongate tightened muscles, and generally support our anatomical health.
• Increases mental fortitude: Yoga teaches you to listen to your body. By practicing yoga, you gain a better awareness of when it’s time to slow down, when you can push, and when you might be expending more energy than you should. For Mile 23 of a marathon, when you still have 5K left to go, this mental toughness can make all the difference in the world.
• Expands breath awareness: As a runner, you already know the importance of breathing. Yoga further strengthens your breath by connecting it to movement. You inhale and exhale mindfully, which can really help as you pace yourself during a long run.
• Reduces risk of injury: Yoga can correct chronic injuries which usually stem from imbalances. It’s easy for your body to take on the challenge of long runs when it’s working like a well-oiled machine. Think of yoga as the oil.

While these benefits are specific to runners, yoga also has at least 30 proven benefits that you can also experience. Improve your holistic health by unrolling your mat today.

Yoga Pod Fort Collins

Especially as marathon season kicks into gear, do yourself a favor and supplement your running with yoga. Yoga Pod Fort Collins offers a $30 For 30 Days, and we have a convenient class schedule every day of the week. Stop by today and maybe even drop a few seconds off of your mile time.