When we decide to sign up for a race or a challenge we naturally wonder how we’re going to manage to fit the many miles that we need to run into our weekly schedule and the times of day that we will be able to do this. I wonder how many of us also consider how we would fit in another form of fitness to support our running, such as a Yoga practice.

Most training plans now include run days and rest days and thankfully more of them are including cross training sessions such as strength work, Pilates, and Yoga. Cross training sessions are equally as important as getting the miles on your legs as they support your body through this process and offer you the opportunity to improve flexibility and agility as well as improving your breathing.

What does yoga do for us?

Yoga helps us to listen to our body, to understand the need for core stability and muscle engagement; to help find balance and flexibility and crucially incorporates breathwork. Yoga can offer us the opportunity to get the most from our thinking with the emphasis of mindfulness and meditation; and there are many techniques learnt during our practice that can help us to relax during a run.

Yoga and running may seem like completely different exercises, but they have a lot in common. Both require discipline, focus, and dedication, and offer incredible benefits for your body and mind. In fact, combining yoga with running training can be a great way to enhance your performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Runners are familiar with the possibility that they may suffer from injuries, which tend to be knees, calves, shins, ankles, hips and lower back. As runners it’s easy to assume that these injuries are due to the running itself, but this isn’t always true. Injuries can occur from an imbalance in the muscles in your body, as running can be seen as a repetitive form of movement as you are continually striking the ground with a single foot in a repeated pattern.

With all the above in mind, should we combine yoga with our running training?

Here are 5 reasons why we should:

#1 – Increased flexibility

Running can be tough on your muscles and joints and practicing yoga regularly can help increase your flexibility and range of motion. This can help to improve your performance and decrease your risk of injury.

Poses such as downward facing dog, pigeon, and runner’s lunge help to stretch your muscles and improve your flexibility to work towards becoming a better runner.

#2 – Better balance

Yoga requires balance, and regular practise can not only improve your balance in yoga, but in all areas of life. This can be especially beneficial for runners who need good balance to avoid falls and injuries.

Tree pose and Warrior 3 can improve your balance and stability and make you a stronger and more confident runner.

#3 – Improved Breathing

As we are aware Yoga focuses heavily on breathing techniques and this can help runners to control their breathing and specifically during long runs.

Breathing techniques such as ujjayi breath and pranayama help you to learn how to control your breath and improve your endurance whilst you are running.

#4 – Reduced stress

Running can be stressful on both body and mind and having a regular yoga practice can reduce anxiety and stress. Yoga helps to calm your mind and promotes relaxation and mindfulness.

Learning valuable new mindfulness techniques can improve your overall mental health and wellbeing.

#5 – Injury prevention

We’ve mentioned above that running can put your body under a lot of stress and strain and regularly practicing yoga will strengthen your muscles to help to prevent injuries.

Yoga will also highlight to you the areas in your body that are most in need of lengthening as well as strengthening and therefore hugely improve muscle balance.

Incorporating poses such as Warrior 2 and plank and chaturanga will strengthen your core and lower body and reduce the risk of being injured during a run.

So, if you’re a seasoned runner who is looking to elevate their training to the next level, or you’re starting out on your running journey, consider adding a regular yoga practice to your weekly routine.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury or just looking to improve your performance, yoga can help you to become a stronger, more resilient runner.

Should we combine yoga with our running training? 5 reasons why we should roll out the mat