Why Should Runners Do Yoga? .... by Founder of Yoga for Athletes® & YAS Yoga and Spinning Kimberly Fowler
I asked myself that same question about 20 years ago. At that time I never even stretched let alone thought about practicing yoga. First of all I thought yoga was for people who could twist themselves up into a pretzel, who would want to do that? Secondly, the running books at the time did not encourage stretching. In fact most running books barely mention stretching let alone yoga.
Jeff Galloway talks about stretching being the 3rd leading cause of injury to runners in his Marathon book, and he’s right. The reason that so many runners get injured by stretching is most runners try to stretch when they are cold, thinking that stretching will warm them up. Think of it this way, the body is like a piece of glass, if you try to bend a piece of glass it will break, if you heat it up you can bend it like a pretzel. Athletes also try to force the stretch, wanting to touch theirs toes “NOW” which is another reason they get injured.
The first time I stretched I was not warmed up and I popped my hamstring right before a race (Houston Marathon). I got to the point with my running where my muscles were so tight I could barely walk, but I could still force my body to run, that is when I turned to yoga for help. The authors of these books should distinguish between yoga and stretching, there is a difference. Yoga should be practiced with a trained instructor, preferably one that has a sports background. It is better to do a yoga class then to stretch on your own, you are less likely to push yourself too far and hurt yourself. (You can think of your yoga instructor as one of your coaches)
Now most professional basketball, football and baseball teams have “performance coaches” which are yoga instructors with sports training. Cross training with yoga is working its way to being the norm, or what athletes who want to really improve include in their training. Like speed work, you can run without doing speed work, but if you want to get faster you have to do the work, it is the same with yoga, if you want to be more flexible and go to the next level you have to practice. I have students in my classes who come once or twice a month and they can not understand why they are not getting better. I ask them “do you think you could run a 6 minute mile by running only once or twice a month?” I don’t think so!!
Benefits of Yoga for Runners
Injury prevention, better performance, flexibility (range of motion), lung capacity, mental focus, longevity, endurance and strength. One of the distinguishing features between yoga and stretching is the constant focus on the breath. This development of breath awareness gives you greater body control, which is necessary in the participation of all sports. Use of your breath in yoga will enhance your ability to carry oxygen to your muscles when you run. This translates into quicker reactions to unexpected situations encountered in running, like being chased by a Pit Bull or stepping into a pot hole. This quicker reaction can reduce the risk of injury. Awareness also increases coordination which can improve performance.
Yoga also helps with your running form, it keeps you up right when you run by building core strength. Yoga helps build upper body strength, which helps if your legs start to give out as you can use your arms to keep you going. It will help you run more efficiently, letting you run further and faster with less energy.
What happens when you run certain muscles are used and other are not, thus the body becomes imbalanced, strong but tight and other muscles are weak but flexible. Most sports injuries are due to or caused by imbalances in the body. What yoga does is balances out each side of the body along with each muscle in the body, thus reducing injuries. Imbalances in the body are like the tires on your car being imbalanced, you can still drive but after a while if you do not balance them out (rotate) they are going to blow.
So just like a car if you do not balance out your body you’re going to get injured. While participating in sports, imbalances occur in the body which can lead to strain on the joints. Yoga when practiced regularly, corrects the imbalances that active sports create in the body.
So, as you can see yoga is very important to runners for a number of reasons. Why don’t more athletes practice yoga? The problem is most of us are not good at it so we do not want to try it or we have gone into a yoga class and basically sat there while seemingly out of shape people wrap their foot around their head. Athletes are strong and determined, that is what makes us athletes. The problem with yoga is willpower alone will not make you good at yoga. In most cases strength equates to inflexibility, a lot of “yogis” are flexible but do not have the strength that athletes do, so in a way we are ahead of the game in that aspect.
Just remember each sport has it’s own challenges, which show up in tightness in the area that is stressed or relied upon the most in that particular sport. The most common weakest links in a runner are knees, feet, Achilles tendons and ankles. Yoga strengthens all of these areas.
Program: Training Schedule
The absolute minimum you should do yoga is 2xs per week, if you really want to improve 4-5x’s per week. The more miles you do the more yoga you need. I know this sounds like a lot of yoga but you are worth it, right? You only have one body and it is not like you can trade your body in like a worn out car. If you had to keep your car for the rest of your life wouldn’t you take better care of it? I developed YOGA for ATHLETES® to improve your performance and reduce injuries with a set group of poses that counteract the negative effects of running. It is only one hour, it does not wipe you out and in fact you will feel energized after taking a class. Your legs will not feel so heavy your body won’t ache as much.
Doing YOGA for ATHLETES® is like putting oil in your car, it could run without it but how well and for how long? It is also great for beginners, those who cannot touch their toes, athletes with injuries as well as student who have been practicing yoga for many years. In this class, we will go thru the fundamentals of yoga and how you can help your performance in any sport. YOGA for ATHLETES® focuses on areas of the body that are the most used and thus the tightest and injury prone for athletes, such as the hips, knees, lower back and shoulders. So think of yoga as a gift to your body.
*I am not saying do yoga instead of run. I would never tell a runner to do that, but I know how much running means to you. I want you to be able to run for the rest of your life and I believe if you do yoga on a consistent basis you will be able to so.
ABOUT Kimberly Fowler
Kimberly Fowler is the founder of YAS Yoga And Spinning Center in Venice CA. and the creator of YOGA for ATHLETES®. As a Nike's expert spokesperson, she has been practicing yoga since 1983 and has competed in marathon and triathlons all over the world. Fowler, developed YOGA for ATHLETES® to demonstrate how yoga improves balance, flexibility, power and stamina, which results in improved performance, injury reduction and faster recovery for athletes of all levels. Fowler has used yoga to balance out her own training and to recover from a number of sports related injuries. With her background in both yoga and sports she is able to get into the mind body & soul of an athlete. For more information about YOGA for ATHLETES® or YAS, check out www.go2yas.com or call (310) 396-6993. YAS is located at 1101 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice CA 90291 or email Kimberly Fowler at kfowler@go2yas.com.
Share your own area of expertise as a