Yoga for Runners: 5 exercises that help you become more flexible and strong

Running - it's not just strong legs, a strong heart and lung development. In order to achieve their goals without injury, it is necessary to strengthen the body as a whole and to remain flexible. While running, often clamped the upper part of the body - the shoulders and upper back. And on his feet often hurt not so much muscle as ligaments.

Some friends finally the pain in the ligaments after jogging only after they began to practice yoga at least once a week. Yes, it does not strengthen the heart as it does run, but it gives the body necessary for long runs, flexibility and endurance. «Womenshealth» magazine asked experts on yoga, and they recommended 5 ACCA to help strengthen Corps will add speed to help get rid of pain during or after jogging and make you more hardy. These exercises will also be useful for those who are engaged in yoga for beginners.

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Objective: to strengthen not only the legs, but the entire body.
Exercise: to strengthen the upper body.

Ruzhansky Barbara, the owner of the «West Hartford Yoga», advises run in parallel with strengthening the upper body to balance the strong legs. To this end, it offers a lateral strip (vasisthasana) - This pose helps to strengthen the body (abs, back, neck), hips and hands.

Lie on the floor face down and push off your hands off the floor. Hold this position. Press should be retracted in the lower back should not be sagging, the shoulders should be kept straight, the neck does not retract, the head, neck and back should be on one line.

From this posture, go into a side bar, while maintaining tension throughout the body. For beginners: expand the body to the left, lift your left hand and place it on the left thigh, bend the right leg at the knee and place it on the floor - it will serve as a support. Press should be retracted, the whole body is in one line (no sagging in the lower back), thighs stretched. Option for more advanced: both legs straightened leave, raise your left arm upward so that she was on the right hand straight line while looking at the raised left hand. Stay in this position for 15-30 seconds and then repeat the same on the other side. It is recommended to do this exercise 2-3 times a week.

The goal: running without pain.
Exercise: increase strength and flexibility.

Yoga helps to cope with this problem through the development and opening of joints. The stronger runner, so he must be careful. Felstid Christine, the owner of the club "Yoga for Runners" in Toronto, says that in the run time It involves only certain muscles, while yoga requires that all the muscles worked in tandem.

And for that, it offers a taste of Assane sukhasana - sitting with crossed legs, if it simply, we are accustomed to call it sitting cross-legged. This position is suitable for relaxation after a run and it is well reveal the hip joint. While sitting, make sure your hips are higher than your knees. If it is not, then sit on a folded towel or small pillow. It is advisable to stay in this position for 3 minutes, so that after a while you may feel discomfort in the spine. To get rid of this unpleasant feeling, you need to include in the work of the abdominal muscles and body so that you are not just working on the hip joints, knees and ankles, but also strengthens housing.

Objective: injury prevention.
Exercise: perfect posture.

Beryl Bender Birch, owner and director of the Institute of Yoga «The Hard & The Soft», said work on the flexible inseparable from the development of the whole process of the body. If you do not do your flexibility, sooner or later it will lead to injury.

And for this it offers a taste of Mountain pose (tadasana). This is a simple and complex at the same time Assane will help you feel your body and understand what it means to maintain a correct posture. To begin, go to the wall and to build their posture - push your heels and back of his head against the wall, pull your chin slightly. As a result, you will have two pockets of air between the body and the wall - in the back and in the neck. Then gently pull your body up and feel a little bit higher. Then move away from the wall, keeping this posture - you should feel slight tension as if through your tailbone and the crown goes taut thread. Follow him when standing at traffic lights, in the queue, or when caught myself on the fact that the slouch - catch any moment and pulls.

Objective: dexterity.
Exercise: Stretching the right.

Mark Blanchard, founder of «Power Yoga Centers» offers to imagine the body in the form of a clay pot, if you try bend or crush it - it simply breaks down, if it is heated, then he can take any form you You wish. Stretching their muscles, we, in fact, strengthen them, steady. Strong muscles without stretching are really weak. The tense muscles enough oxygen, and stretching exercises to help relieve tension and release oxygen to the road.

And for that, you can do one of the following ACCA viparita karani - this is when the feet are battened down against the wall. A more advanced version - "Birch". Lie on the floor so that the basin touch the wall, left leg lies along the wall and turned toward the doorway, his right leg lifted up and leans against the wall. Keep the knees so that there was no tension. Hold this position 5-10 breaths. This exercise stretches the tendons well below the knee. More complicated version: you plant a foot on the wall to the side and lay so for 10 minutes. It is possible to take hold of the big toes and a little help, but smoothly and without jerks. And, you can simply pick up two feet up with straight knees, toe and the heels are drawn up.

The goal: a rapid recovery after jogging.
Exercise: serial yoga.

Yoga helps us to quickly recover from strength training, preventing the accumulation of scar tissue. It uses the flexibility of the body and breathing exercises to nourish your body with oxygen. If you have the opportunity, alternate days of jogging to yoga classes. Or practices each morning sun salutation.

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Chief editor Layfhakera Glory Baranskii, began to actively engage in running, but practically after each run had problems with ligaments. After months of torment, he still decided to go to yoga (Ashtanga Vinyasa). The result on the face, or rather, to his feet - pain virtually disappeared (especially the legs, back and neck), running has become much easier and more enjoyable.