Yoga for Runners

As we all know, running is fantastic for fitness, mental and general health.  Yoga also happens to be fantastic for fitness, mental and general health.  It should come as no surprise, then, that yoga can be a great compliment to running.  Running can be taxing and stressing on the body.  Yoga, on the other hand, can be restorative (while still challenging) and of course, yoga is fantastic for stretching and flexibility, two things runners need in spades.  Then there's the strength component as well - yoga is a great way to building muscle and keep our running muscles in tip top health.  In other words, as runners, what's not to like about yoga?  Here are some ways yoga is good for runners.

Yoga Makes You Sweat, Too
Runners typically like to sweat. A lot. We love a good, hard run and the feeling of intense well being we get (runner's high!).  Some people may think that yoga is all "oms" and  no sweat or challenges.  And as runners, we love a good challenge.  Which is why higher intensity yogas are great for runners. They give us the challenging atmosphere we crave while still allowing our bodies to heal and stretch from runs, not to mention add in strength gains.  If you crave a good sweat, try classes with words like power, flow, vinyasa, ashtanga or hot yoga in the name.  Some studios label classes by level, so try one of the higher level classes (only if you've done some lower level classes to get techniques, breathing, etc. down).


Increases Flexibility
The most obvious benefit of yoga for runners is increased flexibility.  Everyone knows yoga involves lots of stretching- which is a key element most runners need badly yet don't get enough of.  Running is repetitive movement that uses the same muscle groups over and over, leading those muscle groups to get overworked and overstressed...which of course, leads to injury. Doing yoga regularly stretches out the muscle groups that get repetitively overused during runs.  And not in a 'hold for 10 seconds' kind of cheating way most runners use- real, deep stretches that help keep ligaments and muscles supple and loose.  Poses like twisting half moon get into the hard-to-stretch IT band, while pigeon gets deep into the glute area and hip flexor muscles.

Twisting Half Moon:


Pigeon Pose:



Increases Strength
There are various styles of yoga that run the gamut in degree of difficulty but almost all offer a strengthening component for your muscles.  Poses like warrior poses, chair, inversions (headstands), bridge and tons of others focus on legs, glutes, and upper body strength.  Most yoga classes also involve some ab work, offering up the perfect total body conditioning class.

Warrior Poses:


Chair Pose:




Balances Out Muscle Groups
Running injuries are typically the result of overuse and muscle imbalances, and yoga can help balance these issues by working both sides of the body, together and separately.  It also happens to target some of the key muscles that runners could use some help with.  For example, hip rotators are strengthened and balanced by poses like warrior 3, and through standing balance poses like tree.

Warrior 3:


Offers Mental Health and Breathing Benefits
There is such a thing as runner's high, and if that's what you are after, say helloooo to yoga.  Well known for its mental health and stress reduction properties, a key element of yoga is getting into a flow.  Getting into the flow is similar to the focused sensation you get from running- that point in your run where the outside world is completely tuned out and its just you and your feet.  Yoga's basis is the breath- ujjayi breathing is a technique that helps to turn your focus inward during yoga, allowing you to reach that same sensation.  This also can help with breathing properly on your runs, as mentioned in this post about breathing techniques.

Ujjayi Breathing:



How to Run and Do Yoga
Its easy! You can do yoga once or twice a week, or you can really get the benefits of yoga and running by simply alternating each.  Run one day, do yoga the next, then run, then yoga.  This allows for rest in between each workout while getting the benefits of the other.   Either way, you'll notice a big difference in your runs by adding yoga to your routine.


Here are some yoga resources from some of my favorite LA area teachers:

You can also take classes at home through Yogavibes.com and through various videos on youtube.  

What's your favorite yoga pose for running?

Breathing Techniques for Runners

Most runners go out for a run and don't think twice about their breathing, allowing our body's natural rhythms to take over.  Occasionally, you may notice that you've fallen into a natural rhythm and it becomes a cadence you can match your strides to.  Many of us don't think about it at all, and how it can affect or even improve our runs.  Recently, Runner's World featured a technique that posits that using this technique can help reduce injuries:

Then there's this article that talks about a link between diaphragm strength and leg muscle fatigue and also touts the benefits of belly breathing over chest breathing when running.  And this article talks about different foot-strike counts you can use depending on the type of workout you are doing.

Watching this video made me realize that I rarely think about breathing when I run...I just sort of go...unless I experience a side stitch, in which case I focus on forcefully exhaling on the opposite side of the stitch.   I also realized I am a hard-core chest breather, and something tells me most runners are in a similar boat- not paying attention to our breathing, and breathing from the chest, not the belly.  Do you utilize a particular breathing technique and if so, how has it helped you?

Pain in the Toes Part Two- A Solution

Most runners have experienced injuries and pain in frequently-hurt areas like the IT band, shins, or knees but, while not uncommon, toe pain is not something often discussed.  Our toes are small enough that many of us think we can just 'run through' the pain (never a good idea).  If you think about all the beatings and jarrings our little piggies take on a jog (or wearing heels or non-foot friendly shoes), its surprising that it isn't a more discussed topic.  Based on the amount of traffic a past post on toe pain gets, it seems to me that there are a LOT of people out there who experience bad toe pain.  Here are some suggestions on how to get rid of toe pain while running.

If you found your way here, it is most likely because you were attempting to consult "Dr. Internet" on how to ease your toe pain.  While the below info contains suggestions, it is highly recommended that you see a podiatrist.  The below is based on my own personal experience and thus is tailored to my diagnosis.

My Story
I began experiencing a sharp pain on runs in the last three toes on my left foot.  I noticed that the pain did not occur when I wore a brand of running shoes that tends to have a wider toe box (Asics).  For awhile, I stuck to Asics and only wore my much-lighter and much-preferred Nike's on short runs.  If the pain occurred, I stretched and massaged the area, while also using products like Yoga Toes:

And here I am over a year later with the pain occurring on each and every run, and also during regular walking around.  I finally went to a podiatrist and learned that each of us has a leg length discrepancy.  This causes a slight change in the way each foot lands.  Normally not a problem, it can become an issue depending on the severity of the length difference coupled with a variety of other factors.

Here are my issues

• Wearing running shoes that need to be a bit more snug.  My ever-so-slightly loose shoe is causing my toes to grasp frantically at the ground for stability instead of having my foot cradled gently in the shoe, allowing the foot to function the way its supposed to.
• Extremely tight calf muscles.  I have tight muscle issues already but tend to focus on stretching the area that is bothering me. My tight calf muscles are pulling at the tendons in these toes, making them like taught guitar strings, not ideal for fluid movement.
• Not enough cushioning.  I wear fitted performance socks now, but used to swear by Thorlo's.  More on those in a sec...Additionally, most of us tend to wear daily shoes with no support.
• Running shoes that over-correct a former overpronation problem, causing me to roll my foot too much on the outside and putting additional pressure on already tired toes.

How to Fix It

The bad news? I have to stop running.  The good news? Only for 10 days.  Normally running injuries leave us sidelines for weeks or months at a time.  10 days is nothing.  If I choose to run now and again, it will simply take me longer to heal.  Here are the other techniques I am using:

• Stretching.  Focusing on loosening up my tight calf muscles by doing a lot of this:

• Taking an anti-inflammatory (Advil, Aleve, etc).  This will help relieve some of the inflammation.  
• No stretching or massaging the area- this technique (that I'd been steadily doing) I discovered makes the problem worse.  The main idea is to let the toes just simply rest and heal.  I am also to avoid Yoga Toes.
• Do hot/cold intervals- soak foot in hot water for 10 minutes, then immediately ice for 5 minutes.  This allows healing blood to get to the area (hot) but ensures the inflammation remains under control (ice).
• Wear supportive running shoes all day every day until the pain goes away.  In other words, my podiatrist has put the nix on heels (or anything else that isn't supportive) for the time being.
• Wear thick, padded socks like Thorlos.  I used to swear by this brand of socks for running but changed them due to the popular new 'performance socks'.  Wearing thicker Thorlo's will also take care of the problem of my shoes not being snug enough.  Looks like I'm going back to my old trusty brand.  You can get them here:

Last but not least, there is also the option of orthodics.  They tend to be expensive, but talk with your doctor about options.  Obviously each of us is very different so while this info may help, I highly recommend seeing a podiatrist.  Good running starts with good form, and good form starts at the foot.  Taking care of our feet can help ensure we have pain-free runs long term.

Have you had any luck treating toe pain?  Leave your story in the comments.