| Yoga, with its emphasis on slow, controlled | | | | muscles of the hamstrings and the calves so that |
| movements, muscle relaxation, and deep breathing | | | | soreness and running injuries are minimized. Moreover, |
| would seem to be an odd addition to a runner's cross | | | | his program strengthens the core muscles and the |
| training schedule. But these two forms of exercise are | | | | muscles in the arms and the back, which corrects |
| more complementary than they seem. Just ask | | | | postural misalignments and, ultimately, improves running |
| 34-year-old Nicole Nakoneshny. | | | | performance. |
| A fundraising consultant, Nakoneshny spends much of | | | | To help the muscles to rebound, Cho Kent |
| her leisure time running near her home in Toronto. But | | | | recommends that a runner spend 15 to 20 minutes, |
| she is not just running. She is also meditating, a | | | | immediately after a run, performing these exercises. |
| discipline that she learned from yoga. As she told | | | | They should also be incorporated as part of a cross |
| Runners World, "[b]ecause running is such a repetitive | | | | training schedule to improve running performance. |
| activity, I find it quite meditative." | | | | Wall Dog |
| Nakoneshny is part of a growing breed of runners | | | | |
| who have created their own yoga for runners' | | | | 1. Stand straight, facing a wall that is an arm's length |
| programs designed for enhanced running performance. | | | | away from the body. Feet should be approximately |
| Similarities Between Yoga and Running | | | | the width of the shoulders apart. /li> |
| Although the similarities between yoga and running are | | | | 2. Bend forward from the hips, touching the wall with |
| not obvious to onlookers, many runners see (and | | | | both palms of the hand, fingertips pointing upward. |
| experience) the synchronycities. Both running and | | | | 3. Slowly walk the legs backward, until the arms are |
| yoga, they say, require discipline, flexibility, concentration, | | | | fully extended, spine completely parallel to the floor. |
| practice, and breatthing techniques. These similarities | | | | 4. Slowly push back and feel the stretch in the legs |
| make yoga an obvious, albeit uncommon, choice for a | | | | and the hips. |
| runner's cross training routine. | | | | 5. Pull the abdomen in and then relax those muscles. |
| But yoga does more than just provide runners with | | | | 6. Hold this pose and feel the stretch in the hamstring, |
| added variety to their training programs; indeed, there is | | | | calves, and lower back. |
| evidence that yoga improves the running performance | | | | 7. Take five to ten slow, deep breaths and then slowly |
| of these athletes. This is possible, say experts, through | | | | stand upright. |
| yoga's ability to balance the body, which prepares the | | | | Hamstring Stretch |
| athlete for the rigors of running and protects the body | | | | |
| from injury. | | | | 1. Stand straight with feet shoulder width apart. Bring |
| Yoga Does a Runner's Body Good | | | | the arms behind the back and clasp the elbows or the |
| While running one mile, each foot will strike the ground | | | | forearms. |
| approximately 1,000 times, say health writers Baron | | | | 2. Step the right foot behind you (about two to three |
| Baptiste and Kathleen Finn Mendola. Moreover, with | | | | feet) and turn the foot 60 degrees inward for balance. |
| each running step, the feet, legs, and hips will absorb | | | | (The left leg should remain in its original position.) |
| three to four times the runner's weight. This can, and | | | | 3. Slowly bend forward from the waist as far as you |
| does, lead to stiffness, pain, and injury for most | | | | can, always keeping the spine and the legs straight |
| runners. | | | | 4. Hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths. (You should feel |
| But these negative bodily reactions are not the | | | | the stretch in your calves, hamstrings, and thighs). |
| inevitable result of running. Rather, say Baptiste and | | | | 5. Release and slowly return to original position. |
| Mendola, such pain and injuries occur because the high | | | | 6. Repeat with the left leg. |
| impact nature of running throws the body out of | | | | Wide Leg Standing Forward Bend |
| balance. But yoga for runners is beneficial because it | | | | |
| realigns the body and posture. Indeed, yoga is used as | | | | 1. Stand straight. |
| a therapeutic tool to counteract the damage caused | | | | 2. Step your right leg out until your legs are |
| by musculature imbalances that often begin by muscle | | | | approximately 4 feet apart with feet parallel. |
| tightening/shortening and end with injury. | | | | 3. Turn toes inward slightly and place the hands on the |
| When runners devote most of their training time to | | | | hips. |
| running, say experts, their muscles tend to tighten and | | | | 4. Slowly contract abdominal muscles. |
| shorten due to the repetitive, high-impact nature of this | | | | 5. Slowly bend forward, keeping your legs straight, until |
| sport. When this happens, the body attempts to | | | | your hands touch the floor. |
| compensate for this imbalance by shifting the stress to | | | | 6. Push your body weight into your palms or your |
| other muscles and joints. This can lead to pain and | | | | fingertips |
| often leads to injury. | | | | 7. You should feel the stretch in your hamstrings, |
| Moreover, because every part of the body is | | | | calves, ankles, thighs, and Achilles tendons (to name |
| interconnected, an imbalance in one part (as occurs | | | | just a few of the running muscles positively affected |
| with muscle shortening and tightness) can cause pain | | | | by this pose.) |
| and injury in another part of the body. For instance, a | | | | 8. Hold this pose for five to ten slow breaths. |
| common running injury is shin splints, which results from | | | | 9. Release the pose and slowly stand upright. |
| an uneven distribution of weight on the legs while | | | | Cho Kent's yoga for runners program not only |
| running. | | | | elongates and massages the main muscles involved in |
| The practice of yoga, with its focus on relaxing and | | | | running, but it is a relaxing change of pace from the |
| elongating the muscles, effectively minimizes these | | | | incessant muscle pounding resulting from running. |
| types of injuries. | | | | Although yoga and running were once considered to |
| Yoga for Runners: Exercises to Improve Running | | | | be at opposite ends of the sports or exercise |
| Performance | | | | spectrum, many runners are now combining the two |
| Hyongok Cho Kent is a sports trainer in Montreal who | | | | and finding that they are, indeed, complementary |
| knows the benefits of yoga for runners. At his fitness | | | | physical disciplines. Moreover, yoga is spawning a new |
| studio, Cho Kent instructs his students in both the art | | | | breed of "Chi runners" who are reaping the cross- |
| of yoga and what he calls "Chi Running." The program | | | | training benefits of adding yoga to their training |
| that he has developed is designed to stretch the | | | | programs. |