Yoga for Runners: the ultimate dream team

Demonstrating a yoga posture on my Yoga for Runners class

When it comes to improving your fitness, many runners focus solely on logging those miles, running more frequently and focusing only on the legs. But what if they could find something thaat doesn't take away from running, but will actually improve their performance and mindset - a bit of holistic magic dust if you will?

Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? I hear you, I've been a runner for almost 20 years and for many years I focused only on running. If I had a marathon to train for, I had to run. If I had a 10K I wanted to better my personal best in, I had to run. But I wanted to improve my running every single time.

Running in the snowy wonderland of Pollok Country Park

Over time I found that strength work avoided injury, Hyrox added to an already overwhelming agenda of high impact exercise and I was back to square one, still trying to keep the running energy up and avoid niggles and burnout.

So I gave yoga a try, and hated it. I found it boring, too slow and just not right for me. I then tried it again with a different teacher and something clicked. I found that it did challenge me but in other ways. It forced me to slow down, respect and nourish my body and actually listen to it.

So how does yoga help runners?

There's always space to practice

There's a few decent reasons that runners can improve and maintain their fitness by adding yoga into their weekly exercise rotation and I'm going to explain them to you right now;

• easy on the joints - with all the high impact that running causes on the joints, it's good to still be moving your body but actually protecting your body

• improves breathing techniques - yoga is movement with breath, so learning how to breathe deeper, control your breathing and understanding how the breath can affect your body and emotional wellbeing is huge advantageous in runs

• injury prevention - do you ever lace up those trainers and go? If you use yoga movements before and after your run, you'll find yourself warming and cooling down that body appropriately and cutting the chances of injury by a decent percentage.

• enhanced mobility - yoga improves joint mobility, particularly in the hips and ankles, helping you achieve a more efficient stride

• mental resilience - buying into the yoga practice will soon cultivate mindfulness and focus, essential for tackling challenging runs or pushing through the “wall.”

Yoga myths that runners tend to listen to

"I'm too inflexible for yoga"

A common point I hear from anyone I ever suggest a yoga class to. Funnily enough, being flexible really isn't high on anyone's agenda at a class. Moving your body in time with your breath, having peace to do so and feeling mentally recharged is actually a much better outcome post class.

If you're a runner you didn't smash out a half marathon on your first run did you? Chances are slim. You trained, you practiced, you committed yourself. Exactly the same with yoga! Give it a chance.

"I don't have time"

I'd say if you've got time for a scroll through instagram, or a box set on Netflix you've got time. The best thing about yoga is that all you need is a body to do it. A mat is handy but honestly having space is all you need.

I offer two 30 minute classes per week online which were created to be able to fit into your schedule easily without taking up a lot of time. Many of my students don't switch their cameras on and practice in their pyjamas...it's allowed, it is 7am in the morning they start!

"Yoga is too slow for me"

The reason a lot of people get put off by yoga is they claim it's too slow and therefore their heart rate isn't high and it doesn't count as exercise. Most of the time it's because slowing down allows you to pay attention and build strength, something that can be a bit daunting at first.

However, there are lots of different styles of classes; vinyasa, hot, restorative, ashtanga to name but a few. You can easily find a style and pace that will suit your body.

"Yoga doesn't build strength"

Many yoga poses target key muscle groups that runners rely on, such as the core, glutes, and legs, improving overall strength and stability.

How to get started?

Well it's simple, try my classes! I offer two classes per week online at 7am for 30 minutes. These are:

• Rise & Shine (Tuesdays): this class is all about waking your body up, get the blood pumping and feeling energised to start your day.

• Yoga for Runners (Fridays): this is a great class to use pre and post run. We change it up, sometimes it's restorative and other times it's dynamic to really charge up those key muscle groups.

You can book a class here, and I'll see you on the mat!