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It’s low impact, which provides a nice contrast to the high impact nature of running. Yoga can improve your joint mobility and soft tissue flexibility, and potentially help to counter physical imbalances from running.
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Yoga practice can help improve your breathing - many yoga styles include pranayama (targeted breath work). Pranayama can increase your breath capacity, as well as strengthen and mobilize your lungs, respiratory diaphragm and other accessory breathing muscles.
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Yoga can help you connect deeply to your own anatomy and increase your proprioception (knowing where your body is in space, which can help with balance, turns, and transitions in running), and interoception (your sense of internal sensations such as breathing and heart rate).
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Yoga can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body and mind relax and de-stress.
Poses for Mobility and Flexibility
In the video below I walk you through 5 minutes of breath work followed by a few quick yoga poses for joint mobility and soft tissue flexibility. Enjoy!