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Stretch It Out! 5 Yoga Poses for Runners

It's important to stretch after you run in order to reduce muscular tension and maintain a healthy degree of overall mobility. The next time you head out for a jog, take five minutes to integrate these four yoga stretches into your post-run cool down routine to keep your body functioning right!
By 

Director, PranaVayu Yoga

Director, PranaVayu Yoga
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Summertime is in full swing and joggers everywhere are hitting the pavement in the hopes of shedding a few pounds while fending off the risk of heart disease and diabetes. While the benefits of regular cardiovascular exercise are well known, muscular tension caused by these repetitive activities can have negative impact on your overall posture and even contribute to uncomfortable conditions such as iliotibial band syndrome or shin splints.

Because of this, it's important to stretch after you run in order to reduce muscular tension and maintain a healthy degree of overall mobility. The next time you head out for a jog, take five minutes to integrate these four yoga stretches into your post-run cool down routine to keep your body functioning right!

Yoga For Runners
The Figure Four Posture -- Releases Tension From The Outer Hips(01 of05)
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Come to a full standing position with your feet separated by roughly hip's width. If balance is a challenge, place one hand on a wall or a tree for support. Bend your knees and cross your right ankle over the top of the left leg. Allow your right knee to gently sink toward the earth until you feel a stretch in your hip. Hold for 30 seconds, and then repeat on the other side.
Reclining Hip Stretch -- Reduces Tension On The IT Band(02 of05)
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Lay down on your back and extend your left leg upward into the air. Wrap a strap or a belt around your foot, or grab the side of your leg with your right hand. Keeping your hips squared with the sky, sweep your left leg across the midline of your body until you feel stretch in your outer hip. Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
The Three Legged Dog -- Targets The Calves And Hamstrings(03 of05)
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To enter a downward facing dog, come to pushup position. Stack your shoulders directly above your wrists and extend backward through your heels. Lift your hips upward into the air until your body resembles the shape of a pyramid. Deepen the stretch by extending outward through your hands and downward through both of your heels. If you wish to deepen the stretch in your calf muscles and hamstrings, lift your right leg into the air as shown in the picture above. Bend the lifted leg, and roll your right hip open to the side. As you do this, press your left heel closer to the ground to increase the stretch. Hold for 30 seconds, and repeat on the other side.
The Standing Single Legged Fold -- Stretches And Lengthens The Hamstrings(04 of05)
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To enter this posture, begin from a standing position. Step your right leg backward roughly four feet. Turn your right heel down to the ground, and turn your back toes forward 35 to 45 degrees. Take your hands to your hips, square your pelvis forward, and straighten your right leg. Keeping your back straight, hinge from your hip crease until your torso is parallel to the floor. If you have blocks available, place them near either side of your right leg and rest your hands on them to support your weight. If not, simply place both hands on your shins. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
The Extended Side Angle -- Rinses The Tension Out Of Your Back With A Twist(05 of05)
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Enter this posture from the single-legged fold position mentioned previously. Simply bend your front leg to 90 degrees and stack your elbow on the middle of your thigh to prop your torso upright. Reach the non-supporting arm over your ear to stretch your lats while twisting your rotating your belly and chest open to the side as much as possible. Make sure to keep your front knee vertically stacked above your ankle. If looking upward bothers your neck, look down or sideways instead. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

For more by David Magone, click here.

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