Why Yoga for Runner ?
Runner’s foot strikes the ground about 1,000 times during an average mile run. The force of impact on each foot is about three to four times runner’s weight. It’s not surprising, due to that runners complain of bad backs and knees, tight hamstrings, and sore feet. A typical runner, experiences too much tightening and shortening of the muscles. Without opposing movements, the body will compensate to avoid injury by working around the instability. If you’re off balance, every step you take forces the muscles to work harder in compensation. Tight muscles get tighter and weak muscles get weaker. Muscles ideally should be soft, malleable and supple to act as body’s natural shock absorbers.
How Yoga works ?
Yoga offers a combination of active and passive stretching that is especially helpful for keeping you injury free. Training to get stronger or faster can lead to tight muscles with a smaller range of motion, limited power, and a tendency to get injured more easily. Active stretching, where the body is moving and stretching dynamically (as in Surya Namaskara, for example), creates warmth and suppleness in the tissues. Passive stretching, where you hold a posture for a minute or more, in a way that’s relaxed, allows muscles to lengthen even more. The result is more elastic, pliable tissues that help you bounce back more easily from the stressors in your sport. If you bring your body into balance through the practice of yoga, you can run long and hard for years to come .
Pranayama Power for Runners
Tension is the runner’s downfall, and breath awareness is the key to reducing it. Conscious breathing, which soothe the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and relax the entire body, can be of great benefit to runners. Many runners know that improving VO2 Max—aerobic capacity—is vital for running and racing success. Runners with a high VO2 Max have the capacity to pump large amounts of oxygen-rich blood to working muscles. With Pranayama and Asana conditioning, you can maximize the size of your pump and the quantity of fresh blood coursing through your body. A somewhat vigorous yoga practice can increase your oxygen capacity.
Best 5 Pranayama for Runners : Benefits and how to do videos
Kapalbhati Pranayama : Cleanses the nasal passages, lungs and entire respiratory system. improve lung capacity
Abdominal Breathing : Improve diaphragmatic pattern of breathing. Calm and relax the mind
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama : Reduces the ‘Fight and Flight’ response and lower the heart rate
Sitali Pranayama : Soothe emotions and balance pitta, especially in the summer heat
Bhramri Pranayama : Relieves tension, anger and anxiety