3 Major Ways Yoga Can Raise Your Running Game and Keep You Strong and Active!

*Updated September 2024

Yoga can raise your running game and keep you healthy. Although yoga and running may seem worlds apart, these activities actually complement each other.

I discovered yoga after a knee injury. Although I was hesitant about its benefits at first, I quickly realized its benefits. I credit my yoga practice for keeping me active and fit while counteracting the stress on my body caused by running.

Of course I had heard about the benefits of yoga, like improved cardiovascular fitness and increased flexibility. But, like most runners, I had been reluctant to take time away from running to pursue yoga.

Back then, I had no idea of how much yoga would raise my running game or what an important role yoga would eventually play in my life. But, through yoga practice, I was able to stay active and improve my running performance.

3 Major Ways Yoga Can Raise Your Running Game and Keep You Strong and Active!

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Yoga will help you raise your running game and keeping you in tip-top condition in ways that other workouts cannot. For instance, running can take a toll on your body as you age. However, regular yoga practice can help alleviate discomfort and soreness. It can also improve running performance, help you run faster, increase longevity, and keep you flexible and strong.

Lauren Fleshman, a two-time national outdoor 5000-meter champion, told Runner’s World that yoga training helped her get ready for long endurance runs which can be tough on the body.

Adam St. Pierre, a coach, biomechanist, and exercise physiologist for the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine agrees. In an article in Runner’s World, he states, “The strength and flexibility you develop on the mat–namely in the core, quads, hamstrings, and hip flexors–can help you run more efficiently and stay injury-free”

Get Started

You can practice yoga to raise your running game now by incorporating a few yoga poses into your warmup and cool down. Also, consider adding a yoga class into your training schedule. You can practice at home or take classes at a studio. In this way, you will prevent injury, increase stamina, and help your body handle the demands of a strenuous running schedule.

And, it’s important to realize that yoga practice isn’t about getting into the deepest, most challenging postures. Instead, look at yoga as a way to enhance your already energetic lifestyle.

The Benefits

Good balance, a strong core, and mindful breathing are vitally important aspects of staying healthy as a runner.

1. Yoga builds core strength.

Yoga will help you to build your core in order to maintain the proper running alignment. With careful attention, nearly every yoga pose (asana) can be a core-strengthening exercise.

For instance, Warrior II requires that you engage your core and you actively draw energy upward through the spine. It also improves endurance, balance, and concentration. And, this standing pose strengthens the legs, core, arms, and back.

For more yoga asanas to strengthen core, check out Yoga with Adriene on YouTube, Core Strength Ritual.

2. Yoga stretches and and strengthens leg muscles.

Problems can happen when muscle tightness starts to impact your range of motion. And, if you begin to favor one side of your body more than the other, you may begin to put added pressure on the muscles and joints on the favored side. This is a good way to injure yourself. 

In addition, you don’t want your muscles to be so tight that you can’t use your full range of motion. This can stop you from reaching your greatest potential as a runner.

Therefore, runners need to focus on upper and lower body workouts that not only stretch and open those areas, but also encourage proper muscle engagement. Strengthening your leg muscles will also help you get faster and have more endurance while reducing the chance of injury.

Grab Your Mat!

Standing yoga poses will build and tone the muscles in your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. When you practice standing yoga poses, your forced to balance across both feet which challenges your leg muscles to stay sturdy and strong. This builds muscular definition, helps prevent injury, and improves agility.

And, a June 2016 study found that athletes who practiced yoga for 10 weeks demonstrated the improvement in both flexibility and balance measures. These findings suggest that the practice of yoga as part of traditional training methods enhances the components of fitness that are the essential components of sports performance. 

3. Yoga helps you become aware of breathing patterns.

When you become aware of your breath and learn how to make your breathing more efficient, you will improve your running performance. Breath moves the energy around in your body. As a result, the body relaxes which decreases your chances of getting hurt.

In addition, breath stimulates your emotions so that you feel everything more deeply. As a result, you can identify where you’re strong or weak, tight or flexible. You can also pinpoint where your body is holding onto stress before it leads to injury.

Finally, more mindful breathing can make you run faster by taking seconds off of your time. Proper breathing also helps you catch your breath and lower your heart rate more efficiently. Therefore, you can enjoy a speedier recovery and be ready to train the next day.

How Often Should You Do Yoga?

How much yoga you do will depend on your goals. If you’re looking for strength training, find a strength training sequence of postures that you can commit to three times a week.

If you’re working toward becoming more flexible, a little can go a long way! But, make an effort to do some yoga postures every day. You will gradually gain more flexibility without pushing your body too hard or too far.

It is not recommended that you take an entire yoga class before a run. This can leave your body depleted and even dehydrated. However, if you’re looking to loosen tight muscles before or after a workout, consider using a massage stick or a foam roller.

Regular yoga practice will not only help you breathe more mindfully, gain strength, and increase flexibility, it will change your lifestyle for the better.

Yoga inspires a shift in thinking. You will notice that you crave a healthier lifestyle, like eating clean, organic foods, and limiting alcohol and sugar intake. And, with its tenets in mindfulness and self-acceptance, yoga will inspire you to become a more compassionate person, and just a better human being!

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Disclosure: Melissa Damiani is a participant in the Routine Probiotics Affiliate Program an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to merchant, and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking amazon.com. Although I only promote products that I love, use, and have confidence in, always do your own research before purchasing any product. Read my disclaimer here.