Not only is yoga good for runners. But yoga is good for you period.
Whether you’re a seasoned vet or a new runner, yoga can only help your running performance. So in case you’re wondering, yes, yoga is perfectly fine for runners.
Yoga and running are similar because both can be very intimidating to newbies, and both can be extremely addictive once you get out of the beginners stage.
Let’s look at some reasons why yoga is good for runners:
Improve your breathing
Yoga is about several things, but one of the most important parts is controlling your breathing. Likewise, when it comes to running you also need to control your breathing. One major benefit for runners who do yoga is much better breathing.
My breathing was absolutely horrible when I first started running, but yoga definitely helped improve my breathing.
A fun fact: I enjoy Bikram Yoga which is a 90 minute class with the same 26 postures in 100-105 degrees.
So yes, that style of yoga helped me tremendously with my breathing. Be clear, in no way am I saying you need to do Bikram Yoga – any style yoga will help you with your breathing.
You’ll notice a difference in flexibility
If you’re not the most flexible person, don’t worry, yoga will fix that for you. One of the many wonders of yoga is its availability to loosen the body. Yoga will help loosen muscles, ligaments, joints, etc. which will result in a better run.
Improves mental strength
You are only going to be as great as your mental space.
In many ways, running is more mental than it is physical.
Seriously.
A lot of people shy away from running or never improve as a runner because of the mental strength that’s required to run.
Yoga is a perfect way to improve mental strength, and a strong mental space will help you improve your performance as a runner.
