Post-run yoga is a great way to stretch out tight muscles. Stretching improves your recovery by boosting blood flow to working muscles, transporting important nutrients and helping remove waste products, such as lactic acid. This means you're less likely to feel as tight, sore and tender the next day.
Yoga also helps improve flexibility – loosening up the muscles, joints, ligaments and connective tissues – so you can run more freely during your next session. Then there's the relaxation benefit – through conscious and controlled breathing, yoga may also help you to unwind after a particularly hard session. Plus, you'll also be strengthening some of the key running muscles, such as the core, Runner-approved Amazon Prime Day recovery deals...
Try this twice weekly, post-run yoga routine from sports coach Lexie Williamson. Hold each pose for 30 seconds to a minute, or as long as it takes to complete four breaths (inhaling and exhaling).
1.Standing back bend
Why: Stretches the pectoralis (chest) muscles, thereby facilitating deeper breathing.
How: Inhale. Raise your arms away from your sides and draw them back a little, or if you can, raise them above your head. Move into a gentle back bend. Keep your abdomen engaged and your tailbone tucked under to protect your lower back, and raise your chin slightly.
2. Forward bend
Why: Releases the lower back after the back bend (1) and Everything you need to know about recovery runs.
How: As you exhale, bend your knees and fold your upper body over your legs, aiming to line up your fingertips at the side of your toes. Keep as much of a bend in the knees as you need to feel a stretch in your thighs – this will depend on how Best winter running gear.
3. Mountain pose
Why: Improves posture by encouraging you to look ahead rather than down at the ground, as well as relaxing your shoulders.
How: Roll your shoulders forward before drawing them back. Push your hips slightly forward and open your palms to face the front. Looking ahead, imagine a straight line pulling you up from the crown of your head.
4. Achilles stretch squat
Why: Normatec Premier ditches the hose and compressor achilles tendon.
How: Resting heart rate squat, with your feet hip-width apart. Balance on the balls of your feet, with your fingertips touching the floor. After finishing the squat, take your weight onto your hands, sit back and straighten your legs ready for the next move.
5. Bridge with interlaced fingers
Why: What causes DOMS.
How: Bend your legs and place your feet hip-width apart on the mat. Take your arms by your sides, palms face down, and lift your hips. To further open up your chest, interlace your fingers underneath your hips and press your hands into the floor. Keep your chin tucked in throughout the move.
6. Core roll-down
Why: Strengthens the rectus abdominis, which aids your posture on the run.
How: Tuck your chin into your neck. Raise your arms to shoulder height and parallel in front of you, palms facing in. Take four breaths while rolling your back down to the floor, keeping your abdomen pulled in.
7. Legs up the wall
Why: Speeds removal of lactic acid, while abdominal breathing encourages the use of the diaphragm when running to prevent stitches.
How: Lie down with your legs up against a wall, keeping them together or slightly apart to stretch your inner thighs. Rest your palms on your abs, fingertips touching. As you inhale, your belly should rise and fingertips part; exhale and your fingertips touch again.
8. Supine twist
Why: Stretches the often neglected intercostal muscles between the ribs and the obliques at the sides of the waist.
How: Lie on your back. Bring your arms level with your shoulders, with your palms facing up. Drop your knees to the right and roll your head to the left. Do this on both sides. Follow with another knees-to-chest pose.
9. Knees to chest
Why: Releases the lower back.
How: From a supine position (that’s lying on your back, to non-yoga-speakers), bend your legs at the knee and bring your thighs up against your belly. Hold them just below the knees and then rock gently from side to side.
