Advantages of Yin Yoga For Runners

I’ll admit it.

I’m not likely a yogi.

I discover it onerous to not get distracted by what I’m having for dinner, or add to my procuring checklist, plus I’m so rigid that I discover it actually onerous.

However the kind of yoga I’ve at all times loved is a restorative model class, or Yin yoga. I used to go most Sunday evenings after my future to a heated yin class and would usually go to sleep!! Now that Scorching Pod Yoga is in Studying, I’m eager to get to a category each week if attainable particularly as I begin constructing pace and mileage for Valencia Marathon in December. (Bertie and I’m going to a Mum & Child class however he’ll most likely be too cell for subsequent time period sadly!)

It’s no secret that working places a pressure in your muscle tissues, no matter whether or not you’re a newbie or a seasoned marathon runner. Once you begin working more durable exercises or growing your mileage, it’s frequent to expertise muscle soreness for a couple of days. This soreness is also known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS is a results of micro-tears within the muscle fibres, which happen if you push your muscle tissues past their normal limits.

DOMS usually disappears after a couple of days of relaxation and restoration (like foam rolling, utilizing a therapeutic massage gun, stretching). Nonetheless, it may possibly worsen if you repeatedly place stress on the identical muscle tissues with out correct relaxation or restoration. And over time, this may result in muscle imbalances, decreased muscle flexibility, and elevated danger of damage.

A few of these points might be simply corrected utilizing correct restoration methods, comparable to yoga. On this put up, I’ll be explaining extra on how Yin Yoga might be useful to runners.

Yin Yoga is a type of yoga that focuses on sluggish, deep stretching and rest of the physique. In contrast to extra conventional yoga practices that contain dynamic actions and muscular engagement, Yin Yoga targets the deep connective tissues, like fascia, ligaments, joints, and bones. This apply is designed to extend flexibility, enhance circulation, and promote rest.

In a Yin Yoga session, you’re prone to see slower actions and lengthy holds, with poses usually held for 3 to 5 minutes or longer. The emphasis is on listening to the physique and permitting it to sink into the stretch over time, fairly than pushing for max flexibility. This apply can also be extra meditative and introspective, with a deal with quieting the thoughts and tuning into bodily sensations – that means Yin Yoga has advantages for each bodily and psychological well being.

Total, Yin Yoga is a good choice for anybody seeking to improve their flexibility and rest, and for individuals who choose a slower, extra meditative strategy to yoga.

Yin Yoga is a slow-paced model of yoga that entails holding poses for longer durations of time and is usually a nice complement to working. Its apply might be significantly useful for runners because it helps to:

Deepen stretching actions.

Yin Yoga poses are held for an prolonged time period, often round 3-5 minutes. This prolonged size of time whereas holding the poses permits the physique to chill out and stretch deeper into every pose. Runners who usually expertise tight muscle tissues as a result of repetitive nature of working will see the profit that comes with this stretch.

Some runners have a tendency to put most of their deal with high-intensity exercises whereas paying little or no consideration to stretching and restorative workout routines (I’m positively responsible!). This may ultimately result in muscle tightness and soreness, which then impacts mobility, pace, and total effectiveness. The deep stretches in Yin Yoga will help loosen these muscle tissues in each the decrease and higher physique. Permitting for improved stride size and higher efficiency on the highway.

Enhance flexibility.

With Yin Yoga, runners can enhance total flexibility within the physique, significantly within the hips, pelvis, and decrease backbone. These areas are very essential as a result of they’re susceptible to stiffness which is usually a large drawback if you get on the highway. Tight hip flexors, hamstrings, and quadriceps can restrict a runner’s stride and pace.

Subsequently, by growing mobility, flexibility, and vary of movement, Yin Yoga helps to reinforce a runner’s efficiency. Yin Yoga is a restorative yoga model that enables the muscle tissues to deeply chill out and launch pressure, thereby selling flexibility and may scale back the danger of damage.

Enhance restoration interval.

One of many foremost advantages of Yin Yoga for runners is bettering restoration interval. Lengthy-distance working may cause micro-tears within the muscle tissues, resulting in soreness and irritation put up run. The restoration interval for such can take a number of days relying on the severity.

By practising Yin Yoga after a run, you get to hurry up the therapeutic course of and alleviate muscle pressure. It is because the apply lets you sufficiently stretch the physique within the affected areas and promote circulation. The bonus is you’re extra prone to bounce again rapidly in your subsequent exercise. When you’re looking for extra methods to enhance restoration time, see my ideas on this put up!

Launch blocked power.

Yin Yoga relies on the concept sure energies might be saved or blocked within the physique. By holding poses for an prolonged time period, it’s believed that these blockages might be freed and power can move extra freely all through the physique. A few of these blocked energies are linked to ache and irritation which implies releasing them will help to alleviate ache and pressure whereas bettering total well-being. I used to like going to a restorative yoga class on a Sunday night time to assist ease the Sunday Blues as a further bonus after my lengthy runs!

Enhance elasticity within the muscle tissues.

Connective tissues within the physique assist to extend elasticity within the muscle tissues. Muscle elasticity is necessary for runners because it determines how usually the muscle shall be susceptible to tears. The extra accidents a runner suffers, the upper the probabilities of extra recurring accidents – one thing none of us need!

Yin Yoga stretches these connective tissues to additional promote elasticity and construct power. With improved muscle elasticity, runners are much less susceptible to muscle accidents which will help to enhance total efficiency.

Enhance endurance.

The important thing to long-distance working is endurance. Runners with excessive endurance usually tend to end lengthy races with out hitting the wall or stopping altogether. With no good endurance base, its virtually improssible to extend your pace over a protracted distance and subsequently bettering endurance is often excessive on a runner’s checklist. Surprisingly Yin Yoga will help us enhance endurance.

Although holding poses for a number of minutes in Yin Yoga might be difficult, it helps to coach the physique to tolerate discomfort and enhance psychological fortitude. Runners who apply Yin Yoga are prone to have a higher capability for pushing their limits, resulting in improved endurance on lengthy runs. Extra ideas on strategies of constructing endurance for working right here.

Enhance blood move/circulation.

Holding poses for an prolonged time period also can assist to enhance blood move and circulation within the physique. This may be significantly useful for runners who usually expertise decreased blood move to the extremities as a result of calls for of endurance train (chilly palms and ft anybody??)

Yin Yoga helps to enhance working efficiency in a holistic means.

The apply can assist in restoration, improve mobility and pace, and enhance endurance. With Yin Yoga included right into a your coaching, you possibly can scale back the danger of damage and enhance total efficiency. Plus it may possibly

For extra working ideas & tips, see my weblog!