If you are a runner, you start craving your next run even though you are just back after completing one. That is all you can really think about – your next run. But your body needs all the help it can get to recover quickly and effectively. Restful sleep goes a long way in accomplishing this, so does eating well through the day. But even after this, most runners have a bit of tightness and sweet soreness in their body.
Runners’ bodies demand a little more than rest and good nutrition to recover well. That is when yoga asanas come to the rescue.
Here are some of my favourite asanas for runners, which provide the deep stretching and flexibility a runner’s body craves for before or after a run.
The Sumo ( Malasana ): Squat as deep as you can, push your knees out with your elbows, hold a namaste near your chest, breathe. In addition to stretching several lower-body major muscle groups, squatting has a deep positive impact on mobility and balance. This can truly change the way you use your body.
The Thunderbolt ( Vajrasana ): This is an excellent stretch for your shins, ankles, quads and lower back. Being barefoot, kneel, stretch out your toes backward and sit back on your heels bearing the full weight of your buttocks on your heels, while your torso stays perpendicular to the ground. This may be difficult to do at first. Practise with a blanket under your feet for 30 seconds at a time. You can eventually learn to sit for as long as 20 minutes in this miraculous pose.
This asana also lends itself to some nice variations: you can hold your heels, raise your hips and throw your head back into a camel ( Ustrasana ) posture to stretch your abdominals. Sit back again, and this time push your nose to the ground for a deep lower-back stretch in child’s pose ( Balasana ).
The Lizard ( Utthan Pristhasana ): From plank position, bring a foot forward in an outward arc, place it outside your palm. Gradually lower your elbows to the ground, drop the knee outward and raise the neck upward. Repeat on the other leg. This pose not only deep-stretches every muscle in the leg, but also provides a huge boost to hip mobility, which leads to increase in stride length.
The Pigeon (Kapotasana): Start with knees and palms on the ground. Bring any one foot forward, send the other foot backward, find a position you feel balanced and stable in. Then lower your forehead and arms to the ground. Hold this pose while breathing normally, repeat on the other leg. This is a great stretch for the glutes and lower back.
The Cobra ( Bhujangasana ): Lie down on your stomach, tuck and fold your toes inwards, plant your palms under your shoulder, gradually raise your neck, bending backwards until all your weight is on your palms and knees are off the ground. Hold this for 30 seconds while breathing normally. This is great for the upper body and lower-spine strength and flexibility. It also expands your chest while improving posture.
Downward Dog ( Adho Mukha Svanasana ): Starting on all-fours, tuck your toes inward, lift your knees off the ground and attempt to touch your heels to the ground, while keeping your legs straight at the knees. Push away from the ground through your palms, keeping your shoulders square and head between your arms.
Viparita Karani: Sit facing a wall, lower your head to the floor, raise your legs up the wall. Rest in this pose for five minutes at a time. Do this several times a day. This easy pose drains your legs of all the soreness, has a calming effect due to improved circulation and the inversion does intangible wonders to tired muscles. If you are up to it, you can lower your legs behind your head into a plough.
