In the third part of our series on running and stress, we look at how practising yoga can benefit your mind, your body and your running

Words Emma Heald

Running offers us many benefits. Of course there’s the physical side of things. But way above that, it offers us an opportunity to step away from our lives and the daily to-do list. It’s mindfulness, basically – and we can give ourselves a pat on the back for discovering it long before it became the in thing. So with that in mind, what on earth can yoga offer us that we don’t already have? Quite a lot, actually.

During a run the body focuses on certain muscle groups such as hamstrings, hip flexors, calves and quads, while you also concentrate on the action of moving your arms and staying focused in order to complete the miles and avoid trip hazards. So there’s quite a lot going on.

Traditional pre- and post-run stretches usually target the muscles that feel like they have been worked. However, yoga not only creates stability and strength on the ‘worked’ muscles but also gives your entire physique time to rest and restore itself with stretches for the whole of the body. Because yoga is an activity that intends to create balance, it means tightness and tension can be alleviated before a run, therefore prepping the body for more taxing training and reducing the likelihood of injuries.