Do you feel sore, achy or tight after a run? Over time, running without mobility and stretching can cause instability on a body that will result in sprains, pains and injuries. But the perfect combination of yoga and running benefits the body in completely different ways. Yoga is an amazing way to help assist mobilize and stretch tough spots where runners require more mobility. Many yoga poses help runners to enhance balance, flexibility, coordination, concentration and endurance. Yoga can also help to remove physical and mental stress.

Some of the benefits of yoga for runners are as follow: Increased performance, less risk of injury, fast recovery, improved balance, increased strength and flexibility, enhanced circulation and many more.

1. Downward Dog

Downward dog is one of the best yoga poses for runners and helps the runner rid of various problems like fatigue, back pain, and stiffness. If it is done properly, and consistently, it will surely provide amazing health benefits.

How to Perform Downward Dog Yoga: Come on to the floor with your hands and knees the wrists underneath the shoulders and the knees underneath the hips. Now slowly raise your hips up towards the ceiling with your legs stretched behind you and keep feet flat on the ground. Stay in this pose for several breaths (around 1-3 minutes) before going back to the initial position.

Benefits of Downward Yoga for Runners: Build bone density, Stronger hands, wrists, low-back, hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendon, eliminates stiffness and back pain, boosts circulation, elongated shoulders and shoulder blade area, deepened respiration etc.