If I have one regret looking back over 30 years of running, it's the fact that I didn't start practicing yoga sooner. I still love running as much today as I did back in the late 1970s and I'm also a strong advocate of incorporating a functional exercise training program into your weekly fitness routine. But if I had to choose one element of my own exercise program I enjoy the most, it's my yoga practice. Oh sure, all three of my brothers snicker when I prattle on about yoga, but I'm here to tell you it can be a very challenging workout. The beautiful thing about yoga practice is you can make it exactly what you want it to be.
My yoga technique leaves a lot to be desired and I have to make lots of modifications, but I sure do love how it makes me feel and the ensuing health and fitness benefits. Enough about me, let's discuss why yoga is great for runners and other endurance sport athletes.
Strength Symmetry and Balance
There are a few lucky individuals who are blessed with naturally perfect biomechanical balance. Most of us have unnoticeable discrepancies that can trigger injury problems when combined with repetitive endurance exercise. When we run, bike, or swim we are actually in a state of imbalance as we move. Some muscles tighten and others expand during the exercise motion, resulting in a stable body moving forward. Repeating this motion over and over tightens some muscle groups and weakens others, often resulting in a muscular imbalance that can lead to overuse injuries.
"Asana" is a Sanskrit word for body positions or body movements that occur when practicing yoga. During asana movements, we utilize coordinated breathing techniques during the movements and while holding yoga poses. Yoga poses are held for periods of time, creating a steady, isometric workload on muscle groups, especially in the core and leg areas of the body. Balance poses can be extremely challenging when performed correctly. Isometric muscle contractions place a sustained, even workload on the muscle fibers. Contracting a muscle group in an isometric manner is one of the best ways to develop evenly balanced muscle strength.
A well-designed yoga practice specifically works each direction of body movement, front to back, side to side. Running and other endurance exercises focus on moving in a single direction, in one specific, repetitive motion. This single direction aspect of running contributes to imbalance and overuse injuries. Yoga practice involves work in all directions, helping to maintain muscle strength symmetry. Muscle strength symmetry is a key factor in avoiding the running injury bug. You'll notice in most yoga classes, the instructor is very careful to replicate poses on each side of the body, providing a balanced workload on our system.
Yoga has taught me about being "mindful" of my body movements, another skill that can be very useful to endurance sport athletes. During yoga practice our focus is internal, rather than focused on an external outcome, e.g., running a certain time or distance. Developing the ability to focus internally during a running or triathlon event can be very beneficial to race performance.
By redirecting our focus internally, we are able to relax and concentrate, tuning out external distractions common to the racing environment.
Tuning In To Your Body
Through the practice of yoga, we learn that each day and every yoga session is different. Some days we have energy to spare and difficult poses seem easy. Other days we're tired and it seems our sense of balance has left the building. Practicing yoga creates an awareness and acceptance of the fact that yoga practice and exercise sessions in general vary greatly from day to day. As an endurance sport athlete, transferring this awareness to your training program can be extremely beneficial and make your sport(s) more enjoyable for years to come. We learn to accept our body's limitations and we're more emotionally comfortable when taking extra rest.
Another important principle of yoga practice is "pranayama", another Sanskrit word, meaning yoga breathing. Pranayama is essentially the art of breathing control, bringing healthy oxygen to the brain and muscles through slow, deep breathing techniques. Pranayama breathing is much different than the fast, shallow breathing pattern utilized during more traditional aerobic training. Pranayama breathing can lead to stronger lungs and a healthier heart. Some recent studies have shown deep breathing exercises might have a beneficial lowering effect on high blood pressure.
There's a lot to be said for the relaxation benefits derived from practicing yoga on a regular basis. Have you ever noticed how world-class runners and triathletes make it look so easy? A large key to their success is the ability to relax while racing, maximizing the body's ability to burn energy efficiently. Learning to mindfully relax during yoga practice is a skill that can be very useful for any competitive athlete.
Commit to Practicing Yoga
Yoga practice is a wonderful exercise activity for any endurance sport athlete. Benefits include improving or maintaining a healthy range of orthopedic motion, strengthening weak muscle groups, improving balance, and experiencing a beautiful sense of calm and well-being.
If you're new to yoga, I respectfully recommend checking your ego at the studio door. Many yoga classes include yogis of all experiential levels and many seasoned practitioners will be able to out-bend, out-flex, and out-stretch most tight-hamstring runners, cyclists, and swimmers. It's a good idea to let your class instructor know you're new to yoga and that you're an endurance athlete with limited range of motion.
Many health clubs and yoga studios offer entry-level classes that are perfect for endurance sport athletes dipping their toes in the yoga water for the first time. Commit to yoga practice and give it a try for 90 days. Chances are good you'll be hooked for life.
Namaste. The divine in me, honors the divine in you.
Fred Klinge is currently certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a Health/Fitness Specialist. He participated in 1984 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and has a marathon PR of 2:18.15. Fred is a Personal Trainer specializing in functional training exercise. He owns and operates Symmetry Training Systems, LLC, based in Mandeville, Louisiana. symmetrytraining.com symmetrytraining.com/
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