Yoga is a beneficial practice for runners to improve flexibility, correct muscular imbalances, decrease risk of injury and improve running efficiency. Although running and yoga seem to reside on opposite ends of the fitness spectrum, as a runner, there are many benefits you may experience through the practice of yoga. The sport of running, by nature, involves competition and high impact, jarring movements. Yoga on the contrary is non-impact and although physically rigorous, does not involve competition. A mind-body connection is one similarity shared by both activities. In addition to gaining greater concentration through your mind, your physical body stands to gain many benefits through the practice of yoga.

  Muscular Balance

 "Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it” a famous quote by the late, Steve Prefontaine, reflects an attitude shared by many runners.  As a runner, you have probably heard plenty of comments from non-runners about how bad running is for your body. Running itself is not dangerous. Rather, it is the skeletal and muscular imbalances which are caused by running, that lead to injuries. It is estimated that you absorb approximately four times your body weight on each foot while running. For the average mile, each foot may strike the ground 1000 times. For a run of 10 miles, your body absorbs approximately 40,000 times your total body weight.

  Your body adjusts to the imbalances by shortening and tightening your muscles. This compensation leads to decreased flexibility, limited range of motion, and overuse injuries. Without opposing movements to counteract the imbalances, extra stress is added to your skeletal and muscular systems. Common trouble spots for runners include knees, feet, ankles, hips, lower back, hamstrings and hip flexors.

  Strength and Flexibility

Yoga counteracts the detrimental effects of running to keep you running longer and stronger. Regular practice will correct muscular imbalances which helps prevent injuries. The increased flexibility experienced through yoga improves your stride length and running efficiency. Additionally, yoga will help you maintain proper knee alignment, thus allowing better shock absorption. A vigorous yoga practice will develop upper body and core strength as well as enhance stamina and endurance. The concentration developed in yoga assists with the mental toughness required during training runs and races.

Aside from actually hitting the pavement, there are many ways to improve your running time:

Slow down on the weight training Weight training your legs with heavy weights actually slows your running time- use light weights during leg workouts. Do not completely avoid doing exercises, your legs still need muscle strength.

Do low-weight leg extensions This exercise will strengthen the muscles and ligaments in the knee area, alleviating pain caused by runner's knee { See: proper footwear } or from other reasons.

Do air squats Either holding a light weight or just using your body weight, air squats will strengthen your whole body and keep muscles balanced. See how many you can do in one minute, then work to improve the next time.

Switch between running on a treadmill and running outside There's a huge difference between running indoors and outside. Treadmills can be softer on your feet, making it easier to run longer distances. However, running outside gives you practical obstacles and quick inclines/declines without waiting for a machine to readjust.

Listen to music Picking songs with beats and tempos, like what they play for models on a catwalk, will actually keep you focused on your foot strike. Try finding longer songs so you keep your focus; songs changing every 3 minutes can be distracting and make you lose your pace.

Pay attention to posture and foot strike Improper foot alignment, leaning too far forward/backward, keeping shoulders high and tight, and clenching fists are all things that can tire your body out before you've gotten to the end of the block. You should hit the ground with the middle of your foot, you should only be leaning forward slightly, shoulders should be down, and hands should be kept free and loose.