Five yoga poses for runners

Since we've got a team heading to the Belfast City Marathon this May (sponsor us?) we thought we'd put up a few suggestions for anyone getting the miles in! As ever, these are suggestions only and best practiced with the guide of a teacher - so of course consider coming to classes with us at Maitri Studio. 

1) Adho mukha svanasana / downward facing dog - rest the heart and lungs with a little inversion, stretch out those hamstrings (back of thighs) and calf muscles while getting a good spread of the feet and toes. You can also do this with hands on a chair. 

2) Ardha virasana / half hero pose at the wall - amazing for the quads (front of thighs) - if it's too much to be up the wall as Eva is showing in this pose then lean forward more and put the hands on a chair or table. Take padding under the knee or between the foot and the wall if it's uncomfortable. May not be suitable for certain knee injuries - ask a teacher :) 

3) Marichyasana / seated twist - runners can often end up rounding the back so this releases the spinal muscles, open the chest and shoulders and gives a stretch to the outer thigh (IT band) at the same time. Sit on a height if the hamstrings are tight and don't worry if you don't bind the arms as Maura demonstrates here - you can just hook the arm over the knee or hold the knee with the opposite hand instead.

4) Purvottasana / intense stretch of the East i.e. front of the body - a chance to really engage the back body and open up the chest - can be practiced with bent legs too, or even with hands on a chair. Rachel shows this with hands on bricks which helps especially if the shoulders are stiffer. 

5) And rest in supta baddha konasana / supine bound angle (or cobbler) pose - nice to take the support of a bolster after all your running practice, give the legs a rest, release tight hips and support the diaphragm for smooth, easy breathing. 

INTERESTED IN MORE? These are all shown by teachers with an Iyengar yoga teaching qualification based at Maitri Studio. Any of the Iyengar yoga classes with Claire, Maura, Rachel or Annamarie will be great for you, and Eva has a core yoga class on Friday mornings. You might also like Lucie's yoga for athletes class on a Tuesday night or indeed any other of our yoga classes at the studio. Browse the list of instructors for more, or drop us a message on email [email protected].

There are of course many more poses that would be helpful for runners! But that could be a whole book....