It’s that time of year when you’re hearing a lot about New Year’s resolutions, health goals, and plans for complete life overhauls. And it’s exhausting.
Don’t get me wrong – I love the idea of building healthy habits. But you don’t have to go from 0 to 60 or pick a huge, scary goal in order to improve your wellbeing. Small changes can have big impacts over time!
Try Something New
That said, it’s always a great idea to try something new. Obviously you love running or you wouldn’t be reading this blog – but it is much better for your body if you do more than just run. The new thing I want to suggest you try for 2020 is yoga.
Many runners avoid yoga because they don’t think they have the flexibility or balance to try it. But how can you improve those areas if you don’t try?
The Benefits of Yoga for Runners
Think of yoga as an extended stretch session. (And yes, you should be stretching – dynamic stretches before your runs and deep, static stretching after you log your miles.) Stretching helps to increase your range of motion and loosen up your muscles. The right set of yoga poses can also provide some much-needed recovery for your muscles as you train for your next race.
Yoga offers more than just a guided series of stretches. It’s a great way to clear your mind, which can help you find focus and keep anxiety in check. Yoga can also help you pay better attention to what is going on in your body – whether you are feeling pain in a particular place or need to work on strengthening certain areas. And because yoga focuses on the breath, you may even find that you can breathe better during your runs.
Don’t Be Intimidated
If you’re worried about looking silly or not being as good as others in a yoga class, don’t. Remind yourself that just like any other fitness class, people are there for themselves. And if you’re not ready to pull the trigger on buying a class package there are plenty of yoga videos out there so you can practice at home!
Running is amazing. But so is yoga. And you’ll be a better runner if you can incorporate yoga into your fitness routine. Namaste.
About Mandi:
- Merchandising Manager at J&A Racing
- Favorite Non-Running Workout: Barre or Yoga Class
- Random Fun Fact: My favorite food is sushi
