During the buildup to the SeaWheeze Half Marathon, Strava and lululemon are challenging our combined global communities of runners to come together as a team to collectively run 1,279,000 kilometers in 31 days. That’s equivalent to 1,000 times the distance between our headquarters in San Francisco and Vancouver!
In an effort to help you in your training, race day prep and every day running, we thought we’d share some of the benefits of yoga for runners.
There are misconceptions and preconceived ideas around the practice, but yoga is more than just stretching. It compliments other forms of training, can prevent injuries and help in rehabilitation – proving that yoga is actually for everyone, including runners.
Flexibility can go a long way
No matter what sport you’re into, recovering quickly and preventing injury are key in exercising efficiently. Feel like getting supple? Yoga can be practiced as a form of recovery (such as Yin Yoga), or it can be strength-based, working on endurance, flexibility and mental discipline (Power Vinyasa or Hot Yoga). Yep, it’s harder than you think.
lululemon’s International Community Manager, Jessica Easter, has worked alongside some of the World’s best athletes and says:
Yoga can be athletic minded while focusing on strength, alignment and breath. Yoga for Running can be twofold: designed to increase flexibility/strength/focus, or designed to lengthen connective tissue and help prevent injuries.
Restore
There is a lot of evidence to show the benefits of yoga as a form of rehabilitation. Yoga is specific for each and every person and can be tailored to your injuries. Finding time to work on your weaknesses, strengthen areas of your body you didn’t think needed strengthening, and being able to see measurable results from your practice are all benefits from yoga rehabilitation.
Travis McKenzie, SeaWheeze Half Marathon race director and Ironman Triathlete, uses Yoga twice weekly to maintain strength, mental focus and assist in recovery.
Yoga has changed the way I approach my sport and training. It has shown me how important rest and recovery are during the build up to a big race. I’ll continue to build Yoga into my training as I get ready for Ironman Hawaii this coming October.
It’s for every body
It seriously is. Yoga is for everyone. Every shape. Every body. Every man, woman, child. Yoga is about allowing everyone the ability to experience the practice. You’ve just got to take that first step, that first downdog, and you’ll see for yourself. And it may even change your life.
Interested in giving it a try?
Check out your local lululemon store for complimentary in-store Yoga every week, or practice at home with the 2014 SeaWheeze Yoga practice. Goldie Kaufenberg created this runner-inspired, 48-minute flow with beginner and intermediate poses for runners and yogis of all levels.
Over the next 31 days, we invite you to share your run stories, take creative photos and share who you run with via Instagram using the hashtag #irunwith. Running and training with friends, teammates, coworkers and competitors helps you achieve things you never could do alone.