So a half marathon!
Did your heart just beat a little faster while reading that? Or is this your 99th race?
My first half marathon was a big deal to me and it should be to you as well because dang, that is a long run! Whether you are a newbie or an ancient runner, that is a big deal.
Let’s dive into yoga poses to help prep for and recover from a Marathon!
There are SO many things you can do to help prep your body for a marathon run or help it gain strength while training and yoga is only one of them. I’m sure you have heard lots about strength training in between runs and if you haven’t, look that up here! Yoga really is the cross training secret while training for AND recovering from a long run.
Another huge benefit that I noticed while using yoga to help me train is that it helped calm my mind a lot! This first half marathon freaked me out a little and there were times, especially as it got closer to the race date, that I could NOT get running or the race off of my mind! Yoga was my saving grace! I was able to just clear my mind and give it a break. It would give me a complete reset. The week before the big day when I was just a tad bit stressing out, my yoga mantra would be, “I can do this! I’m f****** strong!” And by the end of my practice, I injected so much self-confidence in me which really helped.
I then took that mantra off of my mat and onto the pavement when things got hard. Many times, running is all a mental game!
In this post, I will briefly go into key ques to look for while in each pose, what areas/muscles it strengthens and which ones it stretches. This post will also give you more information on how to start doing more yoga.
Downward Dog or Adho Mukha Shvanasana
Ques: Try to bring your heels to the mat and feel that stretch in those hamstrings and calves. If you can’t bring your heels to the floor, IT’S OKAY! If it is painful, do not push it, we do not want to pull any muscles here.
Strengthens: Arms, legs, wrists.
Stretches: hamstrings, back, Shoulders/upper back, Core, feet.
Child’s Pose or Balasana
Ques: Melt into the pose. Let your hips melt into the mat and feel the stretch in your arms, through the spine and down to the hips.
Strengthens: Hips, knees.
Stretches: Hips, lower back, arms, spine.
Forward fold (Uttanasana) and wide legged forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)
Ques: experiment with weight being distributed from toes to heel. Let your head hang and don’t be afraid to release tension in the neck and shoulders. Move your head side to side, forward and back. You can place hands on shins or ankles for an easier modification.
Strengthens: Knees, Thighs.
Stretches: Hamstrings, hips, calves.
Warrior One (Virabhadrasana I) and Warrior Two (Virabhadrasana II)
Ques: Back leg is straight and strong, keep that knee off of the floor while holding a lot of the body weight. Front leg is also strong and bent at a 90 degree angle. Don’t let your knee move past your toes. Arms are strong, core is strong, neck is long and shoulders are down.
Strengthens: Shoulders, arms, back, thighs, calves and ankles.
Stretches: Chest, lungs, shoulders, neck, belly, psoas, hips.
Chair Pose or Utkatasana
Ques: Engage the abdominals for better alignment. Bring both feet close together (more challenging) or hip-width distance apart (less challenging) while toes are slightly together, heels are slightly apart. The deeper you go, the more strength you achieve.
Strengthens: Knees, Abs, Calf, thigh, ankle.
Stretches: Shoulder, glutes.
Lizard Pose or Utthan Pristhasana
Ques: Back knee can be on (less challenging) or off (more challenging) the mat. Keep spine long and look forward to open the chest or down to find length. Hands (less challenging) or forearms (more challenging) can be on the mat.
Strengthens: Hips, knees, thighs, shoulders, ankles.
Stretches: hamstrings, quadriceps, calves.
Garland Pose or Mālāsana
Ques: Lengthen the spine and find balance between both legs and feet. For more of a stretch, push outward on your thighs with your elbows.
Strengthens: Knees, hips, glutes.
Stretches: Inner thighs, ankles, back.
Thread the needle or Parsva balasana
Ques: Keep equal weight in your knees. Start and end in a neutral table-top position.
Strengthens: Upper chest and shoulders.
Stretches: Abdominal muscles, Lower back, shoulders.
Revolved Abdomen Pose or Jathara Parivartanasana
Ques: Focus on keeping your shoulder blades to the mat and relax the shoulders away from the ears. Be aware of the lower back.
Strengthens: Lower back, spine, abdominal muscles, obliques.
Stretches: Spine, back, hips, chest, shoulders, bowel system.
Pigeon Pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Ques: There is a difference between discomfort and pain. Discomfort in this pose is not necessarily a bad thing, you will feel it. When you start to feel pain however, stop and re-situate your body.
Strengthens: Knees, upper legs, hips, glutes.
Stretches: Abdomen, thighs, groin muscles, hamstrings.
