There are many added benefits of combining Yoga with a running routine. The muscle wear and tear experienced after a long run can be counterbalanced with stretching which is an integral part of Yoga. This in turn also helps build balance and strength in the body, making it possible for runners to enjoy their runs while being free of pain and injury.

As teachers, we understand that a consistent yoga practice makes us more aware of our body. This is especially useful for runners, as sometimes endorphins released during a run can mask signals of pain sent by the body. The mind-body awareness cultivated during Yoga thus helps runners be more intuitive to these signals sent by their body.

Most importantly, Yoga poses are great for relieving tight hips and hamstrings, while the building upper body strength and maintain good running form.

Yoga for runners is a niche yoga group and it can be easy to start teaching these classes in your vicinity. One of the best times to take advantage and organise Yoga for runner’s classes is during Marathon season. Keep your eyes open for your city’s Marathon or running calendar and organise a set of classes as a build up towards race day. Another option you can explore is the idea of a ‘Yoga for runners’ workshops. They can be planned along with Marathon sponsors and help spread the word amongst participants.

Getting in touch with local run clubs and teaching a few classes every week can also convince the runners about the recovery power of Yoga.

Warm up: Since runners are used to the warm up and cool down involved in runs, it’s nice to take a leaf of inspiration from this sequence into your class plans. Start off your Yoga for runners class with a good warm up. Sun salutations being the most obvious option, try and mix up the classic sun salutations by increasing and decreasing the tempo of each round.

Hamstrings & Hips: The most essential areas to focus on while planning a yoga for runners class are the hips and hamstrings. Poses like Knee to Chest Pose, followed by Reclining Big Toe Pose can be held for a longer time as they work on relaxing tight hamstrings. Other reclining poses like Eye of the Needle and Happy Baby Pose are extremely effective in opening the hips and releasing any stored tension. Other hip opening poses you can include into your yoga class plans are One-Legged Pigeon Pose, Prayer Squat Pose and Butterfly Pose.

Lunges are a runner’s best friend: One group of poses which are great to strengthen the legs are lunges. Warrior pose I, II and III are a great combination to add to any class plan.  Also, combining them with High Lunge, Low and Reverse Lunge Pose can add more variety and challenge the runners to work on their strength.

Yoga postures for Upper Body Strength: Runners have good lower body strength as the most commonly used muscle groups while running are the quads, calves, hip flexors, hamstrings and glutes. As a Yoga teacher, it is important to include poses that work the core and upper body strength. This allows for a good balance in the body and also improve the range of motion.

Breathwork: Most Yoga for runners classes skip pranayama altogether, as it’s assumed that the poses are sufficient to work on recovery. There are several benefits to including a small window of time in your yoga class for breathing exercises such as alternate nostril breathing and full yogic breathing. Leading runners through these exercises will allow them to understand the rhythm of breath, which can relieve cramping that occurs frequently during long distance runs.

Use of props: Keep your props handy while leading a yoga for runners group as tightness is a common issue amongst runners. Yoga straps specifically come in handy, as the runner’s inflexibility can hinder them from practising certain poses such as Reclining Big Toe Pose, One-Legged Pigeon Pose and Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose.

Blocks are also useful while leading them through Standing Forward Bends and Reverse Lunge Pose.

Most Yoga teachers planning classes for athletes and runners are often confused about teaching a Vinyasa or Yin style class. One way of solving this puzzle is to understand that running is an endurance sport and all runners get their active miles through running. So a cooling Yin would be the best to balance the Yin in running.

Eager to get started on your Yoga for Runners class plan? Click here to download a free Runners Yoga class plan today!

Adithi Mathews is a 500 Hr CYT,yoga practitioner and writer living in Germany. 

Athletes main focus is the sport that they routinely practice, that means that their yoga practice is more of an occasional element. Knowing that these athletes have a higher priority in their fitness routine will help you to help them develop an asana practice that works best for them.

While their main sport is their focus helping them to develop a well-rounded practice will encourage them to show up on their mat a couple times a week.

Most athletes have minimal yoga experience. That means that an overuse of Sanskrit can make the practice more frustrating than beneficial. Stick with simple and clear instructions to avoid confusion and allow your athlete students to really focus on the practice. If you have a good understanding of their sport, utilize verbiage that is relevant to their sport.

You can always implement Sanskrit and yogic philosophy if they begin to show an interest in it or have been practising with you for a while.

Choosing postures or sequences that mimic things that these athletes do in their everyday sport is a great way to get them to focus and to really learn to access their body in a new way. Each athlete will have a different set of movements that they are familiar with so it is best to really tailor your sequences.

For example:

Someone that does CrossFit will enjoy practices that include squatting postures and a more fast-paced vinyasa class. While a rock climber may be better served with postures and sequences that access their balance and range of motion. Runners will benefit from back bending and any lunge series that stretch out the hip flexors.

Classes for athletes should move through all the ranges of motion of the body and the spine. Be sure to include, Forward Folds, Sidebends, Backbends, and Twists, to allow for a well-balanced practice. These postures are essential to creating a balanced practice for athletes.

In choosing poses that are familiar to their main athletic pursuit, you are showing that you have an understanding of what they do which will make them more likely to return to your class.

Any athlete loves a good challenge. Odds are they are already pretty strong, so don’t be afraid to throw in difficult sequences that require a little endurance or arm balances and inversions. While you always want to ensure a safe practice, giving athletes a physical challenge will help them to connect to their yoga practice.

Athletes bodies are finely tuned machines. That is why it is important that you understand not only anatomy but also functional anatomy. Understanding how, why, and the best way to move the body will allow you to teach athletes in a way that is the most beneficial to them. Most athletes have a deep understanding of how their body works in their given sport, and your knowledge in that space will help them feel confident in placing their practice in your hands.

When you have been teaching for a while it can be easy to get stuck doing things one way. Working with athletes is one of the places where you can get incredibly creative. You can utilize creative sequences and poses that help them to stretch in ways that will benefit their body and their mind.

When you find yourself in a class amongst athletes, know that with a few simple adjustments you can create a quality class. These tips will help you create a class that not only brings the beautiful practice of yoga into the world of an athlete, they will also help them to find a new found strength and flexibility that will echo into their sport.

Keen on exploring a few Yoga for athletes class plans? Do explore the publicly shared class plans in the Yoga Class Plan application. Sign up for our 15-day trial today.