Yoga teacher training for Runners: Flexibility, Strength & Breath better

Yoga teacher training for Runners: Flexibility, Strength & Breath better

Running is not only an effective cardiovascular exercise but it is a challenging and interersting workout as well. It not only helps you in weight management, but effectively builds endurance, heart health, discipline, resilience and stamina.

Yet, many runners worldwide complain about issues like tight hamstrings, stiffness in the hips, poor mobility, inefficiency in breathing, tiredness, muscular imbalance and injuries.

This is where yoga for runner becomes important. Whether you are a casual jogger or a marathon athlete, exploring yoga and signing up for a yoga teacher training course can be quite beneficial. At first it may seem like Yoga teacher training course is only designed for people who want to become yoga instructors.

But actually when runners get attached with such training programmes they not only learn about yoga but they also enhance their understanding about anatomy, movement, body mechanics, injury prevention, recovery and flexibility. This knowledge and observation about their own bodies and how the anatomy reacts to movement helps them train effectively improve their running, muscular balance, breathing efficiency and overall athletic awareness.

Why do you need ‘more than running’?

So even though running is a great activity. But it actually emphasises on repetitive forward movements. This might have over the time lead to restricted ankle mobility, stiffness in the hamstrings and the calves, tight hips, weak glutes, discomforts in the lower back, pain in the legs and even breathing inefficiency.

So because of the repetitive movement pattern involved in running some muscles tend to become overworked while others remain underdeveloped. This is where yoga becomes important for runners as it helps to restore balance, And a yoga teacher training course will educate the runners about recovery and engagement of overall muscles and not just basic stretching.

What does a yoga teacher training course include?

A YTT Course is a holistic learning experience that includes yoga postures, breath work, anatomy, biomechanics, recovery practices, injury awareness, mobility, mind body connection and meditations. It’s a holistic course that allows the runners to not only benefit in terms of improving their running but also in carving a new career pathway for themselves.

How can a YTT course benefit runners

Enhances flexibility

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of joining a YTT course for beginners would be to expand their flexibility range. As a result runners will see relaxation and stretching in their hamstrings calves, glutes, lower back, hip flexors.

When you don’t focus on flexibility along with running, no matter what kilometres you have covered you will see that your stride efficiency has reduced, your muscles have to compensate, the injury risk would increase and there would always be stiffness post training. These issues are pretty common and therefore need a holistic management.

Implementing flexibility will help in proper alignment and comfort in joint mobility along with right muscle engagement and learning stretches that are recovery focused.

Teaches breath work practices and endurance

Breathwork for Athletes can be a game changer in running. This is because breath control and endurance becomes an important part of the overall activity but many runners often develop shallow or inefficient breathing habits while they run.

YTT course will introduce them to breath work techniques like Pranayama, diaphragmatic breathing, Nadi Shodhan or alternate nostril breathing or Ujjayi pranayama etc. These breath work practices will not only aid in their efficiency but will also make their movements synchronized with breath work.

Reduces stiffness and boosts recovery

It is pretty common that runners complain about stiffness and discomfort in running. So recovery becomes very important. Yoga will not only help you in understanding muscle anatomy but also ineffectively restoring mobility, promoting relaxation, boosting blood circulation, enhancing nervous system recovery and reducing muscular tightness overtime.

Makes you mentally strong

In running also, we need to push ourselves mentally, because the pain you feel after your usual distance is not physical, it’s the mind challenging and refraining.

A **best yoga teacher training course **is not one which excels in teaching you advanced posters but actually one that helps you train your mind along with your brain. The right course will teach you about breath awareness, mindfulness, concentration and better mind body awareness. These skill will help you to stay focused during your run and effectively manage discomfort, improve your awareness about pacing and reduce mental burnout.

Makes you more aware of yourself

The knowledge about yoga will help you improve your proprioception that is the awareness about body movement. This will reflect in your stride, breath rhythm, fatigue, recovery and posture and help you reduce careless training.

How to elevate your flexibility?

· Begin slow and gently. It is to be kept in mind that flexibility does not happen overnight. So overtime only with consistent practice can you reach the level you wish to.

· Bring in the usage of props such as holsters, Yoga belts, blocks etc. Bringing in props will not only allow you to do the poses but also enhance the therapeutic benefits of the postures and make yoga doable for you. Gradually you can develop flexibility and you will be able to perform yoga without support tools and this will reflect in your running.

· Do not forget to Breathe. Flexibility is not only about physical asanas and mobility. It is about how you intertwine your breath in the movement during practice and running.

· Avoid comparing yourself with others, like running yoga is a deeply personal journey. Even if two people start at the same level, how they progress and grow will become completely different and unique. Therefore avoid comparison and focus on yourself.

For more information about Yoga Teacher training : https://www.adiyogam.com/