Adding yoga to our routine allows us to reap many benefits, such as greater mobility, flexibility, mobility, concentration, body awareness, mindfulness, and stress relief.
There are different types of yoga classes, from Yin-based yoga, which features long holds and is recovery-focused, to flow-based classes, which take you through proper warm-ups (usually sun salutations) and smart progressions to poses called asanas.
When you go to a class (either in-person or online) Instructors will also provide modifications to difficult poses, and some instructors will give hands-on adjustments, which can be helpful for body awareness and allow you to safely go a step deeper into a pose.
If you go to a yoga class, leave your competitive side and ego at home. This is important for avoiding injury. “Do not covet thy neighbor’s asana.” Focus on yourself and how the pose feels — do not look at what those around you are doing. Listen to your breath and your body.
But, let’s face it: attending a yoga class (in-person or online), that often lasts about 45-75 minutes, isn’t possible for many of us due to an already over-busy schedule. Yet, you can (and should) still get some yoga in your daily routine with just a few poses a day.
So, here are some of my favorites for endurance athletes. If the pose does not feel good or your breathing becomes short, back off or modify it. Make sure you are warm before doing these stretches, so either add them post-workout or do a series of sun salutations before them.
Hold each stretch from 30 seconds to two minutes each side. The longer the hold, the more you are working the fascia, tendons and ligaments (Yin-style yoga).
Namaste!
1. Downward-Facing Dog
Downward-facing dog is one of the first poses you’ll learn in yoga, and it is one of my favorite hamstring, calf, and foot stretches. I like pedaling my feet while in a downward dog to stretch out my toes and the arches of my feet.
The longer you hold the downward-facing dog, or the more repetitions you complete through the practice, the closer your heels will get to the floor but do not worry if they don’t touch the floor – that isn’t the point of the pose.
To begin, come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Bring your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Spread your palms and fingers, and turn your toes under.
Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first, keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Then with an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them.
Once you are in the pose, you can pedal your feet. First bending one leg and then the other. As the knee bends, the toes stay connected to the ground. This adds a dynamic stretch to the pose.
Click here for a video demonstration.
2. Pigeon
This is one of the best hip stretches and can help lengthen the IT band, but it is also intense and may be too difficult if you have tight hips. Start with Modified Pigeon if you are on the tighter side, which is many of us as endurance athletes!
Modified Pigeon:
Option 1: Lie on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet on the floor. Cross your right foot over your left knee, with your right knee pointing out to the side. Keep your right foot flexed to maintain the integrity of the knee. Reach behind the hamstring on your left leg and hug it toward your chest. Keep your head flat on the floor.
Option 2: You can do a version of Full Pigeon (see next); however, if you are not able to get close to the ground, you can support yourself with a bolster or blocks under your hips.
This video provides a variety of modifications to support where your mobility sits today. It is very important to work within the mobility of your body. Remember: I shall not covet thy neighbor’s asana.
Full Pigeon:
Begin in downward-facing dog or on hands and knees. Bring your right knee between your hands, placing your right ankle near your left wrist.
Extend your left leg behind you so your kneecap and the top of your foot rest on the floor. Press through your fingertips as you lift your torso away from your thigh.
Work on squaring your hips and the front side of your torso to the front of your mat. If you would like to go a step deeper, you can lean your body forward with a long spine.
To release the pose, tuck your back toes, lift your back knee off the mat, and then press yourself back into downward-facing dog. Repeat for the same amount of time on the other side.
Click here for a video demonstration.
3. Belt ITB Stretch
This is a great hamstring and iliotibial band stretch. Start by lying on your back with a belt looped around your right foot.
Keeping your leg straight without locking your knee, bring your right leg straight up and hold, enjoying the hamstring stretch. If this is too intense, bend the knee, or leave the leg further out from the body.
Then bring your leg across your body until you feel a stretch on your outer thigh and hold. Keep your hips flat on the floor rather than letting them twist up. You can increase the stretch by turning your foot inward.
4. Spinal Twist
I am addicted to spinal twists, especially when they give me a good crack in my lower back. The reclined spinal twist pose lengthens and encourages mobility along your spine, massages the internal organs, and stretches the hips, chest, shoulders, and upper back.
Begin by lying comfortably on your back. Bend your knees into your chest and extend your arms out alongside the body in a T formation, with your palms facing up toward the ceiling.
Inhale here, grounding your tailbone. As you exhale, drop both bent knees to the right, while gazing to the left. Hold and repeat on the other side.
5. Fire Log Pose
Yep, another hip opener. If you are an endurance athlete, and/or sit at a desk or in a car a lot, you most likely have tight hips. So, all of you reading this article right now 😂.
Begin by sitting on one edge of a folded blanket, knees bent, feet on the floor. Slide your left foot under your right leg to the outside of your right hip, and lay the outer leg on the floor.
Then, stack your right leg on top of the left. If you have more flexibility in the hips, you can slide your left shin forward directly below the right to increase the challenge; otherwise, keep the left heel beside the right hip. If you’re tight in the hips, simply sit with your shins crossed in Sukhasana (easy pose).
Keeping your front torso long, exhale, and fold forward with a long spine. Lay your hands on the floor in front of your shins. Repeat on the other side.
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