Real Men (and Women) do Yoga for Runners!

by Dave K

Yoga is boring. Yoga causes injuries. Yoga is inconvenient. Yoga is too hard. Yoga is too easy. Yoga is for females. Yoga isn't helpful for runners.

Or maybe that’s not true?

I've never been flexible. Not just the stubborn type of inflexible (although that, too). I've always had pretty limited flexibility. I remember in kindergarten, Mrs. Kass had us all sit cross-legged. Everyone looked so comfortable. I wondered why, since I sure didn't feel comfy.

But about 15 years ago I decided to give yoga a try after I kept hurting my back and neck. Although I can surely be a pain in the neck, my neck and back pain never returned.

Over the years, I've discovered that there's a lot that yoga has to offer, and a lot of variety in types of yoga. Something for everyone. It's just a matter of finding the right match.

Here's some of what I've discovered over the years about yoga

• Some classes are quiet and serious.
• Some classes are playful, with lots of chatter and silliness.
• There are many types of yoga (e.g., hatha, ashtanga, Iyengar, Bikram, vinyasa, etc.)
• Yoga can be slow and gentle.
• Yoga can be fast-moving and build tremendous strength.
• Yoga may be practiced in freezing cold rooms at health clubs that cater to exercise classes.
• Yoga may be practiced in yoga studios, sometimes even in steamy hot rooms intended for sweating out toxins and allowing tight muscles to stretch more readily.
• At some places, yoga can be practiced inconveniently and expensively where you better reserve a spot 48 hours in advance.
• Yoga also can be practiced inexpensively and conveniently at home with the help of books, DVDs, and on-line instruction.
• Yoga can be tailored for runners (please see resources, below).
• There's such a thing as NAKED YOGA classes (I kid you not).

I believe yoga helps me in life. And I believe that it also helps my running – injury prevention, improved fitness, greater range of movement, speedier recovery, and faster race times.

Don’t believe me? Can’t say that I blame you. So here are some testimonials, info and resources for Flyers who may want to explore yoga further to enhance your running, improve your life, or to just sit more comfortably in Mrs. Kass' kindergarten classroom!

Michelle Hill

Runner and NY Flyer Michelle Hill says "I started practicing yoga when I had braces at the tender age of 19 at the local Y when no one liked yoga. I had the teacher all to myself for about 10 years then Madonna started practicing yoga and then the classes got bigger. I don’t think people should use yoga to undo what running does; yoga is yoga and it benefits all areas of one's life, including running and training sensibly. There is a yoga philosophy that states Ahimsa or “non violence” to your body, or to others – mentally or physically. Many times I did harm to my body running through injuries or through tough times. Yoga transforms, it gives balance internally and externally. It’s not just physical. It involves the editing of one’s inner chatter."

Michelle became certified in Iyengar yoga after 20 years of study, teaches mostly at Reebok Sports Club on the UWS, and her e-mail and phone are found on the Flyers website under Who’s Who.

Jenny Gammello

Jenny is a runner who teaches a Yoga for Runners workshop at New York Yoga on the UES (www.newyorkyoga.com). Jenny says that "pounding the pavement and flowing on the mat may be at opposite ends of the exercise spectrum, but together they can work in harmony to strengthen, stretch and balance the body and mind. Yoga can enhance your performance by balancing joints, opening hips and hamstrings, strengthening arms and core, and increasing your VO2 Max (recently proven in a UC Davis study).” Jenny was once one of those people who felt like running and yoga just didn't work. "I quit yoga when I started running because my muscles were so tight that classes were just miserable. Then, I quit running for yoga because I felt like I was destroying everything I'd accomplished in my classes when I went for a run!"

So what changed her mind? "Yoga has actually made me a much better runner," she said. For starters, while running is very one-dimensional (all forward), yoga utilizes your whole body and your entire range of motion. "Yoga helps you find the best, most efficient way to move forward, not to mention the fact that it helps runners be more present and more aware of possible injuries." Aside from the physical benefits, the mental aspect of yoga can greatly improve your run. "For any athlete, it's important to realize the body and mind are one unit, and our mind is really what limits us," said Gammello. Learning to focus on your breath could just get you through those last few miles.

YOGA RESOURCES (HERE ARE JUST A FEW)

CLASSES

• Yoga for Runners at New York Yoga. I’ve been going, and it’s fantastic!! NY Yoga (1st Ave & 86th) offers a Yoga for Runners weekly workshop that continues up until the NYC Marathon. The class is every Weds, and began on 7/1, but you can drop in for single classes or buy a package of six for a discount. www.newyorkyoga.com.
• Classes by NY Flyer Ellen Bain. Runner, New York Flyer and yoga instructor Ellen Bain (http://ellenbainyoga.com/) teaches yoga classes at Equinox and elsewhere. Ellen has been practicing yoga since 1996 and has taught yoga in NYC since 2004. She has completed 5 marathons and experienced first-hand the benefits of yoga as a supplement to a committed sports training regime. Ellen says she is passionate about sharing this transformative practice in a manner that is accessible, informative, and fun!
• JackRabbit Weekly Thursday Night Yoga. At its Upper East Side store (Lex & 85th) JackRabbit's own Jen Heister hosts a FREE weekly yoga class. Stop by any Thursday at 7pm with your yoga mat (they have a few if you don't have one) for their basic yoga class where all levels are welcome. If the weather permits, they head over the Central Park together.
• Classes by NY Flyer Michelle Hill. Iyengar yoga instructor at Reebok Sports Club on the UWS.

 BOOKS

• The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga, by Sage Roundtree (an endurance runner).
• The Runner's Yoga Book, Jean Couch

 ON-LINE

• For those whose lives don't offer the "flexibility" (sorry) to attend classes, NY Yoga offers Yoga On Demand (http://www.newyorkyoga.com/), which is a selection of their yoga classes shown on-line.

DVDs

• Beryl Birch Bender’s Power Yoga For Runners. Very fast and challenging. For experienced yogis.
• Christine Felstead’s Yoga for Runners. Slow paced and gentle.