Through practice and experimentation, we can all find the style of yoga that best complements our running practice and lifestyle.
Because yoga has it all, it all comes down to which style of yoga you choose to practice – but know that you don’t have to commit to one style!
If you’re looking for a short answer, all types of yoga are great for runners. However, Yin Yoga and Power Yoga could be considered the most complementary to running practice. Whether you’re looking for a way to relax after running or prepare your body for a morning of kilometers, yoga has something to offer.
In this post, we’re going to look at some of the most popular styles of yoga and how, exactly, they can benefit you as a runner.
What style of yoga is for me?
The style of yoga that you choose will depend on what it is you’re hoping to gain from the practice. Needing to improve your strength versus needing to improve your mobility will change the style of yoga that’s best for you.
Though you may need to work on your mobility, you may find that you get bored in floor-based yin yoga classes. Getting bored does not lead to great practice – you’ll come to dread your time on the mat, and that’s the opposite of what we’re trying to gain! Remember that, to stick to your yoga practice, it’s essential that you enjoy it.
Taking the time to practice a few different styles of yoga has never been easier – with having an abundance of online classes at our fingertips! Commit to a few weeks of practicing various styles of yoga before signing yourself up for a month of classes that you don’t enjoy. It’s also possible to love and practice more than one style of yoga – in fact; this could be great for your running performance.
Experiment with yoga alongside your current running routine to see what works best for you.
Quick Tip
How to fit yoga into your routine
The best way to fit yoga into your existing running routine depends completely on your lifestyle and the type of yoga you choose to practice.
If you opt for a fast, strength-based style of yoga, you might like to practice on your rest days to ensure that you’re not exhausting yourself by practicing yoga and going for a run on the same day. Yoga is also a great way to keep active on your rest days with a less intense form of exercise.
Slower, floor-based classes can aid post-run recovery – so you might like to set aside time to practice yin or restorative yoga after running. Your body will benefit no matter when you practice yoga; the most important thing is to make sure that you’re consistently getting onto your mat and getting to know your practice.
Should I practice yoga at home or in a studio?
You decide to practice yoga depending on what’s available to you and the way you prefer to practice.
Practicing in a studio allows you an in-person experience with an instructor who can see, correct, and adjust your alignment while also making suggestions for poses that might be more suitable for your level, mobility, or any injuries that you may be suffering from. By attending in-person classes, you’ll also meet new people and experience the ultimate relaxation of spending time in a studio.
Practicing yoga at home means that yoga is at your disposal whenever you need it and however long you need it for. Simply roll out your mat, find your favorite online teacher, your preferred style of yoga, and begin your practice!
When we practice at home, we make yoga that little bit more accessible in what might otherwise be a very busy schedule—saying that escaping to a studio is a commitment to an hour or more of practice where you can’t be disturbed by other people or goings-on in your house.
The decision is yours! But feel free to experiment with it a little.
You might like to start with in-person classes to get time with an instructor whose advice you can then follow in your at-home practice.
The best style of yoga for runners
Here are some of the most popular styles of yoga for runners and the ways that they can help you. Note that this isn’t an exhaustive list of every style of yoga that exists, but we guarantee that you’ll find something here to suit your lifestyle and running practice.
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga is a great place to begin if you’re starting on your yoga journey. Because Hatha yoga classes move slowly through the positions, spending lots of time in each pose, you’ll have the chance to get familiar with the names of each pose and their correct alignment before moving onto something faster – if you want to move on at all!
This style of yoga is great for strengthening the muscles in the lower body to improve your running practice.
Vinyasa flow
Vinyasa flow is similar to Hatha yoga in that the classes incorporate many of the same standing postures. The main difference is that vinyasa flow is much faster-paced – you’ll move into a new pose each time you inhale and exhale, making this style of yoga something of moving meditation.
Though you’ll be sweating by the end, there will be lots of time spent in poses that help you to warm up and cool down to make a well-rounded class. Vinyasa yoga will help you in your running practice by stretching and strengthening the body and helping you get familiar with the way your body moves and balances in different positions.
Restorative yoga
Restorative yoga is all about rest, something that many of us need after a long run! This yoga style aims to guide your nervous system away from fight or flight response and back to a rest and digest response.
All poses are practiced on the floor, and your body will be fully supported by an array of props positioned in a way to help you relax and let go completely. This style of yoga offers little to no stretching and no form of strengthening the muscles. Being so different from running makes it one of the best yoga styles to practice after an hour on the pavement.
Yin yoga
Arguably, yin yoga might be the absolute best style of yoga to practice as a runner. Why? Because its purpose is to soothe our sore muscles while encouraging us to take a breather.
Yin yoga is practiced in floor-based poses that aim to improve flexibility and mobility and target deep connective tissue that can otherwise be pretty hard to stretch. When practicing yin yoga, you’ll spend anywhere from 3-5 (even up to 15!) minutes in each pose, giving your muscles and fascia the time they need to lengthen and recover after running.
Note that this style of yoga is not safe to practice before running as you risk weakening your muscles. Save this one for a little TLC when you get back home!
Power yoga
If you’re looking to work on strength to improve your running results, power yoga could be the one for you. It’s more intense and faster-paced than Hatha yoga but focused more on strengthening than vinyasa flow.
Power yoga focuses on building strength and endurance while staying connected to your breath and is a dynamic yoga practice that will have you sweating after just a few minutes of flowing through poses.
Ashtanga yoga
Ashtanga yoga is similar to vinyasa and power yoga but with a wider range of some uncommon yoga poses. Ashtanga offers deep stretching and strengthening, as well as a way to increase your heart rate.
The wonderful thing about Ashtanga yoga is that it is a fixed series of poses – after following a few classes and learning the flow, you’ll be able to practice the series by yourself. This is also a great way to monitor your progress and learn more about your body.
The takeaway
Suppose this post has left you more confused than it has given you clarity, fear not. Just get practicing! Subscribe to the free trial
of any online yoga studio and have some fun experimenting with all the different styles of yoga. You may find that you love a style of yoga that you’d never even considered trying.
When you get to know yoga in all its different forms, you can tune into and respond to what your body needs on any given day. If you need to wake your body up, stream a short vinyasa class before you go running. If you need a really good hamstring stretch, opt for a yin yoga class that focuses on the hamstrings.
Yoga has so much to offer us as runners that we would be crazy not to try it out – your body and overall performance both have so much to gain.
We’re curious – do you practice yoga as a runner? And if so, what’s your preferred style and why?
