Feeling Tight After A Run? The Yoga Poses You Should Be Doing, According To A PT
This content is brought to you in partnership with OrthoCarolina, one of the nation's leading orthopedic practices with offices across the Southeast.
Whether you're an avid runner or a total beginner, you've probably noticed that your muscles (particularly your legs and hips) can get a little tight after a run. Thankfully, there are a few simple yoga poses that you can do to relieve some of that tightness after getting a few miles in.
We asked Jenni Freie (PT, DPT, OCS at OrthoCarolina) to clue us in on the best yoga poses to do if you're feeling tight after a run. Here's what she recommended.
PT-Recommended Yoga Poses For Runners
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho mukha śvānāsana)
Freie recommends this pose to stretch the calf muscles and hamstrings. "It is also good to strengthen the arms, and to stretch to the arms overhead and release any tight neck muscles," she added.
Half Splits Pose(Ardha hanumanasana)
Freie suggests this pose to release the hamstrings. If you're experiencing IT band tightness, she recommends adding a twist.
"ITB tightness is a common cause of knee pain in bikers and runners," Freie explained. "To stretch the ITB from half splits, twist open towards the front leg (right) by grounding the left hand down on the floor and reaching the right hand up towards the sky."
Low Lunge(Anjaneyasana)
From half splits, Freie recommends shifting forward into a low lunge to stretch the hip flexors, a common area for tightness in runners. "This pose is also good for anyone who is in a desk job," she added.
If you're in a low lunge to stretch the hip flexors, Freie says you should keep your 'trunk' (or torso) upright and avoid arching the low back. "Keep your pelvis tilted up by activating the abdominal muscles," she explained. "To intensify the stretch, tilt your trunk laterally, to the side opposite of your back leg."
Looking to add in a quadricep stretch? "From the low lunge pose, you can reach back for your back foot to stretch the quadriceps," Freie explained.
How long should you hold each pose?
Freie recommends that you prolong holds after running, for around two minutes or 30-40 breaths in each pose.
Where can you go for more information?
Follow @jennilynn_yoga to learn more about how yoga can help you in your wellness journey, whether you're a runner (or yogi) or not!
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