Yoga for Injury-Prone Runners

Yoga for Injuries

We know that yoga can lead to, among many things, stress reduction, increased flexibility, strengthening, and relaxation. But what does yoga do for the injury-prone runner?

I started a yoga practice nearly two months ago in a desperate attempt to combat shin splints and a months-long hip ache. After just 3 weeks of taking 3-4 yoga classes per week, my aches and pains subsided, and I felt much stronger overall. If you find you are chronically injured from running, yoga could be a solution for you. With the information below, I hope to provide fellow injury-prone runners with a potential path to running injury-free.

The Injury-Prone Runner

As a runner, I have always been plagued my injuries: stress fractures, shin splints, iliotibial band syndrome, and hip pain. I've always envied the runner that can go for daily runs. I've learned the hard way that I have to limit my running to 3-4 days per week max to minimize my chances of sustaining injuries. I had come to accept this until nearly 2 months ago when, despite following these guidelines, I still managed to develop shin splints and bring back to life a months-old hip pain. I didn't understand it - I was limiting my running and allowing for adequate rest in between runs. Why was I still experiencing pain?

The advice of various doctors over the years could be summarized into two main points: I have weak hips and extremely tight calves. I tried doing hip strengthening exercises and stretching my calves, but my efforts didn't seem effective. From a place of desperation, I cut back drastically on the frequency and distance of my running and turned to yoga.

The Results

I started attending yoga classes just after I cut back on running. When I returned to running regularly a week later, everything felt fine, but I attributed this to my recent rest period. I continued with the yoga classes. I felt a bit stretched and very sweaty after each yoga session, but nothing beyond that.

Three weeks later, however, it hit me: I had been running for weeks with no sign of pain. Beyond that, my hips felt strong, and there wasn't the slightest feeling of tightness in my calves. At this point, I became very interested in learning more about the relationship between yoga and running. I delved into research, hoping the results would show that yoga was the antidote to my years of injury.

The Research

I came across an article in the Yoga Journal called "Yoga and Running" by Baron Baptiste and Kathleen Finn Mendola. This article had all of the answers to my questions.

The article touched on two main ways that runners can benefit from yoga. First, yoga provides "restorative, elongating, loosening work" to combat the "pounding, tightening, and shortening" of muscles caused by running. Loose muscles are less prone to injury than tight ones. Second, yoga leads to the development of "body wisdom," or intuition that allows us to detect warning messages from our body that might otherwise be disguised by endorphins. For example, a runner practicing yoga might be better able to intuit subtle knee pain, allowing the runner to take the necessary precautions to prevent a full blown injury.

The article's first point resonated with me very strongly. Countless downward-facing dogs, forward bends, and other poses had stretched and loosened by calves and hamstrings, likely resulting in the disappearance of my shin splints. Similarly, pigeon pose, hip openers, and one-legged balancing poses had likely stretched and strengthened the muscles surrounding my hips, ridding my left hip of the pain it had felt for months.

Going Forward

I have continued to practice yoga 3-4 times per week and have enjoyed injury-free running for nearly 2 months. I plan to continue my practice indefinitely.

If you're an injury-prone runner like me and don't know where else to turn, I highly recommend that you give yoga a try. It won't be the answer for everyone, but it's worth a shot, particularly if you've tried everything else.