Running is great for your body. It has the following benefits:

• Improves your cardiovascular health and fitness
• Strengthens your muscles
• Burns a lot of calories
• Helps build stronger bones due to being a weight-bearing exercise
• Prevents sickness by improving immune system function
• Relieves stress

We could honestly go on and on, but most of you already know this as runners. However, your daily running adventures often come at a cost. As you start to push your mileage limits, your body starts to react and, well, break-down like a car out of fuel. 

You’ll feel uncomfortable in certain areas of the body. There might be pain and tightness in some of your muscles as they tire and feel a lack of energy, blood, and oxygen. There’s also the post-run soreness that most of you must have become accustomed to.

This is where yoga flow for runners can help. 

The 15-Minute Yoga Flow For Runners

Perform these 15 yoga poses to create the perfect yoga flow.

Boat Pose

This is a fairly simple pose, but it’s really effective in promoting blood flow to your muscles and reducing soreness.

How to do the boat pose:

1. Sit down on your mat and put your legs straight out in front of you.
2. While keeping your spine straight and long, observe a V-sit position, with your legs together. Your spine and quads should make a ‘v’ shape. 
3. If you are new to this, you can keep your feet on the ground or bend your knees.
4. If you feel like challenging yourself, you can lift your arms and straighten your legs.

Cross-Legged Forward Fold

This pose relaxes your spine and outer hips to give you the best feeling ever.

How to do the cross-legged forward fold:

1. Sit back upright with your legs folded and ankles crossed.
2. Gently bend forward and start to fold your torso over your legs. 
3. You will start to feel a stretch in your back and outer hips, so only bend over as far as it’s comfortable.
4. Do this for around 10 to 15 breaths.

Twisting Boat Pose

This is a slightly more pronounced version of the normal boat pose. We’re trying to work the outer muscles and sides. It’s an important part of our yoga flow for runners

How to do the twisting boat pose:

1. Return to your v-sit position. Your spine should be long, and legs should meet.
2. Put your arms out wide for balance and exhale as you twist to one side. 
3. Inhale as you come back to the center. 
4. Keep continuing and exhale as you twist to the other side. 
5. Do around five to ten rounds of twists.

We recommend doing cross-legged forward fold again after this pose for 10 to 15 breaths. 

Cobbler Pose

The cobbler post is a brilliant way to safely stretch your groin and legs. Make it a regular part of your yoga flow for runners.

How to do the cobbler pose:

1. Sit up on your yoga mat with your spine completely straight.
2. Bring your feet in like you would when crossing them over.
3. Instead of crossing them over, make sure that the soles of your feet are touching each other.
4. Let your knees fall naturally to the sides and don’t force their movement. 
5. Lean forward to stretch your inner thighs. 
6. Do this for 10 to 15 breaths for two rounds. 

Bridge Pose

This is one of the most popular yoga poses around and for a good reason. It’s almost essential for all runners.

How to do the bridge pose:

1. Lie down on your back. 
2. Put the soles of your feet on the ground and bend your knees. 
3. While keeping your hands to the side, press your hips up off the floor. 
4. You should feel a great stretch in your hip flexors. 
5. Hold this pose for 10 to 15 breaths and repeat once or twice. 

Locust ‘Y’ Jumping Jacks

This is the most complicated yoga pose on our list, but it’s definitely worth mastering. 

How to do the Locust ‘Y’ jumping jacks pose:

1. Lie down on your belly.
2. Raise your chest, arms, and legs off the floor.
3. Start doing “jumping jacks.”
4. Take a deep breath and spread your arms out in a Y shape. 
5. Squeeze your legs together and feel the stretch.
6. Exhale and bring your arms together while spreading your feet into a Y. Now, you’ve got a “jumping jack” motion.
7. Keep going for around 15 rounds. 

Bulgarian Split Squat

The name here is a bit misleading. Rather than being a squat, this move is actually similar to a lunge. It’s a brilliant move and can ensure a metabolic burn. It is also great for toning your  legs.

How to do the Bulgarian split squat:

1. Take a long step backward with your right leg, like you would when performing a lunge. You should feel a stretch across your right hip quad and hip flexor. 
2. In that same position, elevate the toes and top of your right foot on a bench, low table or sofa. 
3. Bend your right knee and lower your whole body straight down into the ground. Make sure to keep your torso straight and upright.
4. Come back to the top and repeat. 
5. Once you’ve got the hang of your form, you can pick up a dumbbell in each hand to challenge yourself.

Add Your Poses

These are the core yoga poses in our yoga flow for runners guide. You can choose to mix these poses and do them for 15-minutes or add some of your own favorite poses to make it super effective. 

Good luck and happy stretching!