Pranayama

Importance of pranayama in preparing the body for running. Pranayama in running can primarily help with focus, losing focus at mile 22 makes for a difficult run. Learning to add synchronize movement with breath it comes naturally from yoga practice and can be important in running.

Three part breathing to focus on using the diaphragm and filling the whole body. This is one of the best methods to feel how the body reacts to breath. The interconnectedness of diaphragm movement with the psoas is also an important factor between pranayama and running.

I don’t recommend Ujjayi breathing for running. Breathing through the nose can be quite a bit more difficult but a slow and steadily focused breath can help relax during running.

Warmups

Warmups are slightly contentious. Are they needed? Even the Mayo Clinic website admits there are two schools of thought regarding the efficacy of general warmups. I think in an exercise that takes a lot of effort like running it is necessary to “ramp up.” What is getting warmed up? Muscles bring in blood and oxygen through dilated blood vessels.

An effective way to wake up the body is Surya Namaskar A. Surya Namaskar has been studied and found to increase pulmonary health in students. Consider the Ashtanga primary series. It begins with Surya Namaskar A and ramps into B before moving along into the core of the series.

Isometric exercises to build joint stability.

Muscle strength is important for joint stability and isometrics can alleviate joint issues. Isometrics are when a muscle is flexed and held in a flexed position for a period of time. In contrast to yin yoga where poses are held long in a relaxed state for a long period of time. Strengthening muscle means creating micro tears and then healing them, tempering the muscle making it stronger. Isometric training doesn’t build muscle in the same way but is more effective at increasing joint stability.

The knee joint is important in running and movement in general. Isometric use of the quad muscles and hamstring muscles can help to stabilize and keep the knee joint healthy over time. Strength into stability increases mobility. According to Yoga Journal the knee is most vulnerable at 90 degree bending. This is why watching the alignment with the knee is important. Where in Surya Namaskar does this happen?

The practice

Begin with three part pranayama.

Ease into the practice with more warmup.

Isometric Surya Namaskar B, easiest method is to use a block and squeeze, thereby flexing muscles adding the isometric training.

Samasthittihi block between knees and squeeze, more efficient flexing in the quad muscles.

Inhale into Uttkatasana block between the knees

Exhale folding keeping the block back to between the knees

Inhale halfway bringing the block to the ground support the hands

Exhale come back to Phalakasana and into Chatturanga the

Inhale to updog

Exhale to downdog, grab the block squeeze at the feet or knees

Inhale Virabhadrasana I holding the block between the palms

exhale lower to chatturanga removing the block

inhale updog

exhale downdog, grab the block squeeze at the feet or knees

Inhale Virabhadrasana I on the opposite side squeeze the block in the hand

exhale chatturanga remove the block

inhale updog

exhale downdog grab the block

inhale stop forward halfway lift use the block for support

exhale fold squeeze the block

inhale Uttkatasana squeezing the block

exhale stand and release samasthitihi