Aches and pains aren’t uncommon for runners, and one way to ease them—and improve your overall performance—is to practice yoga regularly. But should you head to yoga class right before going for a jog or run? That one’s up for debate. Let’s talk about it. Practicing Hatha, Vinyasa, Iyengar, and various other styles of yoga is an amazing way to keep your muscles flexible, strong, and mobile. All those tree poses and arm balances are great for balance and core strength, and practicing breathwork will make even breathing second nature. “Light yoga will stretch tight muscles and loosen up stiff joints that would otherwise be compromised,” Dr. Alicia Armitstead tells mbg."[Practicing yoga regularly] will therefore decrease the risk of injury during running. " But according to Dr. Tiffany Lester of Parsley Health, taking a full yoga class before running probably isn’t a good idea at all. “We treat so many runners, even marathoners,” she tells mbg. “We work with them to create a custom plan for how to protect their bodies while reaching their goals. We tell them that while it can be beneficial to do some yoga poses to warm up before running, I would not recommend a full yoga sequence. “Practicing yoga stretches and relaxes muscles that need to be tight to withstand the physical load when running. You could potentially injure yourself by doing yoga beforehand because those muscles are too relaxed.” So, there you have it: Be a runner and a yogi. But make sure each activity has its own time and place.
