Yoga and running .. advice please

[Chokka]

Hi all

Looking for your experience / advice please ... I’m an avid daily yoga bunny. Since starting the C25k (one run to go before graduation ... yay!) I’ve noticed that my yoga-flexibility has reduced dramatically ... especially in my calves & lower back: they feel much tighter than before ...

Is this normal?

Thanks for any words of wisdom!

[Blackberrypie Graduate]

I also do yoga most day. Currently halfway through and I've not noticed less flexibility though that may be to come! I like yogawithadriene's 20 mins runner's yoga for my post-run stretch as I feel it gives me enough time to keep building my flexibility. Does your flexibility recover if you take a longer break?

[Chokka Graduate in reply to Blackberrypie]

Oh I LOVE Adriene ... have been following her for years!!!

Yes, for the last few weeks I’ve been doing her yoga for runners (before & after), but not religiously. Maybe I’m not warming up/down enough?

I haven’t noticed a difference if there’s a longer break in running (er, plodding) but maybe because I haven’t had a break of more than 2 days for fear of giving up the app !

Thank you for your thought provoking reply .. will try warming up/down with more stretches.

Thank you!

[Blackberrypie Graduate in reply to Chokka]

I tried her warm up and cool down videos but they were over too soon for me and didn't give me enough of a stretch - this: yogawithadriene.com/runners... is the one I like best. On rest days I work through her 30 day sequences - just coming up to the end of revolution now.

[thomasg]

Hi Chokka. Everyone is different and my advice is anecdotal but I think what you're experiencing is normal. I had a strong yoga practice for many years and then started running and noticed an immediate reduction in flexibility. I actually stopped yoga for several years while I continued to run and lift weights (not body building but enough that I put on some muscle) and my flexibility suffered.

When the pandemic started I started working from home and I started practicing yoga again, 25 minutes every morning; I've maintained my running and lifting regimen and my flexibility is much better. I may never get back to where I was when I was just doing yoga but with Parkinson's the cardio I get from running and the strength I get from lifting are worth the sacrifice. At the end of the day, how loose do you really need your hamstrings to be?

[Chokka Graduate in reply to thomasg]

True.

Good point, well made!

Until the last three or four years, I’ve never been especially fit, healthy or flexible ... so am now feeling that I’ve worked so hard, for so long, to become as flexible /strong as I am (was), that I’m really reluctant to sacrifice that ... especially as a side effect of trying to build on other areas of fitness...

Food for thought.

Thank you.