YogaLife's Yoga For Runners:
Injury Prevention
Presented by New Balance

Run your heart out but don't run the risk of injury due to repeat use of certain muscles. These three poses target the most common aches and pains of roadrunners: it band issues, shin splints and plantar fascitis. Include this trio of poses into your workout and train pain-free again.

Tame IT Band Issues with Ankle to Knee Pose

Sit cross-legged. Bring your right shin parallel to the front of the mat ensuring that your knee is in line with your hip. Then with both feet flexed to protect the knees stack your left ankle over the right knee. The left foot should dangle over the knee. If your hips are tight sit on a blanket or telephone book. Applying equal weight to the right and left hip placing your fingertips in front of your shins for support, inhale, elongate the spine and exhale fold forward slightly. Continue folding or hold the pose in a relaxed state for 10 to 15 breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Stave Off Shin Splints with Half Splits

Come onto all fours. Step your right foot forward and place your fingertips between your hands. Turning the back leg in with the knee facing the floor begin to extend that left leg back, ball of the foot staying on the ground until the leg is almost straight. Then take the right leg and with a flexed foot send it as far forward as possible, keeping the kneecap facing skyward. Continue to keep the knees and heels in line with the hips as you lengthen the front leg forward and away from the back leg. Lower the pelvis toward the floor and the intensity of the stretch increases. Stay in this pose 1 to 5 minutes. Repeat on the other side.

Prevent Plantar Fascitis with Heron Pose

Come onto all fours. Extend your left leg in front of you and sit back on your right heel, turning your calf muscle away from your hip and keeping your foot as close to your body as possible being sure that the top of the foot and the ankle bone are being stretched. Rebend your left leg and place your heel in front of your hip. Grip your left ankle placing one hand on either side of your foot.  As you lean back extend the left leg. Hold for 10-15 breaths. Lower the leg gently and come onto all fours then extend the legs forward one at a time. Repeat on the other side.

More videos for runners:
Post-Run Stretches
Pre-Run Poses
10-minute Flow

---