Your core plays a crucial role in running, providing stability, efficiency and power with every stride. Strong abdominals and obliques help maintain strong form, transfer force efficiently and support proper breathing. These yoga poses not only help you unwind after a run but also build core strength, reducing your risk of injury while helping you to run faster.
Boat pose
What: This pose works the transversus abodominis (TVA), which plays a role in stabilizing the spine.
How: Sit on your yoga mat with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hands behind you. Lift your palms off the floor with your fingertips and lift your chest.
Keeping your knees bent, lift your feet off the ground to create a V-shape with your legs and torso. Extend your arms in front of you, point your toes and brace your core. Pull your belly toward your spine and hold for five breaths.
Extra challenge: Extend your legs.
Downward dog split
What: This move engages the external obliques, which rotate the spine, along with the TVA.
How: Begin in a plank position, with your palms flat on the floor, arms straight and fingertips pointing away from you. Lift your hips up into downward dog pose, keeping your feet flat on the floor and your head between your arms.
Raise your right leg off the ground as high as it can go, keeping the left foot planted. Push through your hands and your left foot to keep your hips up and try your best to keep your heel planted.
Straighten your right knee as much as possible and point your toes. Hold for five breaths while pulling your belly close to your spine.
Side plank pose
What: This pose strengthens the internal obliques, which aid with breathing and spinal movement, and the rectus abdominis, which stabilizes the pelvis.
How: Begin in a plank position. Rotate onto the outside of your right foot and stack your feet, followed by your hips and shoulders. Lift your left arm off the ground, straightening it overhead and keeping it in line with your shoulder.
Press through your right arm and right foot to life your hips away from the ground. Hold for five breaths while pulling your belly toward your spine.
