PSA: YBC Mantra Boxes are going fast, but there are still some available! Pre-order yours now while supplies last! And don't forget, we have a NYC yoga retreat coming up at the end of July and a Utah yoga retreat coming up in August - we'd love to have you join!
Have you ever sprained your ankle? As many of you know, I sprained my ankle at the end of April. It's slowly gotten better, and I can do nearly everything I used to be able to do except high impact stuff. Running is out of the question for right now, although I am feeling encouraged because in recent workouts, box jumps haven't affected my ankle too much! So I'm remaining hopeful that one of these days I'll be able to resume my running, and when that time comes, I'll be keeping these four yoga poses on heavy rotation. These are my top four picks for runners, who often suffer from tight hips, hamstrings, and chest.
1. Rag doll - This is an excellent pose to do at the beginning or the end of a run because it releases tension in the low back and helps to open up the hamstrings.
2. Crescent lunge - This is a good one for the hip flexors and chest. It helps to open up the whole front body, which often feels tight on a runner. Related: put a twist in it!
3. Warrior 1 variation - This variation works to open up the shoulders and chest while getting deep into legs.
4. Downward dog - A gentle stretch for the hips and hamstrings, this pose will also help to open up the armpit and chest area as well.
Breathe 5 - 7 breaths in each pose before taking it over to the other side if applicable or moving on to the next pose and let me know how it goes for you down in the comments below. Also, don't forget that you can make video requests over on the yoga forum!