Consult your health practitioner or doctor before beginning an exercise or movement program. Also check with your doctor if you have any health conditions or injuries to be sure you are cleared for exercise before practicing any movements below. If pain is felt during these movements, cease practice and refer to individual instruction from a health or fitness professional.
A Runner's Recovery
Perhaps the most important component to a healthy and injury free body when training is RECOVERY. Maybe you've heard this, and maybe not but it's a logical thought: "Our bodies break down when we train, and they build up when we rest." Gym goers might know this simply because many training programs encourage cycling between body parts or muscle groups from day to day. This allows the areas that have been broken down from the intense physical activity to recover before being stressed again, which is the process of adaptation we use in training. Overtraining occurs when we force the body to keep training when it has not fully recovered, and is commonly a precursor to injury. Especially if you are not an athlete, recovery time might be 2-4 days during which high intensity training would become less beneficial and more likely to hinder adaptation. With consistent practice and patience the body will soon become more adaptable and recovery will occur more quickly. But your body is unique and nobody else can tell you exactly what is the right ratio of activity and rest. This is a common problem I find with training programs that have a rigid adherence for training and rest. Every BODY is different and it will certainly tell you what is right and wrong. More pain, more gain is out the window. Pain means your body needs some love and attention from you, so listen to yourself before you listen to anybody else.
Enough of my soap boxing on overtraining... back to Recovery! And this does not mean your rest or recovery days will consist of being a couch potato either. Rest in this case is most importantly rest from your training activity. A sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition is generally not advantageous for a healthy body or physical recovery. Movement in its lighter forms is a great way to speed recovery between intense training sessions and minimize the discomforts of training in the body. Going for a light walk, moving around in a swimming pool, or taking a tai chi or yoga class can help supply the recovering muscles and tissues with extra oxygen and flush out waste products from the adaptive processes of the body. Staying hydrated and eating foods that fuel the body during recovery days is also a vital component to proper adaptation and just as important as it is on training days. Most importantly, acknowledging a state of rest and relaxation in our bodies, helps us to find a state of rest and relaxation of mind. If we're always striving for something, we can get burnt out before we even get there. Better to take a pause, enjoy the process, and be kind to the body and mind, because nobody else can do that for you but you!
Below are movements and postures that create an ideal environment in the body and mind for recovery. These movements are great for any BODY, but bring focus to particular areas of tension and imbalance common in runners. The first few movements open the upper body and ribs, waist and hips, improving circulation and oxygenation to the muscles of the body. As you work deeper in the sequence and into deeper poses, pay attention to the areas of tension and resistance, and continue to breathe deeply allowing for a natural release of those tight spots. You can finish your recovery sequence with some easy movements with gentle inversions as a way to promote elimination of waste products and create a relaxed state of body and mind for you to rest in. Practice this sequence post exercise, or as a stand alone restorative yoga session!
Chest Opener + Forward Fold
Hold 3-5 Slow, deep breaths
Begin in Mountain Pose and clasp hands behind the hips with the fingers interlaced. Engage the upper back muscles by bringing the shoulder blades toward the spine, and open the chest and shoulders by lifting the center space of the collar bones. Draw the arms up and away from the back waist, and breathe fully into the chest and upper ribs. If desired, fold forward on an exhale and perform additional breaths in a forward bend. Add a rotation like the Forward Fold + Twist by pulling the arms to either side and rotating the torso back and forth.
*Bent knee forward folds provide more relief for the lower back and legs. Wrists can be relaxed and elbows soft for an easier modification.
This pose/movement improves breath capacity and breathing mechanics while it reduces shoulder and neck tension. It is a great pose to improve posture and alignment in the upper body.
Standing Forward Fold + Twist
Repeat 3-5 times on each side Slowly
Begin standing in a forward bend with the knees with hands resting on the mat, ankles or shins. On an inhale, twist the shoulders one direction and extend that side arm upward to open the chest while extending the knee to open the outer hip and leg. Release back to a forward fold on exhale, and repeat on the second side with the following inhale. Continue the movements for the desired number of rounds.
*Bent knee forward folds provide more relief for the lower back and legs.
The legs, hips, spine and shoulders all benefit from this great warm up or cool down movement.
Yoga Squat (Garland Pose)
Repeat 5-10 times slowly or hold for 5-10 breaths
Begin standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, toes turned out. Fold forward and place hands on the mat or block between the big toes and on an inhalation, reach forward through the crown and extend the spine and elbows. On exhalation, lift from the base of the pelvis and bend into the knees sitting the pelvis back until it sinks below the knees toward the space behind the heels. Reach up through the center of the body while squeezing inner thighs against upper arms.
*Use a block, chair or bench in front of the feet if your hands cannot touch the floor. Create a dynamic movement by lowering and lifting the hips. Keep the hands grounding down for support with the spine long as the hips lift and lower.
The legs, hips, spine and shoulders all benefit from this stretch. This pose, whether held or performed as a dynamic stretch will help to bring improved circulation, and oxygen to the hips and legs.
Lizard Lunge
Hold 5-10 breaths on each side
Begin in Table Top or Downward Facing Dog pose. Move the shoulders forward over the wrists and step one foot forward to the outside of the same side of body hand. Lower the back leg to the mat at the knee (if it is lifted), and point the toes to bring the top of the foot to the floor. Square the hips towards the space between the wrists. Aligning the ankle and wrist, and knee and shoulder will help maintain good alignment in this pose. Deeping the stretch by lowering the forearms to the floor or reaching the hands forward.
*Check the back leg out in the picture above to see different variations of this lunge. The bottom picture is an advanced variation that strengthens the front of the leg while opening the shin and ankle (if it doesn't feel good, don't do it)
The thighs, hips and spine all receive a stretch in this pose, pair with Half Split for a dynamic stretch
Half Split
Hold 5-10 breaths on each side
Begin in a low lunge or lizard lunge, and on an exhalation draw the pelvis back and directly over the back knee. Allow the front heel to stay planted as the knee extends and the toes pull back toward the shin. Keep the hips the same height, dropping the front leg's hip toward the mat. Rotate through the thigh and leg to release tension in the hamstring and calf muscles. Hands can remain in line with the front foot, or slide back to support under the shoulders.
*With the foot outward (like Lizard Lunge) a slightly different stretch will be felt when compared to the front foot positioned in line with the hip joint (like in Standing or Low Lunge). Try both see what feels best!
The spine, hips, legs and feet all benefit from this stretch of the back line of muscles. Pair with low lunge for a dynamic movement
Single Leg Pigeon Pose
Hold 5-10 breaths on each side
Begin in Table Top or Downward Dog, bring one knee forward directly behind that same side wrist. Slide the shin across the front of the mat to whatever angle allows the sides of the pelvis to remain level. Lower the back leg to the mat and draw the hips back until a stretch is felt. Release forward over the front leg with support from elbows, or resting head on hands or block. Eventually arms can relax forward as the head rests on the mat.
*Maintain a muscular engagement of the pelvic floor and abdominals to help support this deep stretch. Reach straight back with the back leg and engage the inner thigh gently for additional support. Be sure the pelvis is even height and squared forward even if the hips don't touch the mat. Support from Inside (Root lock). If this pose is painful for knees, try the Figure 4 variations found here.
The spine, legs, and especially the outer hips benefit from this stretch. This pose directly opens the piriformis and psoas hip complex (huge for runners)!
Full Windshield Wiper (Single Leg)
REPEAT 5-10 TIMES ON EACH LEG
Begin lying on the back with the one knee in toward the chest. Bring the same side arm inside the thigh, reach over the top of the foot grabbing the pinky side of the foot. Draw the thigh outward with the ankle aligning over the knee (top). Keeping the knee bent, bring the foot across the body, and guiding with the opposite hand twist the hips toward the opposite side. As the hips rotate, the moving leg extends into a spinal twist (bottom). Inhale in each position and exhale to move between sides
*Bend the bottom leg at the knee for a more relaxed variation
The hips, IT band, legs, core and lower spine benefit from this great warm up or cool down movement.
Single Leg Balance
Hold on each side or alternate between sides 5-10 breaths
Begin lying on the back with legs extended forward. Bring one knee toward the upper body and cross the thigh over as the hips rotate to the opposite side of the lifted leg while maintaining even length through the hips and waist. The top leg can be bent at the knee, with opposite hand pressing down (top). The top leg can also extend while holding the outer edge of the foot (middle). To find a quadricep and hip flexor stretch bend the bottom knee and grab the foot with the opposite hand (bottom).
*Bend the bottom leg at the knee for a relaxed variation
The legs, hips, spine and shoulders all benefit from this great warm up or cool down pose. Stay relaxed while focusing on your center and using deep breaths to release spaces of tension in the spine, shoulders and hips.
Gentle Twists
Repeat 5-10 times slowly on each side
Lying on the back with knees bent and feet on the floor hip width apart, reach the arms upward and grab opposite elbows with your fingers. Gently pull the arms to one side of the body while allowing the legs to fall in the other direction. Pause for 1-3 breaths and on an exhalation return the body to center. Repeat on the second side and hold or move slowly from side to side for until the shoulders, hips and spine feel relaxed.
*Do not slide the feet together when lowering the legs. allow each leg to move independently of the other. Maintaining the hip distance between the feet optimizes the balance of stretch felt in the hip and leg muscles.
If you have chronic tension in the body, especially the back hips or shoulders, this is another every day kind of movement. Even 5 rounds a day will lead to a greater evenness and ease in your body. This is also a great movement for before and after exercise or competition to destress and decompress body and mind.
An Extra Bit of Awesome: Legs Up the Wall
Rest in this position post exercise for 3-5 minutes (or longer...)
To find this magical pose that has been proclaimed as a healer of all ailments, start lying on the side in the fetal position (legs tucked into chest) with the hips close to a wall. Have your mat or a blanket directly behind the body for a more comfortable rest. Roll onto the back (mat or blanket) and extend the legs up the wall. The head can be supported and the arms in any comfortable position. The legs can also be placed in various positions (eg. straddle, bound angle, figure 4) to open and release muscle tension.
*Placing a block or bolster under the hips provides additional opening for the lumbar spine.
The entire body and mind will benefit from daily rest, especially a few minutes post exercise or activity. This is a time when our physical and neural patterns can release from activity, and negative patterns of tension are eliminated. With the legs up, additional benefit is gained by the lymphatic and circulatory system especially in the lower body.
This is the most important part of recovery! Give the body at least 1-2 days of rest a week from any activity. If the systems of the body are always working they have no time to process and recover. Even going for an easy stroll, or taking a RESTORATIVE yoga class will do, but full rest is best. After all, rest and relaxation is something we rarely afford ourselves, but it is something we all truly deserve. So give yourself permission to take a nap (even if its just for 10 minutes) and in the name of yoga you can call it Savasana!