There are many ways to support your body when you run regularly. Start by choosing the best running shoes, then consider strength training for runners and the use of recovery tools like massage guns and foam rollers.
As a regular runner who typically runs 50-70 miles a week, my favorite form of support is yoga for runners. In particular, there's a video I found on her YouTube channel of Ekhart Yoga while training for the Valencia Marathon in 2018. Since then, I've been doing this runner's yoga workout on average 2-3 times a week, sometimes more during tough marathon training weeks.
I've probably watched this video over 250 times in total and found it to be great for stretching after a tough session or long run. I was pretty lucky with injuries during this time. No one would call me flexible, but I am sure that doing this workout regularly has helped me take care of my body.
During this time, I tried many other yoga sessions for runners on YouTube. I have a few favorites, but the Eckhardt Yoga Session is by far my favorite. One reason for this is that it doesn't include many sitting poses. I find this extremely difficult due to my overall lack of hip flexibility. However, since there are some floor-based movements, it's worth rolling out one of the best yoga mats for your session.
What is a yoga workout for runners?
A 20-minute yoga session for runners is a flow session where you hold key stretches for longer periods of time before transitioning to the next movement. It's best done after a strenuous run, but it doesn't have to be immediately after. I always train in the evening and I always feel better the next day.
Particularly beneficial for runners, sessions focus on stretching the lower body, particularly the calf muscles, hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, and lower back. Hold movements like downward dog or warrior pose for long periods of time to also stretch your back.
As mentioned above, most of the training is done in standing or kneeling positions rather than in seated poses, which I find very difficult. Many runners, like me, have tight hips and hamstrings, so this mostly standing approach really helps you get into the pose and stretch the right parts of your body.
As with most yoga sessions, the most important part of this workout is stretching the right muscles with each movement. Your instructor will give you lots of form tips and tell you where to feel the stretch, so pay attention to her instructions to get the most out of your routine. I've applied the advice I learned from this session to many other yoga exercises I've done, especially how to do Warrior 2 pose correctly.
Over time, I've added my own moves to this routine to target parts of my body that especially need to be stretched after a run. At one point, the instructor has me hold tree pose with each leg, which is beneficial, but I prefer to use this time to do pigeon pose and that world's greatest stretch that better targets the hips and buttocks.
Also, use a variation of the quadriceps stretch near the end of your workout. Instead of floor-based movements, do a standing stretch that draws your heels toward your butt. Then skip the final stretch. This is a seated stretch that I find difficult. Instead, lie on your back and stretch your hamstrings by raising your legs using the straps wrapped around your legs.
The workout itself is a great foundation to start with to help with your running recovery, but making small modifications like this to suit your own needs is especially helpful if you end up doing a routine several times a week for years. If it becomes, it will have value over time.