Yoga for Runners: Forward Fold Series

I may have let my eagerness get the better of me, and today I was stiff from diving into winter running. I carry a lot of my running tension in my shoulders and upper back, so a gentle forward bend series is the perfect way for me to release tension and be ready for a fresh run again tomorrow.

I love that forward bends are accessible to yogis at every level. The first yoga class I attended was in Berkeley, CA when I was a stiff-legged nineteen-year-old. I grew up swimming, running, and playing soccer, but I took my endurance for granted and didn’t put much effort into stretching until I reached college. I could swim laps for hours, but I couldn’t come close to touching my toes in my first yoga class. I appreciated that the instructor didn’t make me feel like it was an athletic competition–Wherever my hands landed on my shins (or even just on my knees) was just fine, and she didn’t make me feel like I had to push myself into an uncomfortable or unhealthy stretch on my very first day. By the time the semester ended and I finished my last class with her, I could easily touch my toes without over-straining. She taught me to embrace wherever I was on the spectrum of flexibility in a pose.

As you try these forward bends, embrace wherever you are in your flexibility. Try placing your hands on your thighs, on your knees, on your shins, on your toes, and eventually flat on the floor. It might take weeks to go from having your hands on your knees to letting your hands comfortably reach your shins, or it could take months, and that’s okay.

Let yourself indulge in these forward bends. When I was a younger athlete, I didn’t embrace the benefits of stretching. I rushed through the prescribed series of stretches expected of us by the trainers and coaches, walking through each stretch more as an item on a pre-game checklist than as a physical preparation for the activity ahead. I no longer make that mistake. These days, I indulge in every stretch, allowing myself the time to feel and acknowledge what the stretch is doing for my body. As a result, there are some runs that end with only one or two stretches, but I dedicate several minutes to each. On other days, I might go through a series of ten different stretches, choosing variety over depth but still giving a good amount of time to stretching as part of my cool-down.

These recommended forward bends are just a starting point–Use this as a springboard for your cool-down stretch, or expand it into a full series to stretch the spine and relax the shoulders.

Forward Bends for Runners

Yogi Tip: You don’t need to keep your legs stick-straight in these forward bends. In fact, it’s often helpful to begin with a slight bend in your knees, especially if you experience back or neck issues.

Rag Doll: I like starting with Rag Doll because it allows me to see where my flexibility and tension are before diving into anything further. I don’t aim to let my hands, elbows or head touch the floor in this pose. Instead, I allow myself to hang, letting gravity do the work and enjoying the stretch as it deepens with each breath.

Standing Forward Bend: Rag Doll warms me up for a standard forward bend. If your hands don’t reach the floor, that’s okay. Try a forward bend with your hands at your hips, then with your hands at your thighs, then with your hands on your knees, then with your hands on your shins, and then with your hands touching your toes. It might take weeks, months, or even years to progressively get your hands all the way to the floor, and that’s okay. Don’t push yourself beyond a comfortable stretch.

Gorilla: Now that your hands touch the floor, time to bring the stretch up a notch! Wrapping your hands underneath your toes deepens the stretch and gives you leverage to physically pull yourself deeper into the stretch.

Wide Legged Forward Bend: This is another foundational pose that yogis and teachers can easily build upon for a full series. It’s great preparation for Warrior Poses if you’re looking for a way to take forward bends into a Vinyasa flow. For the sake of our running cool-down, we’ll focus on the basic modifications this pose offers: Hands on the hips, and hands clasped behind the back. I like to start with a basic forward bend or one with hands on my hips before the more intense version with hands behind my back. Once I reach the point of pulling my shoulders back and clasping my hands together behind me, I again let gravity do the work of pulling me deeper into the stretch.

Side Wide Legged Forward Bend: This is a great way to gently start opening and stretching the rib cage after a run, which is great for runners who experience side aches. After the basic stretch to each side, I like to add a twist to open my rib cage and stretch my spine even further.

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Are you also eager for the running season ahead? Sign up for our yoga workshop for runners! Yogi runners meet once a week for five weeks to explore yoga-based warm-ups, cool-downs, and series recommendations specific to the needs of runners. Each week includes a guided group practice to try out the recommended poses.

Can’t wait for the runner’s workshop in May? Sign up for a Quick Yoga Consultation to walk through these poses together one-on-one, or request an Individual Yoga Plan to develop a series of poses specific to your needs.