Warm up with Yoga Before Your Run [3 Videos]

Yoga can be a great way to warm up muscles and tune-in with your body before heading out for your run, especially if you tend to skip a warm-up jog or walk. It can also be a great pre-run ritual (as discussed in 10 Hacks to Get You out the Door and Running) that can pull you out of your non-running activities and prepare your body and mind for a run, even if you didn’t initially feel like it. Here are 3 videos so you can warm up with yoga before your run to get blood flowing to major muscle groups, to get in-tune with your breath, and to gain awareness of your whole body.

And check out 3 post-run yoga videos here.

Favorite Find Friday: Warm up with Yoga Before Your Run [3 Videos]

1. Ekhart Yoga: Full Body Stretch (7 min)

Esther Ekhart presents short, flowing sequence could be memorized and done prior to your runs to get the blood flowing. Doing a full body stretch can help you find places you might be holding too much tension when you run, like your shoulders or low back.

2. Yoga with Adriene: Runner’s Warm up Sequence (16 min)

Oh, you KNEW there was going to be a Yoga with Adriene video here. Sometimes I try NOT to add her videos, but she makes yoga so accessible with her down-to-earth and joyful personality. This sequence encourages you to stretch and gain awareness of your whole body (not just your legs) with back twists and balance poses. There is also encouragement to check-in with your breath, which is a great head start before you go out for your run.

3. SarahBethYoga’s Basic Yoga Warm up (8 min)

Sarah Beth walks you through sun salutations with whimsical Tetris-inspired music. I like that some of the poses are demonstrated with bent knees and other modifications to help you understand what the pose may look like in a not-as-flexible-as-a-yogi’s body (me). Sun salutations may seem simple, but they’re a great full body warm-up for your runs.