Yoga for Runners: Best Poses to Boost Recovery and Prevent Injuries

As someone who runs often, you know the trade-off: strong legs and stamina, but also tight hamstrings, sore hips, and injuries that sometimes slow you down.

Fortunately, yoga can help you manage those challenges, so you can keep enjoying the benefits of running. 

This article breaks down the best yoga practices for runners of all levels—whether you're just starting or training for a marathon—along with pre- and post-run routines to boost recovery and reduce injuries. 

First, let's get into why yoga deserves a spot in your training routine.

Why is Yoga Good for Runners?

Most runners stretch before or after a run, but let's face it: basic stretches only scratch the surface. Yoga, however, goes deeper, offering a full-body approach to strength, flexibility, and recovery that stretching alone can't provide. Here's what you gain by making yoga a part of your running routine:  

Become More Flexible 

Yoga goes beyond basic stretching by improving your joints' full range of motion. Regular practice keeps your hamstrings, hips, and calves loose, supporting smoother strides and faster recovery. A 10-week study found that athletes who practised yoga significantly boosted their flexibility compared to those who only stretched. And with more flexibility, you're less likely to deal with tightness that can slow you down.

If you're looking for additional stretches to improve flexibility and mobility, check out these effective yoga exercises for leg mobility. These exercises are sure to help improve running performance and aid in recovering tight legs.

Improve Your Mobility and Balance

Yoga poses enhance coordination and stability, challenging your balance in ways that running alone doesn't. By improving your body awareness, yoga helps you maintain better form during your runs, reducing the chances of falls and overuse injuries. It also encourages mindfulness in your movements, teaching you to pay attention to your body's signals. This heightened awareness is key when running longer distances, maintaining good posture, and preventing injuries over time.

Speed Up Recovery 

Yoga is a perfect balance of movement and relaxation. The gentle stretches and restorative poses help reduce muscle soreness and inflammation, allowing your body to repair itself more quickly. It makes the transition from hard training to rest more efficient, allowing you to bounce back quicker and feel fresh for your next run by speeding up recovery and preventing overexertion.

Increase Your Endurance and Lung Capacity 

Yoga teaches deep, rhythmic breathing techniques such as belly breathing and Ujjayi Pranayama, which enhance lung capacity and oxygen efficiency. By mastering breath control, you can run longer, reduce fatigue, and stay mentally focused during challenging runs or workouts.

Build Stronger Focus and Resilience

Running is not just a physical exercise; it's mental too. Yoga teaches you how to stay present and calm, which is especially helpful when the miles start to pile up. The practice of focusing on breath and movement builds mental toughness, helping you push through challenging runs and stay centred when pre-race nerves hit. Yoga also enables you to avoid burnout by teaching you how to recover mentally, as well as physically.

Yoga Routines Tailored to Your Running Goals

Whether you're training for a marathon, working on sprinting speed, or just starting your running journey, try these yoga poses to enhance your performance and recovery.

For Marathon Runners:

Marathon training requires endurance and strong, flexible muscles. These yoga poses target the hips and core to keep you balanced, supported, and injury-free throughout your long runs.

Bridge Pose

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width apart.

• Press your feet into the mat and lift your hips, keeping your arms alongside your body.

• Hold for 5–8 breaths, lowering slowly.

Low Lunge

• Place your right foot forward into a lunge, left knee lowered.

• Sink gently into hips, keeping spine long.

• Hold 5–8 breaths, switch sides.

Legs Up the Wall

• Sit sideways against a wall. Swing your legs up so they're vertical, back resting flat.

• Extend arms in a relaxed position.

• Hold for 1–3 minutes, breathing deeply.

Repeat this sequence twice as part of your cool-down or on cross-training days for better flexibility and recovery.

For Sprinters:

Sprinters need power, speed, and strong hamstrings. These yoga poses help increase flexibility while strengthening your legs for faster, more explosive movements.

Standing Forward Fold

• Stand with feet hip-width apart.

• Hinge at your hips, and let your arms reach toward the ground.

• Relax your head and neck; hold for 5–8 breaths.

Revolved Chair Pose

• Stand and squat slightly into Chair Pose, arms overhead.

• Bring palms together at your chest, then twist to the right, placing your left elbow outside your right knee.

• Hold for 3–5 breaths, switch sides.

Warrior II

• Step your feet wide apart and turn your right toes out, left toes in slightly.

• Bend your right knee over your ankle; keep your left leg straight.

• Extend both arms parallel to the floor, gaze over your right hand.

• Hold for 3–5 slow breaths; repeat on the other side.

Cycle through the whole set twice before or after sprint work.

For Beginners

If you're just starting as a runner, these simple yoga flows can help you ease into a consistent routine while improving your flexibility, strength, and recovery.

Cat-Cow

• Start on hands and knees.

• Inhale, arch back (Cow); exhale, round spine (Cat).

• Continue for 1 minute, syncing movement to breath.

Downward Dog

• From hands and knees, lift hips high, straightening legs and pressing heels toward the floor.

• Hold 5–8 breaths.

Supine Twist

• Lie on your back, draw your knees in, and drop them to one side, arms extended.

• Hold for 5–8 breaths, then switch sides.

Practice this gentle flow daily after a run or on rest days for lasting flexibility and recovery.

If these yoga poses have been helpful and you're ready to explore more, Yogaia has a great library of classes designed just for runners. With expert guidance, you can dive deeper into yoga sequences that boost flexibility, build strength, and speed up recovery. Sign up to start your 14-day free trial and take your practice to the next level!

The Ultimate Pre- and Post-Run Yoga Routines

Whether you're getting ready to hit the road or winding down after a run, these yoga sequences will get your body primed and relaxed.

Pre-Run/Warm-Up (5-7 minutes)

This short routine will increase blood flow, activate key muscle groups, and prepare your muscles for the workout ahead:

Cat-Cow

Start on your hands and knees. Inhale as you arch your back, and exhale as you round your spine. This movement helps warm up your spine and core in preparation for your run. Repeat for 1 minute.

Sun Salutations

Begin in Mountain Pose, then flow through a Sun Salutation to build heat and establish steady breath. Repeat twice to prepare your body for movement.

Chair Pose

From standing, bend your knees and lower into Chair Pose, keeping your arms overhead. Engage your glutes and quads. Hold for 3–5 breaths, then rise.

Low Lunge with Side Stretch

Step into a low lunge, lowering your left knee to the ground. Raise your left arm overhead and gently lean to the right side to stretch the side body. Hold for 5–8 breaths, then switch sides.

Post-Run/Cool Down and Recovery (8-10 minutes)

After a run, your body needs time to cool down and restore flexibility. This routine focuses on relaxing tired muscles and connective tissue.

Downward Dog

Get down on your hands and knees, lifting your hips up towards the ceiling. Straighten your legs and press your heels toward the floor. This pose deeply stretches the calves, hamstrings, and foot arches, decompresses the lower back, and strengthens your core. Hold for 5–8 breaths.

Pigeon Pose

Bring your right knee toward your right wrist, extending your left leg behind you. Lower your hips and fold forward to stretch your hips and glutes. Hold for 5–8 breaths, then switch sides.

Half Splits

From a kneeling position, extend your right leg forward. Hinge at your hips to fold over your right leg. Hold for 5–8 breaths, then switch sides.

Legs Up the Wall

Sit sideways against a wall, swing your legs up so they are vertical, and rest your back on the ground. Extend your arms by your sides. Hold for 1-3 minutes, focusing on deep breathing to relax your body. This pose helps to reduce leg swelling and calm the nervous system.

Want deeper relaxation and recovery post-workout? These restorative yoga poses are a breath of fresh air after an intense run.

Yoga for Common Runner Injuries

It's no secret that running often comes with recurring aches. While yoga can't replace medical advice, it offers targeted stretches and gentle activation to support healing and prevention. Here are four common injuries and the poses that help:

IT Band Syndrome

Ever felt a sharp pain along the outside of your knee that stops you in your tracks? The discomfort might be linked to IT band syndrome, which is often caused by irritation or tightness from repetitive motions. These poses can help release the built-up tension and restore the flexibility you need to run without pain.

• Supine Figure Four

Lie on your back, cross one ankle over your opposite thigh, and gently pull the uncrossed thigh toward your chest. This stretches the muscles around the outer hip and IT band, helping to release tension in the hip joint.

• Reclining Twist with Stacked Knees

On your back, bring your knees towards your chest, then drop both to one side and extend your arms out. This gentle twist works the outer hips and aids in IT band release by improving full-body awareness and addressing muscle imbalances.

Runner's Knee

Runner's knee often stems from weak hips and quads, which leave your knees without proper support. These poses improve knee stability and allow you to run longer with less pain.

• Chair Pose

Stand with feet together, bend your knees, and sit your hips back as if into a chair, arms overhead. This strengthens glutes and quads, stabilizing the knees and improving support for the knee joint.

• Side Lunge

Stand with feet wide apart, bend one knee, and lunge to the side while keeping the other leg straight. This opens up the hips and stretches the inner thighs, reducing strain on the knees and improving hip flexor flexibility, which is key for injury prevention.

Shin Splints

Repeated stress from running can lead to calf tightness and shin splints. These poses help stretch the lower legs and relieve tension on the shin and calves.

• Triangle Pose

From standing, step one foot back, stretch your arms to a T, and tilt forward, bringing your front hand to your shin and back hand up. This stretches the calves and hamstrings, relieving tension and improving recovery.

• Hero Pose (Virasana)

Kneel with the tops of your feet flat on the floor and sit back between your heels. Hold and breathe deeply into the front of your ankles and shins, easing tightness and enhancing breathing efficiency in the process.

Tight Hips

Tight hips can affect your stride and cause discomfort. These stretches target the inner thighs, lower back, and hips to help release tension.

• Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Sit tall, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall outward. Lean forward gently for a deep hip flexor stretch. This pose increases mobility in the hip joint and targets the inner thighs.

• Two-Knee Spinal Twist

Lie flat on your back, hug your knees into your chest, then drop them to one side while extending your arms. This simple twist stretches the lower back and hips, improving internal rotation and helping release tension from running.

The stretches we've covered can help relieve discomfort. But if you want other safe, hip-opening moves, have a look at our guide on yoga for hip pain.

Note: If severe pain persists, consult a healthcare professional.

Common Mistakes Runners Make with Yoga

While we advise you to add yoga to your training regimen,  these common missteps can diminish the results or lead to injury:

Holding Deep Stretches Before Running

You might feel the urge to stretch deeply before your run, but this can leave your muscles too relaxed and less prepared for the workout ahead. Instead, focus on dynamic stretches that get the blood flowing and activate your muscles. Think of it as waking them up rather than letting them sleep.

Ignoring Breath and Form

Breathing is just as important as the stretch itself, but many runners forget to focus on it during their yoga practice. Proper breathwork helps to deepen stretches, improve oxygen flow, and keep your body relaxed. Additionally, ignoring form during yoga poses can lead to unnecessary strain, which may potentially cause injury. Always pay attention to both your breath and alignment, making sure each movement is done mindfully.

Overstretching Sore or Fatigued Muscles

It's tempting to stretch tight muscles, but overstretching them can cause more harm than good, as fatigued muscles are more prone to injury. Instead of pushing beyond your range of motion, aim for gentle, controlled stretches that ease tension without forcing flexibility, and allow your muscles to recover rather than risking strain.

Conclusion

Whether you're pushing for a new sprinting record or simply enjoying a peaceful jog, yoga supports every step of your running journey. It helps keep your muscles flexible and your joints mobile, so you can run longer and avoid the aches and injuries that often hold runners back. The more consistently you practice, the more these benefits add up, making your recovery smoother, your runs more enjoyable, and your body stronger.

If you're just starting with yoga, take it easy. Try adding a short pre-run routine this week and notice how your legs feel lighter and your mind sharper. Want to take your practice further? Yogaia has a library of classes beneficial for runners—everything from dynamic warm-ups to restorative yoga for rest—led by instructors who know exactly what runners need. With a supportive community you can connect to, Yogaia makes it easy to make yoga a lasting part of your running routine.

 But don't just take our word for it—here's what one Yogaia user has to say:

"My doctor told me I should look into starting a yoga practice if I wanted to improve my flexibility and reduce hip, knee, and foot-related injuries. On a recommendation, I signed up for Yogaia ten months ago, and it has been worth every penny. Since joining, I've become a faster runner with fewer injuries.

"I really enjoy the instructors and the classes Yogaia has offered. The knowledgeable and friendly instructors have been easy to work with and offer great advice for continuously improving my practice. Additionally, thanks to the recorded sessions, I can practice anytime I'm free, so I don't miss a class and can revisit ones I've enjoyed." — Chad Gerhold.

Want to try a Yogaia live class? Start your free 14-day trial today and see how yoga can transform your runs.