Friday Q&A: Running versus Yoga

Olympic Track by LeRoy Neiman*

Q: What’s the comparison of yoga with running/jogging. Does yoga complement running, or we should try to stick to one form of exercise? Kindly explain.

A: The question I usually get around this topic is: Is yoga an aerobic-enough “exercise” that I can substitute it for my running/jogging/treadmill, etc., aerobic activity? It is usually noted that although yoga has many cardiovascular benefits (see Heart Health and Yoga: An Overview), most forms of modern yoga asana do not achieve the same aerobic level of activity as running and comparable activities. 

Now, Ram did mention some interesting ways that yoga really does fit the bill, and might at least assist us in being more aerobically fit (see Yoga Asanas: Endurance Training or Resistance Training ) But, in contrast, there are other writers who point out that even more active forms of yoga practice, like repeated Sun Salutations, do not achieve the same target heart rates that other forms of aerobic activity do (see Yoga Exercise Benefits Vs. Aerobic Exercise). 

My feeling on this is that the combination of yoga and some form of aerobic activity is better than either alone. I came to the conclusion in a very personal way. I shifted most of my physical/exercise activity to yoga over the past decade or so, and when I recently joined a gym in order to do some aerobic activity on the elliptical machines (best for my slightly cranky knees), I could really feel the effort I was making to finish a 20-minute session! I had lost some of my aerobic fitness from my pre-yoga days of regular running and biking longer distances. As I have been more regular in doing my 20-30 minutes aerobic workouts over the last few months, I have seen a steady improvement in my overall capacity, and have been able to achieve my target heart rate, which is an indication that I am working at a sufficient level to benefit my heart and entire system.

But an odd thing has also happened: I have been getting a lot of specific musculo-fascial tightness in my legs and hips that was not there a few months ago! This is the tradeoff of increasing my aerobic fitness—and a great reason to add or refocus my asana practice to help address these changes. So, I have been spending a bit more time each yoga session on releasing tension in the hamstrings, quads, adductors, outer hips, and calves, and it has helped me regain some flexibility in those areas. I find this approach of adding in yoga practices helpful for many of my students who first come to yoga as regular runners or joggers, cyclists or gym rats. And depending on how you might apply your yoga practices relative to your aerobic workouts, your yoga might also improve your overall fitness and decrease the likelihood of overuse injuries from your running or biking. Order the combo plate today!

And, really, it is not as if doing yoga is actually comparable to running or jogging. Mindful asana, with appropriate pranayama and meditation added in, has benefits that go way beyond mere physical activity (even if it falls short on aerobic fitness), as we have covered in many past posts. These include the benefits of stress management, cultivating equanimity, training the mind on multiple levels, and more. 

—Baxter

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Happy, Healthy Knees!

by Baxter

Since we started this blog in September, we have covered quite a bit of territory. Yet when I went back to look through our archives today, I was surprised that I had not dedicated a post to the subject of our knees! Our knees are one of the body’s most amazing architectural feats, allowing us to stand upright each morning, walk, run, jump and participate in life’s many and varied activities. And at the same time, the human knee, by virtue of the immense loads and stresses it endures each day, is also subject to the slow wear and tear of aging as well as the sudden vulnerability to injury, which many of us have encountered in our lives.

My own knees have allowed me to run races, bike long distances, climb mountains and hike incredible valleys, play basketball, baseball, tennis and a myriad other sports over the years, and for the most part have done a commendable job. But I have also suffered periodic flares of pain and swelling, especially in my left knee, stemming from an initial twisting incident on an icy ski run back in my thirties. X-rays show evidence of narrowing of the medial side of the joint, which implies I may have done some damage to the medial meniscus, the spongy cartilage pad designed to cushion the femur and tibia bones as they stack one on the other. And I have a family history of arthritis in hips and knees on my mom’s side of the family. Mom had both knees replaced in her seventies.

Yoga, especially hatha yoga, with its contemporary emphasis on yoga postures, can be both a blessing and a possible curse to your knees. As always, a mindful approach to your practice will help you tip the scales towards the blessing side. In fact, I have found that patient attention to my yoga poses following a flare of knee pain that was unrelated to my yoga practice allowed me to gradually calm and resolve the pain, and reclaim my full range of motion of the joint.

There’s a lot we could say about knees, but today I just want to start out our exploration of knees by considering how your yoga practice can ensure healthier, happier knees for you, especially for the athletes out there who enjoy running and biking. Although the stresses and demands on knees differ with the two activities, yoga’s dual benefits of strengthening and stretching around knee joint can prove helpful for both activities. In addition, the more essential skill of increased concentration and overall mindful awareness that yoga fosters can improve performance and reduce the likelihood of injury while enjoying these sports. And in the unfortunate circumstance of injury resulting from running and biking, yoga can be a part of your rehab program to get you back in action in a timely fashion. On top of all that, a well-rounded, balanced yoga practice can address issues above and below the knees, in the ankles and feet as well as hips and lower back, which can have significant impact on effective running and biking.

A few of my favorite poses and practices for runners and cyclists with a focus on the knee joint include Dynamic Reclined Hip Stretches (see here), Reclined Leg Stretch pose (Supta Padangusthasana), and Sun Salutations, as well as standing poses such as Warrior 1 pose, Triangle pose, Extended Side Angle pose, and Standing Forward Bend. For runners, I like to throw in psoas muscle stretches, such as drop knee lunges and Half Frog pose, from which cyclists can get some benefit as well. For cyclists, due to the tendency to have the spine in forward flexion (rounding forward), I recommend a passive backbend over a roll or block.

In future posts on the knees, I will discuss yoga for arthritis of the knees, as well as how to address certain injuries that can arise in this essential joint! In the meantime, I’m teaching two workshops that may be of interest to those concerned about their knees. In Oakland, I’ll be teaching a workshop at Mountain Yoga called “Knees if you Please,” on Saturday, June 9, from 2 to 5 (see Mountain Yoga for more information). And in Cincinnati, Ohio, I’ll be teaching a workshop at The Yoga Bar for runners and cyclists Saturday,  June 16, from 1 to 3 (see The Yoga Bar for more information).

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