Contributed by Buck Hales

Yoga Stretches for Runners:

What lead me to yoga was the need to stretch. I found strengthening my quads doing standing poses, and the four series of stretches below have relieved much of the running associated pain I've had in my knees. I also learned that it is very important to hydrate yourself when running. Dehydration exacerbates knee pain -- you need the lubrication.

Passive hamstring stretch (variation on supta padangusthasana):

I learned a great passive stretch for my formerly chronically injured hamstrings. it is a variation on supta padangusthasana. Do this: position yourself on your back in a doorway so that you can extend one leg straight on the floor and the other one up the door jam at a 90 degree angle. It is just like the old belt assisted ham stretch, only you use the door jam to support the leg. press your butt against the jam so that you have contact with the back of your leg against the whole length of it. keep your leg on the floor straight and active through the heel. Put a pad under your head and relax. Reaffirm the stretch every couple of minutes and stay like this for 5-10 minutes per leg. It is a great post run stretch, or works well first thing in the morning, last thing at night when you feel passive. keep the up foot flat as though it was pushing on the floor and have your knee pointing straight ahead so that your leg is not rotated. Likewise for the down leg. I love this stretch. It really helped me get over the persistently injured hamstring, victim as I was of the sprint workout at track. I found that my chronically sore knee pain was really caused by very tight hamstrings, especially high up near the butt, and this stretch virtually eliminated my knee problems. It is very relaxing post long run too.

Variation on Supta padangusthasana with two belts:

A great variation on the classic hand to toe pose use two belts. Belt one, longer type with quick release buckle preferred, and the belt two is standard D-ring belt. Sit facing the wall and press both feet against baseboard with legs straight. Place belt one over your left foot and as you bring you right knee up and move the right heel towards your butt, place the belt over the thigh into the crease at the pelvis. tighten the belt so that when you fully extend the left leg the belt gives traction to the pelvis. Now hook belt two over your foot and straightened the right leg. Laying with back on the floor, the left leg very active, pressing against the belt, pull the right leg up, perpendicular to the floor, and as you pull the knee cap up towards the thing, lengthen the hamstrings on the raised leg. Breathe into the stretch and extend it on the exhalation. Start slow and extend the stretch gradually but firmly, reaffirming the stretch with the breath. After 30 seconds or longer grab the belt in the right hand and rotate the right leg to the outside increasing the stretch and extension in the inner thigh. Do not let the left hip come off the floor, only rotate as far as you can and keep the integrity of the pose in tact. Breathe and raise the leg back up to center. Then switch the belt to the left hand and rotate the leg to the left, crossing over the body, but only rotate as far as you can without lifting your right hip off the floor. Extend the stretch with the breath, then return to center, and slowly lower the raised leg. Remember to keep the left leg active the whole time, pressing against the wall and keep tension on belt one. Repeat with left leg.

SEE PHOTOS OF BUCK DOING THIS POSE

Stretch for gluteus and upper outside of the leg (preparation for raja kopatansana):

This is one of my favorites. This is very much the same as the yoga posture called "preparation for raja kopatansana" or the king pigeon pose. This is how I would describe this excellent butt and ITB stretch: get on your hands and knees and raise up to hands and feet lifting the butt as high in the air as possible-- downward dog. Raise you right knee to your chest and turn your leg 90 degrees, and place your shin behind your left wrist as you lower your left leg down so that it is straight out behind you. Hold your trunk upright by pressing on the ground with your hands. The closer you can get your bent leg to your wrist, the more intense the stretch. Take it easy! Now, sit your right butt down towards the ground--feel that stretch on the outside of the leg and deep into the butt. Don't be greedy, take it slow, extend the stretch on the exhalation and maintain it on the inhalation. Try to keep your trunk as upright as possible, actually bending the lumbar spine-- gently now. If you are able to, raise your arms over your head, arms straight up, look up at them and increase the bend in your back. Remember to breathe. Return to downward dog and stretch your legs back, try to get the heels to the ground while lifting up from the butt. On an exhalation bend the left leg and repeat the stretch on the other side. This gets easier with time but always accesses a very difficult to stretch area, the upper outside of the leg and butt. If you were to do the complete pose you would lift the foot on the straight leg and grab it to the top of your head as you reach your arms over your shoulders. This is a very difficult and advanced pose, but the preparation for it, as described above is an excellent and easily accessible stretch that I always use post speed work. It stretches the quads and hams and eventually the back as well. With all stretches remember to go slow, and as you warm up increase the stretch, don't try to go for the maximum right away. Not unlike the approach one takes to running a marathon.

Yoga exercises for the knees (based on the kneeling pose called virasana):

Keep in mind it is a program that one must follow, not a one-time cure all, but a routine that over time will relieve knee pain when running and help keep the knees injury free.

The series is based on the two variations of the kneeling pose called virasana, the hero's pose. Both positions are similar, you kneel with the top of your feet on the floor, toes pointed straight back. In traditional virasana the feet are wider than the hips and the knees are together. You sit down between your knees with your butt to the ground, whereas in vajrasana your feet are together and you sit your butt onto your heels. They call virasana the hero's pose because it requires heroism to even attempt to get your butt to the ground between your feet - at first. We always practice this pose by sitting on a block and gradually as the hips, knees and ankles release, begin to get lower and closer and closer to getting the butt to the floor. The exercise for the runner's knee are as follows. Spread a blanket on the floor that cushions the feet and knees. Get a sticky mat (standard yoga prop) or other similar soft padded material, and roll it up into a 2-4 inch diameter roll. 1) in virjasana place the roll under the knee caps and ease gently back shifting the weight towards the ankles. Do this for about 30 seconds. 2) shift the roll under the ankles and ease down, this shifts the weight from the ankles towards the knee caps. Do this for about 30 seconds. 3) stand up and place the roll behind the knee then lower yourself back into virasana (feet under the butt) holding roll in the knee pit. Do this for 30 seconds. This opens up the knees and spreads the load evenly on both ankles and knees. Repeat 1-2-3 again. This series will be uncomfortable. Runners tend to have very tight ankles and the most painful aspect of this series is the on the top of the foot and bending the ankles. A fourth variation is to have two rolls, place one in the knee pits and the other under the ankle. Start slow, remember to breath and relax into the stretch on the exhalation. Now repeat the series 1-2-3 (and 4) only in traditional virasana-- with the feet hip width apart. Go slow, don't hold the posture for long (~30 seconds), and go through the series. If you can manage to go through the series twice do so. Remember, this is a part of a program, and that each time you repeat this series it will be easier and you will feel more flexible. It will be painful at first. After you have completed the second series, remove the roll place a block between your legs and sit in viransana, lowering your butt tot he block. Hold this for as long as is tolerable. Keep your back erect and remember to breathe.

Part two: gomukasana or cow's face pose. This relieves the knees from the series described above. On hands and knees cross the right knee in front of the left and rock back, sitting the butt down between the feet. Let the feet spread wide keeping the knees close together. Sit on a block so the level of each butt is the same. Sit on the block and relax the hips and knees. Hold this for 1-2 minutes on each side. As you become more flexible and can sit lower, remove the block and sit the butt to the floor. Keep your back erect and remember to breathe.

This series of postures combined with the hamstring and glut stretches will help, over time, to relieve most of the chronic type pain that runners feel in theirknees. Take it slow, drink plenty of fluid, and remember to breathe.

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