Yoga for runners? Runners for yoga?

Per my doctor's instructions, I have been attempting to motivate myself to make it to the gym. And I have (for the most part) been successful! Of course, all I manage to do while I am there is a meek run/walk combination on the treadmill while alternately watching some mix of crappy television/music videos on the gym TVs and reading my biology material which is, in one word, riveting.

Even this minimal amount of running has taken a bit of a toll on my legs. While I feel much better and my energy level has increased, running is a bit harsh on your legs. As a former cross country runner, I suffer from some fairly mild shin splints in both legs, which makes running slightly uncomfortable. Couple that with some old woman hips and here I am, hobbling around post-run like an arthritic seamstress.

So, as I with everything else in my life, I turned to Martha for some overdo tips and tricks to battle the post-run pain. And I found something I thought would be useful: Yoga Fixes for Running.

Tonight's run was a perfect opportunity. After struggling through thirty minutes on the treadmill, I tried some of Martha's poses, dancer's pose (above) and warrior II (to the right), in particular.

Dancer's pose, which I manage to master after almost falling on my face a few times, was a great stretch for my hips and quads, two of my weakest areas. It was a fantastic post-run stretch.

Warrior II, on the other hand is supposed to prevent stress on your knees. As a runner, this is something that cannot be undervalued. While my knees aren't hurting now, I know they will be a few years when I'm old and gnarled.

I'll definitely try to keep up with these two stretches post-run, in the hopes that they will ease some of my tightness and pain. This, plus my new gym routine, promises to make me happier and healthier.