Why All Runners Should Practice Yoga And Barre

Up until a few years ago, you likely wouldn’t have found many runners in barre or yoga classes. “It seemed as if yoga and barre were really taboo amongst runners,” says Amanda Nurse, an elite runner, run coach, and yoga instructor based in Boston. Runners often felt like they weren’t fl exible enough for yoga, and barre seemed to be a trendy boutique studio class that would come and go, she says.

Today? “yoga for runners” is a highly searched thing. Run-specific classes have made the practice more approachable to non-experts, keeping many runners injury-free and mentally and physically strong. “Some of our most enthusiastic clients are runners who have improved their time but have also worked through physical pain and injury that was limiting their ability to find the joy that brought them to run in the first place,” says Sadie Lincoln, co-founder and CEO of barre3. “Our runners come to barre3 to cross-train, rehab injury, and also to develop mental strength and focus.” Many of the company’s master trainers and instructors are runners themselves, she adds.

Of course, not *every* barre and yoga class is created equal, so if you’re looking to change up your non-run days, try to find a studio that offers yoga geared toward runners (or something of the like). Not only will you be surrounded by like-minded people (read: not a studio full of expert yogis doing advanced poses), but these classes usually target specific muscles that need to be stretched or opened (you know, the hips and the hamstrings), says Nurse. “More restorative or stretching-focused yoga also works as a great alternative to strength training or an offday.”