Travelling can be just as hard on your body as your training, and for many runners, is part of the journey to the starting line. Whether you are flying short or long distance, or have a long drive planned, prolonged sitting is inevitable and can leave you feeling jetlagged, creaky, rigid, and sluggish. But it doesn’t have to. Use this quick routine to help shake off travel-related body sludge and calm pre-race nerves before you toe the line.
Oiselle Pro and Athlete for Yoga Devon Yanko shows how it’s done post-long haul flight from South Africa to London in preparation for the London Marathon!
"Flying internationally always makes me stiff, tight, and definitely not feeling sharp and ready. But after doing some easy yoga hip and hamstring work, I feel like the fluidity and ease has returned and my legs feel ready to race!" - Devon Yanko
RECLINED HERO
- Lie down with your knees bent and your feet wider than hip width (about as wide as your mat if you’re using one), and extend your arms open to the sides, palms up.
- Drop your thighs together into a triangle shape.
- See if you can take your feet another inch away from each other, so the knees might not even be touching.
RECLINED WINDSHIELD WIPERS
- From Reclined Hero, drop your knees to one side.
- Lift your knees back to center, then drop them to the other side.
- Continue for about 20 reps, just like windshield wipers moving side to side.
FLANK
- From Reclined Windshield Wipers, drop your thighs to one side and stop.
- Put your foot on top of the other thigh — reach forward with the bottom thigh and reach the arm on the same side as the bottom leg overhead.
- If it feels hard to keep your foot on the other leg or if either of your knees are uncomfortable, leave your foot on the floor instead.
- Hold for 5–10 deep breaths before switching sides.
FIGURE 4 AT THE COUCH
- Lie on your back and put your feet flat on the edge of a couch (or chair or wall) so that your knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle — if your back feels uncomfortable, move farther away from the wall.
- Cross one ankle over your other knee, keeping that foot flexed.
- Hold for 5–10 deep breaths.
LEGS UP ON THE WALL
- Lie on your back (on the floor, couch, or bed) and extend your legs up the wall, moving as far back as needed for your spine to be neutral and comfortable.
- Keep your knees bent a little and turn your feet away from each other slightly.
- Rest your arms along your sides with your palms facing up.
- Do a run visualization while you rest here — focus on your race goal and why it’s important to you, and see yourself achieving. Feel it as done — or use this guided Run Visualization.
For more yoga for runners routines, check out The 26.2 Collection and The Yoga for Runners Collection at video.jasyoga.com — new subscribers use code RUNRESET for a free month of over 90 videos to help you achieve your goals in running and beyond.
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