Great post this month from Danielle!! Running can put a lot of strain on your hips and these move are SOOOO great for helping stretch that out.
Oh and before I hand it over to her, I want to send a BIG CONGRATS to Danielle for finishing her first Triathlon last month!! Read all about it here 
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Hello Runners! I’m back with another installment of Yoga for Runners and today we’re talking hips!
You probably know that hip stability and flexibility is key to keeping your legs moving and propelling you forward on your run (you probably know this even more if you DON’T have hip flexibility!), so today I’m going to share 2 easy yoga poses you can do to help open up your hips and hip flexors.
Keep in mind since these are static stretches I recommend doing them after a run or when your body is already warmed up – do NOT jump right into these poses with cold muscles or you could risk injuring yourself!
First up is Lizard Pose!
Beginning in a low lunge (making sure your knee is over your ankle and not sailing forward in front of it!), move your front foot a few inches outward so that there is room to place both your hands on the inside of your front foot. If you’re feeling a deep stretch here, this may be your lizard pose!
If you want to deepen the stretch you can lower your forearms to the floor, or if you need an in-between rest your forearms on a folded towel, blanket or yoga block.
To move directly from lizard pose to our next pose, pigeon, move your front foot inward towards your opposite hip and lower your hip dropping your knee down (so if your right leg is forward your right foot is in front of your left hip and your right knee is by your right wrist).
Fold forward over the front leg and relax into the pose allowing your hips to gently open.
If this pose causes ANY pain or pressure in the knee you can do this reclined version to get the same stretch!
Hold each of these poses for 5-10 slow, deep breaths and whatever you do, do not push yourself to the point of pain! You should feel a gentle comfortable stretch in the hip, hip flexor and piriformis area.
Adding these poses to your regular running routine will help keep your hips happy, especially as you increase mileage!
If you have any questions regarding these poses or incorporating yoga into your routine feel free to leave a comment below or you can find me at LiveRunGrow.com or on Twitter at @dnardi710.
Happy running!