Watch Your Back

This entry was written on Apr 29, 2009 by our Running Guru Heidi Splete

So, do you think you have a straight back? Unless you make an effort to focus on keeping your spine straight, the answer may be no. Even if you have an ergonomic workstation, most of us sit in front of computers all day, which doesn't lend itself to good posture.

A strong and straight back can help your running by providing better support for the action of your arms and legs, so it's worth watching your back now and then.

 One of the best ways to improve your back strength and straightness is the shoulder stand. We spent several minutes holding the shoulder stand pose in my yoga class tonight, and then when we were sitting up straight at the end of class, I really noticed that my back felt straighter. Because my hips are tight (an unfortunate side effect of marathon running) I have trouble keeping my back straight when sitting in a cross-legged position. But I noticed a difference tonight.

Disclaimer: I'm not a certified yoga instructor, and shoulder stand should be approached carefully--your can hurt your neck if you do it wrong.

Here is  a link  to a detailed explanation of how to do shoulder stand the way my instructor recommends--using blankets to help protect the neck.

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/480 

Happy Running!