Reasons Why You Should Yoga

We caught up with FGS Striver, Charlie Cooke or better known as @whatcharlierannext and she told us why she loves adding yoga into her weekly routine.
A bit about myself 
I’m a mum of two who struggled with post natal depression. My running journey has gone from struggling to run 2 miles to 100km ultra and beyond. I’m happiest on a trail, preferably ultra distances, where I can just be me and enjoy nature at its best!
How my love for yoga began!
I’ve been doing Hotpod yoga for a year now, only taking it up after getting injured (for the hundredth time!) and to help with rehab. 
I fell in love with it (this particular yoga studio is super accessible and friendly, and it’s dark and 37 degrees in the pod!) and have been addicted ever since. 
Why I do yoga
For me as a runner, yoga provides me with 5 keys things;
  1. An hour or two of zen and calm. It stills my thoughts and my nervous system, especially if I’ve been busy or stressed.
 
  1. The stretch is amazing. Notoriously runners aren’t great at remembering to stretch. For me going to yoga is all about stretching out those muscles in a warm environment. I just wouldn’t get round to it on my Todd.
 
  1. Core work. I can’t begin to thank yoga for the difference in my core and shoulders. Being a long distance ultra runner, I’m often on my feet for a very long time. Strengthening my core and shoulders in yoga has helped me to put off the fatigue for a lot longer into a race.
 
  1. It has helped me with my breathing. A lot of the time in class we work on our pranayama, which is breathing exercises. This has helped a lot with visualising and working through breathing issues during training.
 
  1. It has given me an appreciation that everybody’s bodies can bend in different ways and that’s ok. I’m also more aware of the connection everything has physically and that makes me more mindful of how I hold myself while I run!
 
I can’t recommend Hotpod yoga enough, but any yoga that gets you doing these things is great for runners!

 

Follow Charlie's journey at @whatcharlierannext

If you too want to became an FGS Striver, check out Our Community page for all the details!

Charlie Cooke

@whatcharlierannext