Yoga for Your Quads

Tight quadriceps are the common cause for runner’s knee and also be the culprit to lower back pain. The following yoga sequence below will warm up and open your quads as well as strengthen your lower back. Pictures of my favorite quad specific yoga poses are shown below.*

For those who attended my Yoga for Runners class this past Sunday at JP Centre Yoga, here’s the quote that I referenced in class:

“The prime mover of every human action is the motivation or determination. First, our motivation should be simple and sincere. Whether we achieve the goal or not does not matter so long as our motivation is very sincere and we can make an attempt. Even if we fail to achieve our goal, we won’t regret making the effort. If our motivation is not sincere, even if the objective is achieved the person will not be so happy or satisfied deep down. So motivation is very important. “- Dalia Lama

Opening:
-Hero pose (virsana)*
-Cat/cow tilts
-Childs pose*
-Downward dog
-Step to tadasana (mountain pose)
-Step back to plank
-Lower to mat, baby cobra
-Downward dog

Integration:
-Low lunge (cactus arms, pulses x3)*
-Hands behind lower back (chest opener)
-1/2 spilt, walk hands to side of mat for IT band opening
-Lizard lunge, grab back foot*
-Low lunge
-Kick leg back to 3 leg table
-Raise opposite arm/leg and pulse elbow to knee
-Hand comes down to mat, bend back knee and pulse foot towards ceiling
-3 leg downward dog
-Downward dog to plank to baby cobra
-repeat other side
-Childs pose*
-Hero pose*

Main Body
-Warrior 1
-Hands behind back, open chest (same in low lunge)
-Runners lunge, open to twist
-Warrior 2
-Reverse Warrior
-Side angle
-Hands come down to low lunge
-3 leg table
-1/2 bow*
-3 leg downward dog
-Plank, lower, salabasana
-Downward dog, repeat other side

-Dancer Pose* (each side)
-step to plank, lower to belly
-salabasana x 2

Cool Down:
-Table top- cat/cows
-Thread the needle
-Figure 4
-Supine twist
-Savasana

Hero Pose