Yoga for Hiking

Apr 3

Yoga for Hiking

In my ‘How to Train for a Thru-Hike’ post, I mentioned that I felt as though yoga was my secret weapon in how I successfully have thru-hiked and with minimal injury. This may seem disconnected from what typical training information says about thru-hiking (or hiking in general). But there are many physical and mental benefits from yoga that directly impact hiking movements.

I have been lucky enough to have a membership at Twisted Hot Yoga for the past several months and I have been able to meet some wonderful, like minded people.

Enter Swenja, RYT-200. She offers custom yoga and hiking retreats aimed to improve people’s overall health and wellness while tapping into their adventurous side. She goes above and beyond to create experiences that get people into nature to heal parts of themselves that they may not have noticed needing support. Her goal is to create community, connection and a deeper understanding of how we are all interconnected 🩷

Benefits to Yoga for Hiking

Below are some of the big take-aways on how yoga can help support a hiker. Swenja is an endurance athlete (hello, impressive ultra marathons!) and she couldn’t be doing her level of activity without the support of yoga. Her belief that yoga is a beautiful practice that can help any individual but especially athletes.

Breathing and helping with Endurance:

Swenja:

Yoga teaches us mindful breathing techniques. Helping with stamina and endurance.

Leeann:
- I’ve had a complicated relationship with my cardiovascular system in that previously when I would have an elevated heart rate, I would start to panic.
- Through yoga, I’ve learned that the only thing that you can control, in some scenarios, is your breath. By honing in on focused/intentional breathing patterns, it allows for the body to calm itself. This is helpful anytime you are running, hiking up a mountain, in an uncomfortable yoga pose, and much more. I don’t think I would have been able to successfully complete my half-marathon had I not integrated the specific breathing patterns into running. Specifically the second half of the race when your body is fatigued, it helps increase your overall endurance and stamina.

Flexibility and Proprioception:

Swenja:
- My yoga practice has saved me several times from what would have been a trip and fall that instead turns into something like airplane pose meets dancer.
- Yoga is great for getting our bodies flexible to move in various ways we might not otherwise.
Leeann:

I cannot tell you how many times I would have fallen on the PCT had I not had the quick reflexes and stability that come from my yoga practice. Let me be very clear that I fell a lot on the trail, but it would have been exponentially more times - and more severe. Would I have my front teeth? Probably not.

Hip mobility is a huge one for me. Yes, flexibility is nice for general life, but the main driver behind that is mobility. I never need to worry about a step being too steep or high, my mobility fixes this. It was particularly helpful during some sections of the trail that had a lot of tree blowdowns. I am only 5’5” while my hiking counterparts were at times up to 6’4”, which leads to very different approaches to each obstacle. My flexibility/hip mobility potentially compensated for my height.
If you don’t know what Proprioception is: “the body's ability to sense its position, movement, and orientation in space without relying on vision”. These are those tiny movements and muscles that help you from absolute disaster on trail.
Also Swenja’s commentary about hiking turning into airplane meets dancer is… very funny. Look up the poses if unfamiliar.

Strength

Swenja:

Yoga helps us get stronger. Especially in our core and legs which are helpful when hiking.

Leeann:
- After stretches of time where I am unable to practice yoga, I honestly feel weak. Within a few weeks of yoga practice, I can feel my body getting stronger as evidenced by the poses I am able to do. How many full chaturangas can I do in a class as compared to modified ones (or skipping directly to downward facing dog).
- My legs get stronger through the whole movement. This is coupled with the hip mobility, because there is strength (rather than just flexibility) throughout the entire range of motion. I knew confidently on the PCT that if I took a giant step up, my legs - no matter the angle of my hips - would be able to propel me upwards.
- I also cannot overstate the strength gained in my arms and back. Whether it be from doing continual sun salutations or just holding a downward facing dog for long periods of time, my arms gain strength. My back also gained strength that allows me to comfortably carry a heavy pack day in and day out. Body weight movements do work!

Reduce stress and mental clarity

Swenja:

Learning how to calm our bodies by breathing in a stressful situation during a hike
Yoga provides an excellent tool for managing stress and staying mentally focused. By incorporating mindfulness into your practice, you can develop a greater sense of calm, patience, and mental clarity.
Meditative practices and breathwork help you stay grounded and focused, turning the hike into a moving meditation. This not only helps to improve your mental stamina but also enhances your ability to navigate difficult moments on the trail with a clear and calm mind.

Leeann:
- This flows (pun intended) directly into the breath work. Again, sometimes the only thing in life we can control is our breath.
- One vital thing yoga has taught me is that everything is impermanent. The discomfort you are feeling in holding Warrior 2 for 6 breaths? Impermanent. The shaking muscles while holding boat pose? Fleeting. The frustrated wiggles as you are trying to get into an actually balanced half moon? This too shall pass.
- It was world view changing for me to realize this. I used this often on the tough sections of the PCT. The cruddy wind farms in the desert that had a maddening hum while beating you with 50mph gusts? Won’t last forever. The spirit crushing slushy snow after 3 hours of slipping and sliding? You are still making forward progress. That climb that must be nearly done by now? You will go up that mountain regardless, so may as well enjoy the view from the ascent.
- This is not to diminish any discomfort that you may be going through either in yoga or while hiking - but to offer a zoomed out perspective of your present situation. The present, whether it feels like it or not, is a gift.

Helpful Hiking Poses

Pyramid pose (Parsvottanasana)

*Swenja‘s favorite for hamstrings
Stretches hamstring, calves and spine
Strengthens legs and core

Figure Four
- Great to do standing to get a good stretch during a hike or long run
- Can do seated or also reclined on your back
- Stretches hips, glutes and thighs
Malasana (Deep Yogi Squat)

Great to do standing to get a good stretch during a hike or long run
Can do seated or also reclined on your back
Stretches hips, glutes, and thighs
Preps for bathroom breaks in the backcountry

Tree Pose
- Improves balance
- Strengthens core and legs
- Mind-Body connection
Anjaneyasana (Crescent Moon Pose)
- Stretches hip flexors
- Strengthens core, legs, and back
- Opens up chest for deep breathing
- Restful pose for mental reset
Low Twisting Lunge
- Stretches hip flexors and IT bands from opposite leg
- Gentle twist on back
Sun Salutation A
- This is a variety of positions in a specific meditative order, which we encourage you to look up
- Warms up the body
- Mind-Body connection as a moving meditation
- Stretches nearly all the main muscle groups
Balancing Half Moon
- *Leeann’s favorite position of all time
- Strengthens core - specifically obliques
- Mind-Body connection
- Engages and trains stabilizer muscles in legs, primarily calves and feet