Yoga used to be something I treated as a “nice-to-have.” A stretch here, a flow there, maybe something I’d do when I felt tight or sore. But the longer I’ve been coaching — and especially working with Masters and menopausal athletes — the more I see how essential mobility actually is.
Not the bendy Instagram version.
Not hour-long classes that leave you feeling like a soft pretzel.
Just simple, intentional movement that supports the work you’re doing on the run.
Runners live in forward motion. We load the same muscles over and over. We create stiffness in places we don’t notice until it starts to affect stride, power, or recovery. And when hormones shift — hello perimenopause, menopause, surgical menopause — that tightness tends to get louder.
This is where yoga (or any thoughtful mobility practice) actually shines.
It helps you move better, not just “stretch more”
Yoga teaches you how to connect breath to movement, release unnecessary tension, and create space through your spine, hips, and rib cage. Small mobility improvements often show up as smoother running, less pounding, and better form.
It supports your nervous system — which affects your training more than people realize
When you’re always on the go, juggling life and work and a training schedule, your system stays revved. Yoga helps turn the volume down. It creates a bridge between the intensity of your workouts and the recovery your body needs to adapt to them.
This becomes especially important for menopausal athletes who are dealing with fluctuating cortisol, sleep disruption, and higher stress reactivity.
It reduces injury risk in the most boring, effective ways
We talk about strength a lot (and for good reason), but mobility is what helps your body use that strength efficiently.
Looser hips = better stride mechanics
Better thoracic mobility = improved posture
Stronger core integration = less overuse in your low back or knees
It’s not dramatic. It’s just effective.
It makes recovery days actually restorative
There’s a huge difference between inactivity and intentional recovery.
Yoga — even five minutes — helps bring circulation back into tissues, clear stiffness, and support your training instead of just filling space between workouts.
I use a mix of foam rolling, stretching, and short yoga flows, depending on what my body needs. And honestly? Sometimes I just need to breathe, slow down, and get out of "go mode" long enough to let my system catch up.
You don’t need to be flexible.
You don’t need to be graceful.
You just need to show up for a few minutes and let your body move in a different way.
Your running will thank you for it.
If you want to support your running in a way that makes training feel smoother and more sustainable, adding mobility and yoga is a game changer. And if you’re ready to build strength, form, and recovery habits that match your physiology in this stage of life, here are a few places to start:
Micro-Form Mastery
Small adjustments that help your running feel easier, smoother, and more efficient.
Built to Go the Distance
Strength that supports your joints, posture, stride, and overall durability — especially important for Masters and menopausal runners.
And if you want a training plan that blends running, strength, recovery, and mobility into a system that matches your real life, that’s exactly what coaching is for.