Yoga for Hikers, Backpackers and Trail Runners

Why should backpackers, hikers, and trail runners practice yoga? Yoga is a great complement for backpacking, hiking or trail running. While many athletic activities tend to shorten and tighten muscles, yoga lengthens muscles and improves flexibility. Plus, yoga is also a great way to develop the core strength and balance essential for backpacking, hiking or trail running.  A consistent yoga practice can bring your body into better alignment, stretch tight muscles, and minimize overuse injuries. Through yoga, you can become more aware of what your body needs to sustain you through any challenge. 

You’ll discover how yoga can:

1. Help you warm-up before a hike or trail run
2. Help your body recover after a long backpack trip, hike, or trail run
3. Prevent and treat overuse injuries common in backpacking, hiking, and trail running
4. Serve as a great strength and endurance cross-training workout.
5. Develop the mindfulness and awareness to take both your performance and training to the next level

Yoga for Athletic Recovery
There’s nothing better after a long day on the trails than some active recovery time. If your outdoor activities are leaving you sore the next day, then give yourself the gift of recovery with this yoga class that will help you stretch your hips, shoulders, glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. Recover better and faster with yoga so that you’re even stronger for your next adventure.

Yoga for Strength
It takes a lot of strength to carry a backpack up a tall mountain or run on a steep, rocky trail. Many of us need a little extra help to build and maintain that strength. This class features long holds in yoga poses that target major muscles groups, including the core, to help you develop the strength you need to meet your next outdoor challenge. 

About Lori Heath

Lori Heath, owner of Morning Glory Yoga, LLC, has been practicing yoga since 1999. She earned her 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Certificate in 2002 and studied Iyengar Yoga for many years with Jyoti Hansa. Lori began teaching yoga in 2002 and appreciates any opportunity to share the joy of yoga with others. In addition to yoga, Lori also enjoys hiking and trail running. She has been a member of The Mountaineers since 2016. Lori is a hike leader for the Foothills Branch and participates on the Foothills trail running committee. 

About Michelle Peterson

Michelle Peterson has been a practitioner of Hatha Yoga since 2002 and insight meditation (Vipassanā) since around 2015. She created, owns and is the teacher of Aspiration Community Yoga, a donation-only dedicated practice space. She is an E-RYT 500, certified by the Yoga Alliance. Michelle teaches a strength and conditioning based style of alignment focused slow flow yoga. She also teaches mobility for those living with injury and pain.

For 30-plus years, Michelle has paid the bills as a welder and heavy equipment custom metal fabricator. After a 26-year break from hiking, she made a commitment to get out weekly. She joined the Mountaineers in 2019 and is a passionate Scrambler and Navigator.