patience, concentration and a strong set of knees, which as a runner, you might not possess. Don't fret, however, you can build up to Toe Stand in stages, strengthening your knees as you go. If you've got tight hamstrings/ calves, take this pose slowly

is very common for runners, and strengthening these joints, which can take ground reaction forces of up to 1.5 times your body weight each time your foot hits the ground.''Because the posture is broken down into three parts, with two sets to each posture

Developing speed is ideal for time-pressed runners because getting faster requires short, targeted efforts."Quick bursts improve your ability to produce energy without using oxygen, while strengthening muscles - both of which help improve your speed

.Garudasana: The benefitsIt's a bit of a super-pose when it comes to helping runners, says Olga Allon, Director and Head Teacher at Hot Bikram Yoga in London.'Runners know that their joints are one of the parts of the body that take the biggest pounding when running

, pancreas, kidneys and respiratory systems," she says.Only two poses in and already a large portion of your body and internal organs have been woken up and brought, blinking sleepily, into play.Running Benefits"Runners' backs take a hell of a pounding," says

Runners are a busy bunch. Too often, we push back our speed, fitness or weight-loss goals when life gets in the way. The focused workouts over the following pages are designed to make you faster, stronger and fitter - in however many minutes you can

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.As regular followers of this blog will know, yoga is a valuable training tool for runners in the fight against injury.It provides a counterpoint to the shortening, tightening and weight-bearing practice of running, increasing the elasticity of the muscles

If your goal is simply to stay fit ad healthy, these shortyet thorough workouts will boost heart health, build bone density and strengthen muscles."Runners often think that the more they run, the healthier they'll be," says Bill Pierce, co

pace for 40 minutes. Warm up 15 minutes. Cool down for five.Fuel upWhat to eat and drink before and after your runMany runners think that they can eat whatever they want post-run," says Leslie Bonci, director of sports medicine nutrition at the Centre