Sun Salutation B

How to do it

Stand in Mountain. Inhale into Chair, knees bent, arms overhead. Exhale, fold forward. Inhale, halfway lift. Exhale, step back to Plank, lower, inhale to Cobra, exhale to Down Dog. Step the right foot forward between the hands into Warrior I right. Hold one breath, then back to Plank, Cobra, Down Dog. Step the left foot forward into Warrior I left. Hold one breath, back to Plank, Cobra, Down Dog. Then step forward, Halfway Lift, fold, rise to Mountain. That's one round. Repeat for as many rounds as the practice asks for.

Why it's good for runners

The Warrior I steps stretch the back-leg hip flexor — the tissue desk-bound runners need open before threshold work or a longer easy run. You also get the strength element of holding Warrior I and the heat-building rhythm of the flow.

Common mistakes

Don't let the front knee collapse inward in Warrior I — track it over the front ankle. Don't skip the breath in the transitions; this is a breath-paced flow, not a circuit. And if your hip flexors are tight, a higher back knee in Warrior I is fine — don't force the back heel down at the cost of squaring the hips.