Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We had plenty of time to shop, decorate for the holidays, find a tree, get some miles in with friends and of course, eat!

Although many of us may have overindulged in sweets this past weekend, its a whole new week and time to get our sweat on!  Yoga is one of our favorite ways to cross train for running and we love to hit the mat.  One of our readers, Beth Martel, submitted this guest post to get you back into the groove.

Guest post by Beth Martel: Five Yoga Poses for Winter Glow 

Winter is usually very rough on our skin. Many people experience dryness, paleness and dullness on their faces. The low temperature, indoor heat and outdoor cold can be damaging on the skin. The good news is that you no longer need to invest in heavy creams and serums for the cure. Yoga is here for your rescue! There are some beautiful yoga poses which can lead you towards fresh and young skin during the cold winter months. Yoga improves your blood circulation and increases the availability of vital nutrients. Increased blood circulation also speeds up the removal of cellular waste and toxins giving a fresh look to the skin.  So grab a mat and take a look at these five yoga poses that will help you get that dream winter glow!

1. The child’s pose:

The child’s yoga pose concentrates blood flow to the face which relaxes the mind. It is like dropping of all your worries on the yoga mat and forgetting all the stressors. Take a few deep breaths while you are in this pose. For doing the child’s yoga pose, bend your thighs and stretch your face ahead just like you are facing the ground.

Figure 1: Child’s pose image via one of our fav yoga studios, VPower Yoga 

2. The (straddle) forward bend:

This yoga pose will oxygenate your body and the weight will fall off your shoulders and back. Take about 8-10 breaths in this pose. Take your feet and legs wider than your shoulders and bend down over your legs. Now, touch your arms to your ankles.

Sidenote from Living Fit & Pop Sugar:  this is a great stretch for runners to get those hammies (hamstrings) lengthened… muscles all too commonly shortened by distance running! 

Figure 2: Straddle forward bent pose; image via PopSugar 

3. The shoulder stand:

In this pose, your blood flow would be reversed and your flow will be greatly increased. This helps reduce stagnation which is common in winter & leads to many skin issues such as wrinkles and acne.  Take your feet and legs hanging up in the air and just lie a little on your shoulders.

Figure 3: Shoulder stand image via @yoga_whisperer

4. The wheel pose:

The wheel pose requires you to lower down on all your four limbs. To follow the wheel pose, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Bring your hands to the place near your face and press your palms onto the ground. In this pose, your elbows would be facing the sky. Keep holding this breath for 10 breaths and relax.

Figure 4: Wheel pose image via LivingFit Columbus & Sherry Fair of Fair Trade Yoga

5. The corpse pose:

The corpse pose (or as we like to call it, Savasan!) is the easiest and the simplest yoga method one can do. It just involves laying on your back and focuses on relieving stress and tension from your body. You will notice that your skin, face, jaw and sinuses are relaxing. For this pose just lie straight on your back and relax!

Figure 5:  Corpse pose image via @HarborYogaStudios

Author Bio:

This post was written by Beth Martel. She is a mother of two, a medical professional and a humanitarian. She blogs Amazon reviews and products at HealthyRecharge.com.