Down Dog to Plank

How to do it

Start in Down Dog, hips high, heels reaching toward the floor. On the inhale, shift the whole body forward — the shoulders travel over the wrists, the hips lower, and you arrive in a Plank, one straight line from heels to crown, core engaged. On the exhale, press the hands down and lift the hips back up and away into Down Dog. Flow between the two, one breath each way, keeping the arms strong and the belly drawn in.

Why it's good for runners

This wave is the more activating one in the warm-up set: the Plank switches on the core and shoulders, the Down Dog lengthens the calves, hamstrings, and back. Moving between them with the breath warms the whole posterior chain while waking the trunk stability that holds running form together late in a session. It doubles as a gentle reset after a strength block. One movement, one demo, a lot of body covered.

Common mistakes

Don't let the hips sag or pike in Plank — keep the line from heels to crown, ribs knitted in. Don't dump into the shoulders on the way forward; move with control so the core does the work. And keep a micro-bend in the elbows rather than locking them out at either end.