Every year, it seems like more people decide to get in shape by running, or improve their mind-body connection with yoga. But did you know that these two exercise regimens can be mutually beneficial? That's right – with yoga stretching for runners, everyone from the casual jogger to the hardcore marathoner can improve their stride and avoid injury.

The latter yoga stretching benefit – namely, reducing the risk of strains or sprains – is pretty important, at that. According to an article published in the Regina Leader-Post, holistic poses and gentle stretches may significantly extend a runner's career.

The news source explained that small injuries, like pulled muscles, can take joggers off the road for weeks at a time, which can in turn affect their ability to stay fit.

Of course, larger injuries – such as worn-out joints or torn tendons – can leave runners out of commission for months. While yoga cannot necessarily prevent such problems, it can certainly reduce the everyday wear and tear that runners are prone to.

On the flipside of things, jogging can increase leg and core strength, giving yoga practitioners better endurance for those tough-to-hold poses.

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Yoga stretching benefits nearly anyone, from the sedentary to the extremely active. After all, tightened muscles can be a near-constant source of aches and pains. Joggers often complain of tense hamstrings, aching knees or sprained ankles, which is one reason why yoga stretching for runners can be so effective.

There is little doubt that yoga is easier on the joints than running. In a recent article published by Bloomberg, for instance, Julie DiMartini, a research director the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute, emphasized that yoga results in fewer injuries than jogging, sprinting or participating in marathons.

However, this does not mean that yoga and running are mutually exclusive. In fact, Runner's World noted that these regimens can be quite complementary, since jogging provides aerobic activity while stretching and posing are anaerobic activities.

Runner Nicole Nakoneshny told the news source that yoga has improved her ability to dash along her local fitness trails.

"Endurance is never an issue for me in my yoga classes, so if we have to hold some particularly difficult pose for a long time it's not a problem, and I'm certain that's due in large part to my running," she said, quoted by the magazine.

The Yoga Journal stressed that holistic stretching routines can maintain good muscle and joint health, which is a must for runners, whose feet pound the pavement thousands of times in a given jog or race.

In fact, yoga stretching has helped some of the most extreme runners in the world avoid injury.

An article in LA Yoga said that a sect of Japanese ascetics, nicknamed the "Marathon Monks," may have used yoga and meditation to stay healthy while participating in the Kaihogyo, surely one of the world's most daunting physical trials: a 1,000-day running regimen in which the monks run a minimum of 18 miles per day around Mt. Hiei.

During the final 100 days of the Kaihogyo, the monks run 52 miles daily. Since 1585, only 46 men have completed the trial, the source noted.

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Are you running in this year's ING New York City Marathon? Thousands will. Even if you are not a seasoned long-distance runner, making use of yoga's stretching benefits may make it easier to trot, jog, run or sprint without injuring yourself.

Here are three tips dealing with yoga stretching for runners of all experience levels.

1. Do your feet hurt when you go for a jog or take a morning walk? It's a common problem. A Huffington Post article by Dr. Neal Blitz emphasized that cramping and tendon injuries are some of the most common foot injuries you can get while running. A world expert on podiatric care – he is the Chief of Foot Surgery at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in New York – Blitz recommended working on the foot's strength and flexibility. Fortunately, a number of yoga exercises specifically address the foot. Try techniques that gradually stretch and soothe the toes, arch and Achilles tendon.

2. Be sure to stretch! The Yoga Journal emphasized that most runners experience aches and pains because their muscles slowly tighten over time. Not only might this lead to sprains and strains, but it can also throw off a runner's balance. The news source said noted that runners don't just use their legs to run upright – the arms, shoulders and core muscles come into play, too. Therefore, stretching all the major muscle groups is a must. What better way to do so than with a little yoga?

3. Focus on your breathing. You may be one of the strongest and most flexible people you know, but if you don't have the lungs for it, you'll never be able to succeed in running. Yoga's deep breathing techniques and diaphragm exercises can improve your lung capacity. Likewise, taking some time for mindful breathing can lead to lower anxiety and fewer toxins in the lungs.

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