Ever been sore after an intense day at the gym? If yes, this blog gives you the best and most effective yoga poses post-gym workout. They’ll work especially well if you lift weights or do some sort of weight training or cross-training.
While yoga is my personal favorite way of keeping fit and healthy. I do hit the gym at least weekly once, to lift some weights and train slightly differently. These are my go-to yoga poses when I feel like I need to hit the reset button and feel less sore.
Why yoga is a great post-gym workout regime?
When we lift weights or do something repetitive and intense, our muscle breaks down as well as the ends of our muscles shorten. By using the ‘stretching’ component of asana practice, we can easily restore the length of muscles thereby, reducing soreness, increases circulation as well as improving recovery time post-gym workouts.
5 best yoga poses post-gym workout
Adhomukha Swanasana (downward facing dog) – stretches the glutes, hamstrings, calves and lower back. Reduces fatigue post-gym workout. Restores energy and vitality.
- Start on all fours. Press hands firmly into the mat and lifts knees and hips up
- Walk the feet back and keep hands and feet shoulder-distance apart
- Drop the head. Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Work on lifting the hips and pushing the legs and hips back
- It’s okay if your heels don’t touch. Let them be parallel though
- Hold for 30 seconds and rest. Repeat 3 times
Lizard – stretches out the quadricep deeply.
- Start in down dog. Step your right foot outside the right hand. Lower back knee to the mat
- bend the back knee and catch your back foot with your left hand
- Bring the heel close to the body. Move down to your forearm if you can and lower the hips
- Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side
Raja Pigeon (Royal Pigeon modified) – works the glutes, outer hips, and quads.
- From downward dog, bend your knee and bring your right ankle to the left hand
- Drop the back knee and hips close to the mat
- Have both hips points facing ahead. Equal weight on both sides. Lower to forearms to get a little extra out glut action
Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide Leg standing forward fold) – Stretches the legs, inner thighs, hamstrings, and calves. Restores energy. Cools the body down.
- Stand tall. Feet wide, if you raised your arms by your side. Ankles below your hands.
- Feet parallel. Press down firmly and evenly with both legs.
- Fold forward at the hips and let the head drop
- Use hands to support the weight and balance of the body
- Hold for 30 seconds with slow deep breaths and slowly come out of the pose
Natrajasana (Lord of the dance pose) – Stretches the shoulder, chest, hip flexor and quadriceps
- Bend one knee, grab your ankle with your hand
- Slowly extend that leg behind you upwards, maintaining balance
- Keep the supporting knee soft
- Press the heel away from the glut on the standing leg and raise the leg up with the help of the arm
Try these poses out and let me know which ones are your favorite or if you have always done a few stretches after yoga – what are those? I would love to try them out. Let me know in the comments below.
