If you’re reading this post, you likely know that exercise is GOOD for your body. But by its nature, exercise and intense workouts put our muscles, connective tissues, joints and ligaments under stress and strain.
That means muscle recovery needs to be a fundamental part of any well-rounded fitness routine. And exactly why we include two active recovery or rest days per week in our free home workouts plans.
Yoga for sore muscles.
Use this slow yoga flow to recover from intense training or high intensity exercise. Think of it as yoga for athletes to increase muscle recovery.
Add this quick, 10 minute yoga flow to your fitness routine 1-2 times a week.
During an active recovery session, you should focus on:
Yoga stretches help with all of the above. Recovery yoga promotes blood flow to help release sore muscles and increase flexibility. Yoga can also reduce stress and inflammation.
The perfect 10-minute active recovery workout at home. Stretching every muscle group in your body with an emphasis on the low back, hips and shoulders.
Active recovery days not only improve exercise performance in the short term (by giving you better range of motion), but passive recovery days help you stay injury-free so you can achieve your longer-term fitness goals too.
Support your fitness goals with this 10-minute yoga routine for active recovery.
Do these 8 restorative yoga poses for muscle recovery two or more days a week to increase mobility and relieve stiff, tight and sore muscles. Follow this recovery flow yoga routine post exercise or on a rest day.
None, just your bodyweight. But I do love this oversized yoga mat. It’s durable, stays in place and gives you plenty of space for physical activity. Get a discount on this yoga mat (affiliate) using code: NourishMoveLove
Follow along with these 8 yoga stretches led by personal trainer and yoga teacher Lindsey Bomgren in this 10-Minute Active Recovery Yoga Video on YouTube. I’ll provide form cues and yoga pose progressions and regressions throughout the video.
The 10-Minute Recovery Flow Yoga Routine looks like this:
Benefits: Stretches your hips and hamstrings and releases tight lower back muscles. The forward fold stretch has also been known to stimulate your digestive system, calm your mind and soothe your nerves.
Do This Stretch If: If you have low back pain, or if you feel tight and sore after sitting at a desk for several hours. This stretch keeps your spine strong and flexible!
How to do a Forward Fold + Thoracic Spine Rotation:
Benefits: Strengthens and stretches the entire body – upper body, arms, shoulders, back, lower body, legs and feet. A great stretch for your posterior chain (backside of the body); increasing calf, ankle, hamstring and back mobility. Downward facing dog is a great way to stimulate blood circulation.
Do This Stretch If: You have a headache. Down dog is known to decrease tension and headaches by elongating the cervical spine and neck and relaxing the head.
How to do Downward Facing Dog:
Modification: If this inversion is uncomfortable, try quadruped (table top) hip circles. Or move onto pose #3, puppy dog stretch, which is just a slight inversion with the heart just higher than the head.
Benefits: Stretches neck, shoulders, spine and upper back.
Do This Stretch If: You need to release tension in your neck, shoulders and upper arms. I also really love doing this stretch before performing any overhead movements; a great way to increase range of motion for exercises like an overhead shoulder press.
How to do Puppy Dog Stretch:
Benefits: Opens tight hips and stretches the quad and hamstrings.
Do This Stretch If: You have tight hips. A great stretch for runners.
How to do Low Lunge Stretches:
Benefits: Stretches tight quadriceps, groins and hips. A great way to increase range of motion in the lower body.
Do This Stretch If: You have tight hip flexors and quads. Another great stretch for runners or anyone who sits a lot during the day.
How to do a Half Kneeling Quad Stretch:
Benefits: Stretches the hips, inner thighs, feet, spine and back. A great stretch to calm your body and breathe deeply.
Do This Stretch If: You want to relieve lower back back pain and stiff neck muscles.
How to do Child’s Pose:
Benefits: Stretches the hamstrings, calves, low back and neck. A great stretch for improving circulation by reducing pressure in the legs and redirecting blood flow back towards your heart.
Do This Stretch If: You want to relieve tired legs and feet. A common stretch for endurance athletes like marathon runners. Also suggested as a ‘bedtime stretch’ as this stretch has been known to help you sleep.
How to do Legs Up The Wall Stretch:
Modification: Option to find a Wide Leg Forward Fold by standing tall with your feet wider than shoulder-distance apart. Bend at the hips and place your hands flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. You also have the option to find a Seated Fold by sitting on the ground, hinging at the hips and reaching your fingertips to your toes.
Benefits: Stretches the lower back, hamstrings, hips and knees. A great stretch for relaxing the pelvic floor.
Do This Stretch If: You want to open tight hips and relax your pelvic floor. Also a great prenatal yoga pose to prepare for labor.
How to do a Reclined Squat or Wall Squat Pose:
Modification: Option to find a Supported Yogi Squat by crouching down with your tailbone between your ankles, pressing your hands firmly together at your chest while pressing your elbows against your inner thighs.
Active recovery is any kind of low-impact movement that increases blood flow through your muscles. The goal is to push lactic acid (which causes muscle soreness) through your muscles after intense exercise.
I recommend an active rest day, or an active recovery workout minimum 1-2 times a week. If you’re new to fitness, pregnant or postpartum, you may want to incorporate at least 2-3 active recovery workouts a week.
The benefits of active recovery also include Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). DOMS is the reason why you might feel fine during your workout, and then struggle to walk down stairs 24-to-48 hours later.
Depending on your personal needs, there are different types of active recovery:
YES! In fact, I originally created this recovery yoga flow during my second trimester of pregnancy (you can see the original prenatal recovery yoga video on YouTube). That said, you know your body best and can modify as needed. Modifications might include:
You might also enjoy this 15-Minute Prenatal Yoga.
Nourish Move Love is a health + fitness blog that helps women create a lifestyle and body they love.
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