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It doesn’t matter if you’re a pro athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or someone who is simply looking to stay active: Taking the time to recover is just as important as the time you put into your workouts. And one often-overlooked way of cooling down your body is stretching.

“I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘I stretch too much,’” says Danny King, Master Trainer and director of performance and recovery for Life Time. “Stretching your muscles regularly is important, especially if you find yourself saying, ‘I don’t move as well as I used to,’ or you experience aches, pains, soreness, or stiffness.”

The stretches demonstrated here are all to do after a workout, when your body is warm and ready to cool down, according to King. They can improve flexibility and mobility, while giving your body the chance to unwind.

1. Glute Stretch With Reach

“Our glutes work hard daily when we walk, run, or have a tough lower-body strength-training session,” says King. “Stretching these muscles can restore their movement and increase range of motion. The reach adds an extra stretch in your shoulders, lats, and upper back.”

  • Start in a pigeon pose with your right knee toward your right wrist and left leg extended behind you.
  • Place a gliding disk or towel underneath your left hand and slowly slide it out in a diagonal past your right knee. Reach as far as you can and hold for a few seconds. Try to keep your hips aligned so you feel a stretch in your right outer glute.
  • Slowly draw your arm back in; complete five reps.
  • Repeat the sequence on the opposite side with your left knee in front.

2. Bretzel 2.0

“The Bretzel 2.0 is a mobility stretch that helps improve hip flexibility, glute movement, and spine rotation,” says King. “It’s great for targeting tight hips, back, and shoulders — along with all the with benefits of a spinal twist.”

  • Starting in a tabletop position, bring your right hip down to the floor with your knee bent, keeping the top of your leg in a straight line.
  • Your left leg will be bent in a 90-degree angle behind you.
  • Bring your hands out wide on the mat in front of you with palms flat.
  • Reach your left arm out to the side before turning your palm and bringing your left fingers under your right palm.
  • While keeping both arms straight, lean down into your left shoulder, trying to bring your left arm toward the floor, rotating your chest and shoulder open to increase the stretch in your upper back and chest.
  • Keep your bottom leg straight while keeping the top leg bent and pulled towards your glutes.
  • Hold for 20 to 30 seconds before repeating on the opposite side.

3. Toes Elevated Forward Fold

“This is a great way to get a deeper stretch in the hamstrings, calves, and lower back,” says King.

  • Stand with your feet hip width apart, then elevate your toes using a yoga block or performance wedge.
  • Tuck your chin toward your chest and slowly roll down into a forward fold position, hinging from your hips and reaching toward your toes. Keep your chin tucked so you’re trying to look at your belly button and keep your legs straight.
  • Hold for 10 to 15 seconds before slowly rolling back up to standing.
  • Repeat five times.

4. Feet Elevated Press-Up

“Elevating your feet in this exercise helps to deepen the stretch in your hip flexors and abdominals,” says King.

  • Start by lying face down on a mat with the tops of your feet elevated on the rounded side of a BOSU ball. Keep your toes pointed behind you.
  • Place your palms flat on the sides of your body and slowly push up into a cobra position so your chest is up and you’re gazing toward the ceiling.
  • Pull your shoulder blades down and back toward your glutes.
  • Hold for 10 to 15 seconds before lowering back down to the ground.
  • Repeat five times.

5. Lateral Lunge With Reach

With this stretch, you’re engaging several muscles throughout the body, helping to improve hip mobility, stretch your obliques, and maintain mobility in your upper spine and shoulders,” King explains.

  • Start in a wide stance with your arms extended out to your sides and a mobility stick placed across your shoulders.
  • As you bend your right leg to the side into a lateral lunge position, slowly twist your upper body so your chest is facing your right side. Keep your chest lifted and engage your core as you reach.
  • Keep your right knee bent in a lunge while your left leg remains straight. Hold for a few seconds.
  • Lift slowly back up to standing and repeat on the opposite side.
  • Repeat for five reps on each side.

6. Kneeling Hip Flexor With Rotation

“Hip flexors get tight when we spend a lot of time sitting — or from running or cycling,” says King. “This stretch can release some of that tightness while the spinal rotation helps with upper back flexibility. You’re also getting a bonus stretch in your quads here.”

  • Start in a kneeling position, then extend your right leg forward so your right knee is bent at about 90 degrees, shin parallel to the ground, and foot flat on the floor. Keep your left knee on the floor.
  • With your right arm, reach back to grab the top of your left foot, pulling your foot in toward your glutes. Drive your left hip forward as you open and rotate your left shoulder and continue to pull your left leg in.
  • Hold for 20 to 30 seconds before repeating on the opposite side with your left leg in front.

Assisted Stretching for Recovery

While these stretches can be effective for recovering after a workout, understanding the fine details of body motion can take some practice. The difference between an effective and ineffective stretch is often hard to gauge on your own. If you’re looking for more support, a Dynamic Stretch session with a certified stretch specialist can help you understand the details, improve your flexibility, and release tension.

“The better you feel, the more likely you are to move — to take more steps, to join that workout class, and to keep up that exercise routine,” says King. “Dynamic Stretch helps improve your recovery and range of motion, so you have less aches, pains, and soreness and can do more in your workouts and in everyday life.” (Learn more: “What Is Dynamic Stretch?”)

Keep the conversation going.

Leave a comment, ask a question, or see what others are talking about in the Life Time Health Facebook group.

Emily Ewen

Emily Ewen is an associate content strategy manager at Life Time.

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