What should you do post workout? Our personal trainer, Jess, outlines an effective cool down and full body stretch routine.
To cool down post workout, you should slowly reduce your exercise intensity over 3-5 minutes. First, bring down your RPE (rate of perceived exertion) from a 7-9 (intense exertion) to a 3-4. Then, reduce to 1-2 and finally, stop moving.
Pair your cool down with a calming full body stretch routine. This will help you to fully harness the mental health benefits of your workout. Read on to discover my most tried and tested stretches for full mind and body balance.
The following 10 stretches cover all the main muscle groups in the upper and lower body. I recommend that you do these after every workout and at least 2-3 times per week. So, even if you aren’t working out that much, try to find time to stretch.
This stretches your glutes and hamstrings.
How to do the piriformis figure four stretch:
This stretches your hips and glutes.
How to do the 90/90 stretch:
This stretches your ankles, thighs and hips.
How to do the deep squat:
This stretches your hips, hamstrings and calves.
How to do a downward facing dog:
This stretches your lower back, core, hip flexors and neck.
How to do the cobra pose:
This stretches your chest and hip flexor.
How to do the chest stretch:
This stretches your rear deltoids.
How to do the shoulder Y stretch:
This stretches your upper back, traps and rear delts.
How to do the cat pose:
This stretches your upper back, traps and rear delts.
How to do the cow post:
This stretches your neck, shoulders, hips and hamstrings.
How to do a low lunge with twist:
Performing a full body stretch routine can help to realign your body. It also prevents the likelihood of injury, for the following reasons:
The lives we lead don’t tend to be conducive to the ways our bodies are designed. Long periods of sitting at work or commuting also need to be counteracted. We can do this by dedicating time to a full body stretch as often as possible.