Between stressful days, recovery time in between more brutal workouts, illness or injury, or times when you really just don’t feel like putting yourself through a punishing workout, sometimes you really just need to go easy on your body. This calming stretching routine is a great way to very gently exercise and stretch your body, without putting it through any additional strain.
This routine also makes for an awesome cool down stretch after you’ve pushed yourself through one of our intense HIIT or strength training workouts.
Doing a stretching workout video like this one when you’re not feeling 100% (for whatever reason) is a good way to keep your eyes on the prize in terms of being mindful of nutrition choices when you’re not able to push yourself as hard as you’d like to physically.
Try to clear your head as you’re doing this workout. Push aside the things that you’ve been worrying about for just these 13 minutes, and focus on deep breathing and the feeling of built up stress leaving your body as you stretch your muscles. Drink a big glass of water when you’re finished with this workout.
Workout Structure
This 13-minute stretching yoga workout runs through a variety of exercises, some that are static poses that you will hold for varying amounts of time, others that will have you doing a certain number of repetitions. Watch for the text cues in the upper left hand corner, as well as verbal cues from us about form and what exercise is coming up next.
Printable Workout
Hamstring Stretch + Overhead Reach – 20 Seconds
Downward Dog – 20 Seconds
Downward Dog + Extension – 10 Seconds
Hip Opener – 10 Seconds
Cobra Stretch – 20 Seconds
Repeat on opposite side of the body:
Downward Dog + Extension – 10 Seconds
Hip Opener – 10 Seconds
Modified Pigeon – 20 Seconds
Pigeon Twist – 20 Seconds
Repeat on opposite side of the body:
Modified Pigeon – 20 Seconds
Pigeon Twist – 20 Seconds
Plank Calf Stretch – 10 Seconds on each side
Cobra to Child’s Pose – 3 Second holds; 3 repetitions
Downward Dog – 20 Seconds
Pilates Saw – 5 Reps per side
Single Leg Hamstring – 20 Seconds
Glute Stretch – 20 Seconds
Repeat on both sides of the body:
Single Leg Hamstring – 20 Seconds
Glute Stretch – 20 Seconds
Butterfly – 20 Seconds
Hip Stretch – 20 Seconds
Knee Hug – 20 Seconds
Deep Glute – 20 Seconds
Backbend – 20 Seconds
Torso Twist – 20 Seconds
Full Body Stretch
You can do this routine as often as you want or need to, even multiple times a day!
Once you've gotten your #workoutcomplete let us know what you thought by leaving us a comment below. We love to hear from you!