How to relax muscles after exercise

Whether you are a person who is used to exercising or someone who has not exercised for a long time, you will feel soreness in various parts of your body after a period of intense exercise. Therefore, we need to relax after exercise to avoid soreness the next day. In fact, there is a special set of basic movements in yoga. Relaxing the limbs, stretching the limbs, stretching the ligaments, and relaxing the spine are the basic movements. I will explain the movements in detail below.

1. Calf stretch.

The calves are under a lot of pressure when running, so the calf muscles need to be stretched and relaxed after running.

How to do it: Spread your arms apart and press them against the wall. Spread your legs, one in front and the other behind; bend the front leg, straighten the back leg, and stretch both feet forward; place the back heel on the ground; feel the calf muscles stretching, hold for 15-30 seconds; switch legs.

2. Ligament stretching.

The hamstrings, or leg tendons, are located at the back of the thigh, running from the pelvis to the calf. They are very easy to be injured, so stretching the hamstrings is also very important.

How to do it: Cross your legs with your feet close together; bend over and straighten your knees; try to touch your feet with your hands or press your body against your legs; hold for 15-30 seconds; switch legs.

3. Hip flexor stretch.

During running, part of the power to lift your legs comes from the strength of your hip flexors, so this part of the muscles also needs to be well stretched after running.

Method: Spread your legs, one in front and one behind; point your feet forward and keep your body upright; press your thighs with your hands while moving your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your hips and above your back thigh; hold for 15-30 seconds; switch legs.

4. Quadriceps (front thigh muscles).

Method: Stand upright, lift your left foot and place it behind you, grab your left foot with your left hand; keep your knees as close together as possible; use your left hand to slowly pull your left foot toward your hips until you feel a stretch in your quadriceps; hold for 15-30 seconds; switch legs.

5. Stretching the inner thighs and groin, also known as the "butterfly stretch".

How to do it: Sit down with your knees bent and the soles of your feet facing each other in front of your body; bring your feet as close to your groin as possible and keep them as close to the ground as possible. Hold for 15-30 seconds.

If you can do this easily, try to lean forward as far as possible (be careful not to overdo it) and hold for 15-30 seconds.

6. Triceps (outer upper arm muscles).

When running, the upper body is also moving, so stretching the arms is also necessary.

Method: Stretch your left arm to the right side of your body; use your right hand to press your left elbow to bring it as close to your right shoulder as possible; hold for 15-30 seconds; switch arms.