4 yoga poses to create a perfect cooldown routine

Kickstart the recovery process after a tough speedwork session by adding a few gentle stretches to your cooldown routine. Your already-warm muscles will feel fabulous as you melt into these; you’ll also boost blood flow, aiding in recovery and keeping stiffness at bay. It doesn’t have to take long or be strenuous–and these simple stretches are ideal for anyone new to yoga (or running) to ease into.

Child’s pose with side stretch

This stretch helps tease out any tension in the lower back, making it an excellent post-run release. It also provides a nice lateral stretch for the torso, targeting the muscles along the sides of the body.

Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position, with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.

Sit back on your heels, lowering your chest toward the floor and reaching your arms out in front of you. From child’s pose, walk your hands to the right, reaching as far as comfortable to the right side.

Hold for 30 seconds, walk hands back to centre, and repeat on the other side.

Low lunge

Tight hip flexors can create low back pain and cause a litany of issues for runners–loosen them up with this very gentle hip-opener. To make it more challenging, try standing instead of kneeling.

Kneel on the floor, and place one foot in front of you. Place your hands on your hips, and gently press your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your back thigh.

Hold for 30 seconds, and then repeat with the other side.

Forward fold for tight hamstrings

Flexible hamstrings allow for better energy transfer as you run leading to a more smooth and efficient stride.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and slowly bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.

Reach your hands toward the floor. You can let your hands and arms hang loosely, or, if hamstrings are super tight, try placing hands on your shins or thighs.

Allow your head and neck to relax, and let the weight of your upper body pull you deeper into the pose. You should feel the stretch along the back of your legs and thighs.

Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds before gently, slowly releasing.

Calf stretch

Keeping your calf muscles happy will also aid in injury prevention for both knees and feet.

For this one, begin standing about two feet from a wall, facing it in a staggered stance with one foot in front of the other.

With your back heel pressing toward the floor, place your hands on the wall and lean toward it.

Hold for 30 seconds, then switch legs and repeat.

Remember to be very gentle on your body as you try out new stretches, and feel free to hold any pose for less time (or more). Adding a focus on deep breathing throughout will add to your post-run relaxation and leave you ready to transition to the next part of your day.