two yoga flows | dynamic low-impact warmup + calming post-workout cooldown (video)
I’m truthfully not excellent in either pre-workout muscle warming or post-workout settling. Typically, I just want to get dressed and go or get undressed, leap into a shower and straight onto the couch with a mug of coffee and breakfast for company. Undeniable, though, that routines before a workout and after serve the body in sundry ways, from injury prevention to increasing efficacy during a session to lowering stress levels safely after.
Why Warm Up? Dynamic Pre-Workout Postures
Athletes, coaches, and scientists alike confirm that a pre-workout ritual primes the body for the tasks ahead. A warmup safely raises heart rate and body temperature, lessening any shock a sudden burst of speed or addition of weights heaves onto the heart and muscles. Gradual introduction gives the muscles, joints, and soft tissues to loosen up and thus reduces the likelihood of strains, pulls, and other injuries stemming from fast and abrupt activity.
Too, a warmup can reaffirm if you are feeling poorly and should not engage in your planned workout. If you’re recovering from illness or injury, or simply had a stressful day, it is helpful to gauge bodily readiness for strenuous activity well before settling into goal paces or lifts.
Some people, despite a desire to take advice for incorporating warmups, struggle with high-impact, explosive movements. These aren’t required for an effective warmup, though many enjoy them due to the heat-building sensations jump squats and such impart on the body. This yoga flow serves as a great substitute because it hones in on engaging and warming the core, muscles which tend to fatigue quickest in endurance activity especially, and activating the glutes, which are crucial for supporting running and lower-body sessions yet often fail to reach full firing capacity unless worked beforehand.
Convinced yet? Try out the video below and see if you notice a difference in your next session!
Cooling It Down for Injury Prevention + A Flow to Reset the Systems
After a workout, what should we do to ease ourselves out of motion? A cooldown is the place for passive stretching, since the muscles are already warm and receptive to lengthening movements. This sequence focuses on such an idea.
While exercising, the heart works much harder than at rest and takes a bit of time to return to normal. Stopping without warning and immediately plopping onto the ground may catalyze faintness or nausea, and some might even pass out especially if the workout was performed in hot conditions. Slower jogging, followed by a short walk, is often prescribed for runners after an intense workout, but after that is complete a more comprehensive cooldown with stretching and gentle mobility calms the systems even further and can prevent soreness, stiffness, and lessen overall fatigue.
This flow begins with soothing, upright shapes and winds into a floor-based series before a nourishing final savasana to really settle the body and mind. If your workout didn’t quite go as planned, a meditative cooldown can truly unload stress or negativity and invite you to accept what was and strive to move forward with confidence in your next training.
