Most people know a lot about the importance of a warm up routine.
Sadly the cool down tends to be an afterthought.
I hope you keep this post in your back pocket as a quick and effective list of cool down exercises and stretches you can do anywhere.
Speaking of doing exercises anywhere, you can do my workout programs including the oh so famous belly fat program literally anywhere! Try it out and see 🙂
Forward Bends
Starting off with a forward bend is a great idea.
This stretches the muscles in the back of your thigh. These muscles often get weak and shortened from excessive sitting.
Keep your feet apart as much as you can, bend forward, touch the floor if you can, then get up and twist your waist from side to side.
Do this for 30 seconds or more, and then move on to the next.
Tricep Stretch
Next up, it is time to stretch the muscles in your arm– perfect if you’ve been doing push-ups.
Start by putting your arms upward and behind your head, such that the palm of one hand touches the elbow of the other.
Do this again, for 30 seconds or more, and then move on to the next.
Reverse Hyperextension
This one is great to improve the flexibility of the muscles in your back.
Start by putting your feet apart and leaning forwards slightly, and then leaning backwards as much as you can, while having your hands on your hips.
Reverse hyperextension is also particularly helpful for you if you’ve been targeting your ab muscles in your workouts.
Quad Stretch
You may need you to hold on to some support like a wall or a chair if you’re having trouble maintaining your balance.
But all you need to do is bring the heel of your foot of one leg backwards, so that it touches your booty.
This will have you standing on just one leg. Hold this position for a few seconds, release, and repeat the same with the other leg too.
This can be an excellent addition to your post workout cool down routine if you’ve been doing squats and lunges!
Ceiling Clasp
Stand with your feet apart, bring your hands to the front, intertwine your fingers and raise your hands to the ceiling.
The palms of your hands will be facing the ceiling.
Lean your upper body from side to side. Don’t force this too much- if it hurts, do it as much as your body can take- not more.
Chest Stretch
Stand straight with your feet about hip width apart.
Bring your hands towards the back and interlock your fingers.
Open up your chest and gently twist at your waist from side to side.
Go slow and steady on this one. It feels so good!
Cooling Down is Good for You!
Cool down stretches are really good because they improve the flexibility of your body.
This means that you can
- Recover from your workouts faster
- Experience less soreness
- Do your workouts with more ease
- Experience a full range of motion when you’re doing your exercises
- Get more results for every minute of effort you invest in your exercise routine
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