Calling All Weightlifters: This Yoga Flow Will Loosen and Relax Your Tight Muscles

Updated on 1/19/2019 at 11:20 AM

After you've dominated your workout, you should take some time to cool your body down with practices like stretching and foam rolling. If that's a rarity for you, you're probably reading this with extremely tight shoulders and hamstrings. To perform at a high level and reach your goals, you've got to do more than just lift heavy; you've got to allow your body to rest and recover.

To help keep your body in tip-top shape, POPSUGAR enlisted Kajuan Douglas, founder of Merge New York and certified yoga instructor, for a flow that will help ease your tight muscles.

The Weightlifter's Flow

Down dog: three breaths
Open lunge twist: five breaths
Plank: one breath
Cobra: five breaths
Down dog: one breath
Reverse warrior: eight breaths
Down dog: one breath
Upward dog down dog flow: three times

Downward Facing Dog

Begin on your hands and knees. Your wrists should be underneath your shoulders, and your knees should be underneath your hips.
Inhale as you tuck your toes under your heels. Then exhale to lift your hips, coming into an upside down "V" shape called Downward Facing Dog.
Spread your fingers wide and create a straight line between your middle fingers and elbows. Work on straightening your legs and lowering your heels toward the ground. Relax your head between your arms and direct your gaze through your legs or up toward your belly button. Hold for three breaths.

Open Lunge Twist

From Low Crescent Lunge, plant your left palm on the floor underneath your shoulder.
Raise your right arm into the air, and reach it behind you to open the chest and shoulders.
Hold here for five breaths.

Plank

Begin on your hands and knees.
Inhale to straighten the legs and hold the body in one straight line, shoulders over the wrists, abs pulled in, for one breath.

Cobra Pose

Lie on your belly with your legs hips-width distance apart. Extend your arms straight out in front of you.
As you lift your head up off the ground, begin to slowly walk your hands in, keeping your hips and thighs on the ground, but gently arching your lower back. Walk them in as far as you can, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
Actively relax, keeping your gaze forward or lowering your head back between your shoulder blades. Stay here for five breaths, opening through the chest and abs, and then lower your torso back to the mat.

Downward Facing Dog Pose

Begin on your hands and knees. Your wrists should be underneath your shoulders, and your knees should be underneath your hips.
Inhale as you tuck your toes under your heels. Then exhale to lift your hips, coming into an upside down "V" shape called Downward Facing Dog.
Spread your fingers wide and create a straight line between your middle fingers and elbows. Work on straightening your legs and lowering your heels toward the ground. Relax your head between your arms and direct your gaze through your legs or up toward your belly button. Hold for one breath.

Reverse Warrior

Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Step your right foot forward between your hands, coming into Warrior 1. Then open your hips, arms, and chest into Warrior 2.
Gently arch your back and rest your left hand on the back of your left leg. Raise your right arm overhead, feeling the stretch through the right side of the body. Make sure you continue to lower your hips and press your front knee forward so it's directly over your right ankle.
Remain here for eight breaths. Lift your torso up, place your hands on the floor, and move back into Down Dog. Step your left foot forward and do this pose on the left side.

Downward Facing Dog Pose

Begin on your hands and knees. Your wrists should be underneath your shoulders, and your knees should be underneath your hips.
Inhale as you tuck your toes under your heels. Then exhale to lift your hips, coming into an upside down "V" shape called Downward Facing Dog.
Spread your fingers wide and create a straight line between your middle fingers and elbows. Work on straightening your legs and lowering your heels toward the ground. Relax your head between your arms and direct your gaze through your legs or up toward your belly button. Hold for one breath.

Upward Dog Down Dog Flow

Begin in Downward Facing Dog with equal weight on your hands and feet. Flare your heels slightly wider than your toes so the outside edges of your feet are parallel with the outside edges of your mat. Spread your fingers wide, and press into your palms to push your hips away from you. Work on lowering your heels to the floor without rounding your spine. Relax your shoulders and head, and gaze at your navel as you breathe for five breaths.
On your next inhale, shift your weight forward into your hands as you scoop your chest between the hands, coming into Upward Facing Dog with your toes tucked.
Exhale to lift your hips up and press your chest back, returning to Down Dog.
Flow between these postures three times, pausing in either pose to spend a little more time opening areas that are tight for you.