Do this Cooldown after a workout | Relaxation Recovery Stretches

Hey guys! Welcome to the cool down. If you've just finished a workout, this is a great routine to promote relaxation and improve flexibility.

Feel free to play the video at a slower speed for a longer stretch if you'd like to. Let's start with head rolls. Start in a clockwise motion first.

This helps to increase relaxation of  the muscles in your neck. Do it slow and be safe. Now in an anti-clockwise motion.

Now get into a child pose  slowly to stretch out your lats, and your lower back, and stay there for a while. Let's slowly move into a cat-cow position. Inhale and tilt your pelvis back, dropping your belly towards the mat.

Then exhale, and tuck your tailbone and belly in. Start with bended knee, and slowly straighten your legs. Adjust it based on how you feel.

Go deeper into a downward dog if you can, or you can do a milder version by not going too deep. Walk your legs to relax your hamstrings. Now slowly get into a cobra pose.

Get into a high plank and slowly lower your entire body down onto the mat. Then slowly bring your chest up. Please do this slow, and be safe, and hold here.

Now get into a downward dog for a few seconds, then bring your left leg forward into a lunge, resting your back knee on the mat. Tuck your butt in, your chin down, and place your palms on your left thigh, and hold. You'll feel the stretch and relaxation on your  neck and on your hip flexors here, too.

Go down into a deeper lunge, raising your arms. You can go back and forth slowly to increase flexibility. Adjust this based on how you feel.

Listen to your body. Now, move your hips back and stretch your hamstring. Again, you can move forward and then back into a stretch depending on your flexibility.

Don't push yourself too hard for the stretch. Know your limits. Now, move back into the original position, and use one arm to pull your back foot to stretch your quads.

If you can't reach your foot, it's okay. Just hold in the lunge position for a couple of seconds, and slowly work towards  into the stretch. Just like any workouts, it takes time to be more flexible, too.

Now, move into a downward dog, and transition into a lunge on the other leg, by bringing your right leg forward, with your back knee resting on a mat. Tuck your chin down, your butt in,  and rest your palms on the front thigh. Now go deeper into the lunge, to stretch your hips legs and glutes.

It's okay if you can't go too deep into the lunge. Just adjust it based on how you feel. Now move your hips back and  stretch your hamstring.

You can also hold your ankle if you're more flexible. Now move back into a low lunge, and pull your back foot with one hand to stretch your quads. Take it slow and easy, and feel the stretch.

Now into a downward dog and transition into a pigeon pose. You can put your hands on your thigh, or lift your arms up, or rest your hands on your side. Do as you please, just adjust your alignment based on your body and how you feel.

Now you can fold forward for a deeper stretch, once you get your alignment right. This helps to stretch your hip flexors and your glutes, and after those intense workouts, this is a good stretch. Now bring your chest up and stretch your quads by gently pulling your hand into your foot, and press your foot into your hand while sitting tall.

Now, get into a downward dog as you transition into the other side for pigeon pose. Hold at the pigeon pose and adjust your hips and legs. Then slowly fold forward for a deeper stretch.

Now lift the chest up and pull your back foot with one hand. Get into a downward dog again, and we're  transitioning into a hip flexor low lunge stretch, to open up the hips more. Bring your left leg to the side.

You can lift your back knee up, or rest on the mat depending on how you feel. Try to go deep into the lunge by resting your elbows onto the mat. If your hip flexors are too tight, then  you can place your hands on the mat instead.

And hold there for a couple of seconds. Have your hands on the mat and do some reaches like-so. Now do the same on the other side.

Stretch out your hip flexor and bring your elbows down if you can. Then back up until your hand's on the mat, and do some reaches. Now bring your leg back into a downward dog pose, and get into a pyramid pose.

Try to stretch out your hamstring by folding forward. You can start with your front leg slightly bended if you're not as flexible, and slowly work into a deeper stretch. Now, on to the other side.

Now, move to the middle and you can shake  your head up and down, or left to right, to relax those neck muscles. Do it slow. I was having too much fun over here.

Come back down slowly, and sit on the mat and we're going to stretch our lats. Fold your right leg and try to reach your left leg using your right arm. Let's do a few more.

And now go into a deeper hamstring stretch by folding forward. Go slow by placing your elbow on your mat, or you can even fold forward further if you're more flexible. If you are not too flexible, then try to fold forward just slightly.

Listen to your body and know your limits. It's totally okay wherever you are at right now. Now do the same on the other side.

Stretch your lats. Just a few more. Fall forward into a deeper hamstring stretch.

Take it nice and slow. Now put your legs together and stretch  your hamstring. Go as deep as you can.

You can hold your ankle or your  foot if you are more flexible. Now stretch one arm. You can also fold your  legs, if you're more comfortable with that.

Now stretch the other arm. Now let's stretch our tricep. And on to the other tricep.

And now more head rolls, because it's so relaxing. Now turn it in the other direction. Lay flat on the mat with your knees stuck  together and do a spinal twist.

Try to have both shoulders rest on the mat. Do the best you can. It's okay if you can't do it in a certain range of motion.

I was not flexible at all back in the day. And now, on to the other side. Now open up your hips and place your hands  on the hips, to give it a final stretch.

Now finally, hug your knees for the last  stretch. Hold here for a little longer. And that's it, guys!

I hope you feel  much more relaxed now, and this may help with recovery as well. Stay safe, and I'll see you in the next workout. Bye!