I am la-la-loving the warmer weather we've been having in New England. Humidity and all, I am just so happy to be back home after years of living out of my suitcase. The other day, a friend asked if I wanted to go hiking with the dogs. Now, I'm not the world's most outdoorsy person (gross understatement) but I do enjoy a good hike once in a while. I find, however, that my back suffers when I finish a long hike, so I figured I'd share five favorite poses to do after a hike to alleviate the pain.
1. Standing pigeon pose - A favorite for tight hips, this bad boy will open you up like no other. Tip: The closer you can get your chest to your shin, the more you'll feel it in the hips.
2. Wide leg forward fold with a shoulder opener - A good one for hikers who carry backpacks, as this pose not only opens up tight hamstrings, but it's great if you've got a tight chest/shoulder area as well.
3. Dancer's pose - So good for the hamstrings and hip flexors and also open up the chest as well.
4. Little back bend - I love a little back bending action after a long hike. It's nice for the hip flexors and entire front body.
5. Warrior 2 - This is a favorite of mine to stretch the legs and find length in the torso. I will usually through in a little reverse warrior in here for a good side body stretch.
Related Watch out for these common mistakes in warrior 2.
Let's chat What's your favorite summertime activity? Are you into hiking? Biking? Running? What's your thang?