7 recovery yoga poses for faster healing 

Recovery yoga poses are essential after an intense workout, as the muscles tend to get sore, which causes intense pain. Is recovery your best friend then? Yes. But that does not mean taking a break from working out.

The answer to your soreness is active recovery, by stretching and engaging in light movement. One of the most effective active recoveries is yoga, which helps the body recover faster, relieving the pain and helping you get back on your feet quickly.

Recovery yoga, also known as restorative yoga, involves holding each posture for a considerable period to allow you to bring back balance to your body and mind. This yoga type does not only provide relaxation but also helps relieve muscle tension, reduces soreness and pain, increases blood flow and improves sleep quality, leading to a speedy recovery.

---

Recovery yoga poses for faster recovery and relief

Want a speedy recovery? Do the whole routine or pick each pose to target a specific sore area. Here are seven recovery yoga poses to help in recovery:

#1 Happy baby

Recovery yoga poses: Happy Baby (Image by tine_yogini /Instagram)

Helps: groin, spine, hips, hamstrings, lower back

Start this pose by hugging your knees into your chest. Separate your knees, and flex your feet.

Reach for the outside edges of your feet with your hands, and lift the sole of your feet towards the sky while aligning the ankles over knees so that the shins are perpendicular to the floor.

---

#2 Supine hamstring stretch

Supine Hamstring Stretch (Image by ebonisweet//Instagram)

Helps: hamstrings, hips, thighs, groins, calves

Loop the arch of your right foot through a strap. Flex your foot, and extend your foot towards the sky as much as you can. Your left leg can be bent or straight out on the mat.

---

#3 Reclined twist

Recovery yoga poses: Reclined Twist (Image by clarissa_mae_/Instagram)

Helps: spine, hamstrings, legs, back, glutes

Start by keeping your foot in the strap, and guide your legs across the body into a twist while trying to stack your hips. To deepen the pose, look out over the other shoulder. Repeat the pose, and twist on your left side.

---

#4 Sphinx pose

Sphinx Pose (Image by doctoryogapelin/Instagram)

Helps: spine, chest, shoulder, abdominals

For the next recovery yoga pose, lie down on your stomach, and prop yourself up on your forearms, palms facing down. Relax your shoulders away from your arms.

---

#5 Child’s pose

Recovery yoga poses: Child's Pose (Image by Alexandra Tran/Unsplash)

Helps: hips, thighs, ankles, low back, shoulders, neck

After doing the sphinx recovery yoga pose, come up to the tabletop. Sink your hips back to your heels, and stretch your arms forward. Relax your chest and forehead down. You can also widen your hips, or create space for your stomach.

---

#6 Frog

The Frog Pose (Image by treatbackpain/Instagram)

Helps: chest, shoulders, back, hips, thighs

Move from child pose to tabletop once again. Spread your knees out wider than your hips, and flex your feet so your toes face outward.

Come to rest your forearms while spreading your hands out further to increase the stretch. Keep your hips aligned under the knees. Be comfortable to place a blanket, or cushion under your knees for extra support.

---

#7 Hero

Girl in red sitting in the hero yoga pose (Image by Bruce Mars/Unsplash)

Helps: hips flexors, knees, thighs, ankles, back, abdominals

From the previous recovery yoga pose, come to a kneeling position with your glutes between the feet. As you exhale, start to lower your back torso to the floor, and rest yourself on your forearms.

As you’re comfortable and safe enough to go even deeper, lower onto your back. Try to use a pillow, or cushion behind your back for support. To come out, lift up onto your forearms, and move upright.

---

The aforementioned recovery yoga poses are excellent for a speedy recovery, but if you’re a beginner or have any pre-existing health problems, consider speaking to your healthcare professional or a trainer before trying anything new.

Turn yoga into a lifestyle with these recovery yoga poses, and get an extraordinary physique.