Yoga Strong: Your Active Recovery Workout

This workout couples strength-building movement and yoga poses, for days when you want a change from weights and pounding cardio workouts.

Warm-Up

Full-Body Get-Ups

• Start facedown in a prone position on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Your feet should be hip-width apart.
• Push yourself off the floor, and at the same time, bring your left foot toward the outside of your shoulder.
• Use your legs to push the ground away and stand up. If you can’t get up with one foot, walk both feet in first.
• Reverse the sequence to return to the starting position. Alternate which leg is leading the get-up after each rep.
• Work for three minutes.

Workout

Perform these moves as supersets. Complete three rounds of each pair, before moving on to the next pair of movements.

Superset 1

Forward Leap Half-Turn

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart in an athletic ready position.
• Squat down about one-third of the way then jump forward landing softly on both feet in an athletic ready position.
• Make a quick half turn jump to your right so you’re facing the opposite way.
• Squat down about one-third of the way then jump forward landing softly on both feet in an athletic ready position.
• Make a quick half turn to your left so you’re facing the way you started.
• Work for one minute.

Warrior 1 Pose

• Stand tall and then take a wide step to the right. Keep your right toes pointing forward and rotate your left foot until it is perpendicular to your right foot. Sit into your left leg, bending your left knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Raise your arms perpendicular to the floor (and parallel to each other) and reach actively through the outside edges of your hands toward the ceiling.
• As you reach to the ceiling, imagine lengthening the tissues in your legs and hips. Breathe through your nose.
• Hold the pose for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side to complete one rep.

Superset 2

Cross-Over Lateral Push-Up

• Begin in a push-up position with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Perform a push-up. Cross the left hand over the right hand with the right leg moving laterally to the right. Repeat and perform four repetitions moving laterally to the right.
• Perform the above sequence on the opposite side. Cross the right hand over the left hand with the left leg moving laterally to the left. Perform four repetitions moving laterally to the left.
• Work for one minute.

Cobra Pose

• Lie facedown with your thighs and tops of your feet touching the floor, hands under your shoulders.
• Press your trunk off the floor as you straighten your arms and lift your chest up in front of you. Roll your shoulders down and back to be in a relaxed position.
• Breathe through your nose. Hold for 45 seconds.

Superset 3

V-Sit Balance

• Sit on your tailbone and elevate your feet off the ground. Straighten your legs.
• Try to actively reach your arms toward the ceiling. Hold for as long as you can.
• If you lose balance, reset and start again. Work for one minute.

Camel Pose

• Kneel with the tops of your feet touching the floor.
• Reach both hands behind you to cup your heel bones with your palms.
• Lift your chest and tilt your head back to look to the ceiling. Breathe through your nose.
• Hold this pose for as long as you can. Feel free to reset before repeating it.
• Tip: You can begin with your toes curled under and gripping the floor and advance to placing the tops of your feet on the floor.
• Hold for 45 seconds.

Cool-Down

Gate Pose

• Kneel and extend your right leg out to the side, placing your right foot flat on the floor.
• Let the top of your left foot touch the floor behind you.
• Place your right hand on your extended leg and reach your left hand overhead as you slide your right hand down toward your foot. Let your gaze follow your lifted hand.
• Remember to look at the ceiling as you breathe out your nose. Work for one minute and repeat on the other side.

Legs on Wall Pose

• Lie on your back with your back completely flat against the floor and your glutes up against a wall.
• Extend your legs up the wall. Try to keep your lower back flat on the ground. (This may require you to tilt your pelvis and draw your bellybutton in toward your spine.)
• Flex your feet and tilt your toes back toward your face. Use a gentle breathing cadence that emphasizes breathing through the nose. Hold this position for two minutes.

Photo credit: Stígur Már Karlsson /Heimsmyndir, Getty Images
GIFs: Tom Casey, box24studio.com
Model: Krista Jacobs, 24 Hour Fitness