3 soothing stretches to bring your body back to life after a busy holiday season
Is your body suffering from post-holiday burnout? The following light workout helps soothe sore muscles, flushes out fatigue, and scorches calories from the candy-coated sweets that are stubbornly sticking around your stomach.
Is your body suffering from post-holiday burnout? When the dashing pace of December begins to wind down, you may experience some seasonal side effects from all the celebrations.
Energy levels are depleted, your sleep schedule is off, and your body is bloated enough to pass for Santa’s body double. Though you were on vacation mode, your brain and body are feeling far from refreshed once December is done.
Because coming off a holiday high can leave you in a seasonal stupor, it’s important to practice exercises that encourage recovery for the muscles and mind, as well as boost your desire to dive back into healthy habits. Recovery exercises are also particularly valuable because a rundown body can cause a weakened immune system, which makes you more susceptible to colds and flu.
Take time to tend to yourself with this home-based exercise elixir. The following light workout helps soothe sore muscles, flushes out fatigue, and scorches calories from the candy-coated sweets that are stubbornly sticking around your stomach.
For best results, practice these moves 30 minutes after waking up, when the muscles have had adequate time to warm up. Complete this circuit three times, resting for 60 seconds between sets.
Lunge + lean
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart. Take a step back with your right foot, crossing it behind your left leg. Lower your body until your front knee forms a 90-degree angle. Don’t allow your front knee to extend past your toes.
Push through your left heel to elevate your body, and step your right foot back to the starting stance.
Exhale as you extend your left arm overhead, lifting your left heel off the floor as you point your toes. Feel a deep stretch in the muscles lining the side of your abdomen. Hold for two counts then repeat the entire sequence 10 times before switching sides.
Bend + breathe
Position your feet so they are slightly wider than hip-distance apart with toes turned out.
With your weight in your heels, exhale as you hinge back at your hips lowering your body into a deep squat and fold your hands in front of your chest. Your thighs should be parallel with the floor.
Inhale fully as you push through your heels to stand, simultaneously opening your arms up toward the ceiling in a circular motion. Practice 10 times.
Pose + plank
Using a mat or cushioned surface, start in a tabletop position with your shoulders stacked over your hands and hips above knees.
Exhale as you move into a child’s pose, tilting back at your hips until your glutes touch your heels. For a deeper stretch, separate your knees slightly wider. With your hands on the mat, extend your arms fully in front of your body. Feel the muscles in your arms, back, and chest elongate.
Hold this stretch for two counts then inhale, slowly rising back to the tabletop stance. Tuck your toes under and shift your weight into a plank pose by walking your hands out until they are stacked under your shoulders. Hold until balanced, then come back to tabletop, repeating the entire movement 10 times.
Listen to your body. If you’re feeling fatigued or fragile, make personal time a priority to avoid bigger problems later.
Ashley Blake Greenblatt is a certified personal trainer and wellness coach. To learn more about her virtual training program, visit ashleyblakefitness.com.