Most fitness freaks love to experiment and try out new exercises. They follow a strict schedule and diet to keep their bodies growing and achieve whatever benchmark they have set for themselves. But what one misses out often is the cool-down process or the recovery process for the body.

Our muscles need to relax after a rigorous workout so they can function for the rest of the day. This is where yoga comes to the rescue. Yoga is multifaceted and one of its many benefits is that it relaxes your body and brings back equilibrium.

In this article, I share three such poses or asanas that will help in post-workout recovery.

  1. Legs up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

This pose is my favourite as it not only calms your body down but helps in the blood flow towards the heart. It is a great asana to ease out lower back and hamstring pain. To perform this asana, lay comfortably on your back and scoot your hips to a stable vertical surface and place your legs against it (e.g. the wall). Stay in this posture for the next five to ten minutes. If you have tight hamstrings then move further away from the wall to do the posture.

  1. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

One of the most relaxing and calming asanas is the Balasana. You kneel with your toes and sit back on your feet. Keep your legs underneath whilst widening your thighs to the hip’s distance. Inhale and curl up your body between your legs. Stretch your arms in front and leave them loose to float back with your body movements. This body-hugging posture resembles a child in the safety of a womb. This posture is great for a hip-opening stretch and helps release the tension after an intense workout. You can also release the stress from your shoulders by staying in the posture and clasping your hand behind your back, allowing yourself to sink into the ground while deepening your breathing.

  1. Supine Spinal Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana)

It is very common for us to twist our spine for relaxation from time to time, but when you add the touch of the right alignment to it, its healing and relaxing benefits increase manifold. It helps you stretch, detoxify the body, and get rid of any lactic acid build-up.

To perform this asana, all you need to do is lay down with your back on the mat, extend your legs and arms palms down and form a “T” position. Now while keeping your shoulders and arms faced towards the ground, bend your right knee in a way that the sole of your foot is flat on the floor right beside your left knee. Now rotate your hips while letting the right leg drift over your body and try reaching out your knee to the floor. Shift your hips to maintain a straight line with your left leg and torso and use your left hand to add pressure to the right leg for a deep stretch. Repeat this on the other side and release all the stress from your body.