1
Forehead-To-Knee
This pose as always been a real miracle-worker for me. I find it very common for our bodies to initially resist this posture A LOT at first. But after a few minutes of simply giving ourselves time to relax - the magic starts to happen.
Do your best to keep a flat lower back as you fold forward... Hinging at your hips is the way to go. You'll naturally feel this stretch in the back of your thighs (hamstrings) the most. However, as you progress in your yoga practice you may even feel it all the way through your butt and your lower back.
WATCH all 3 of these poses in action in this 25 minute yoga flow
This yoga session is perfect for those sore leg muscles. I often find myself doing these poses after running.
2
Hero and/or Half Hero
Hero or Half Hero (as I mention in the video above) is a good way to release the TOP part of your thighs - the quadriceps. In full hero pose you'll have both knees bent back. In "half" hero you'll only bend one knee at a time backwards.
The biggest thing to watch out for in this pose is your knees. Everyone is at a different place in their yoga practice and should pay attention to any type of pain coming from your knee joints. Naturally avoid this posture if it doesn't feel right. Common sense should always take the place of enthusiasm.
3
Wide Legged Forward Fold
This pose is fantastic because it targets an area of our legs we often ignore - our INNER thighs. Furthermore, this pose is a pretty good hip opener as well. In the video above we do this pose seated on the mat. However, you may also do this pose standing as seen here...
Wide legged forward fold (prasarita padottanasana) has many variations. I suggest easing into this pose by placing your hands directly under your face or on the sides of your ankles at first. Again, as will any of our yoga postures, refrain from bouncing...
Final Thoughts And A Yoga-Bonus
Be it from running, or after a heavy workout - sore leg muscles can really put a downer on your day. This is especially true if you have a desk job where sitting is how you spend the majority of your day.
If you know you're going to have a heavy day of legs, try these above poses (or just follow along to the video on you YouTube channel). This should help to work some of that lactic acid out of your muscles and thereby, hopefully, decrease the soreness you feel in your legs.
As always, If you really want to take your yoga practice to the next level then dive into one of my multi-day yoga challenges!
If you haven't done so already - dive into my free 5-day yoga challenge where we take a 360 view of your yoga practice!
From balance & strength, to even flexibility and alignment - I'll share all my best secrets with you!
