Two years ago, my friend and I visited Rome together. We walked everywhere—truly,  everywhere. We took a taxi a grand total of one time. One day, we visited the ruins of an  ancient bath complex. As we meandered through the site, we passed a bench. My friend  stopped, whipped one of her legs up onto the back of the bench, and launched into a deep  forward fold. She didn’t skip a beat, remarking, “I have to stretch! Otherwise, my body feels like  a complete stone!” No time like the present, so I led us through a brief, splendidly impromptu  yoga practice in these ancient baths to counteract all the literal ground we had covered over  the previous days.  

Case in point—exercise, including walking, running, dancing, biking, swimming, boxing, weight  lifting, cross-training, and beyond all present creative opportunities to remain active at every  stage in life. While these diverse forms of movement promote heart health, build strength,  boost energy, and cultivate physical longevity, it’s not unusual to feel sore afterwards—enter  the antidote: yoga. Practicing the following postures before and/or after exercising combats  rigidity in the body, fosters greater range of motion, aids in injury prevention, and as my friend  would affirm—helps your body feel less stone-like.  

Reclined Figure Four posture / Supta Kapotasana  

Lie on your back, and bend your knees. Place your feet hip-width distance apart and parallel  so your knees stack above your ankles. Rest your arms at your sides so your palms touch the  mat.  

Cross your right ankle over your left thigh, and flex your right foot. If you feel a significant  stretch in your outer right hip, remain here for five deep breaths and use your right hand to  press your right thigh forward. If you seek a deeper outer hip stretch, lift your left foot off the  mat and intertwine your hands on the back of your left leg. Maintaining the clasp of your hands,  pull your legs toward you.  

Press your low back firmly into the mat, and tuck your chin slightly to elongate your neck. Take  five deep breaths as you soften the heads of your shoulders into the ground.  

Now, if you opted for the second option, unclasp your hands and lower your left foot to the  mat. From here—regardless of whether you took the first or second expression of the pose— uncross your right foot, and lower your right foot to the ground, returning to where we began  with both feet on the ground and the knees bent.  

Repeat this sequence on the left side.  

Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose I / Supta Padangusthasana I with strap  

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and plant your feet on the floor so your knees stack above  your ankles. Now, straighten your left leg on the mat. Your left ankle, knee, and hip are all  aligned. Flex your left foot, rotate your toes on your left foot to face the sky, and roll your left  inner thigh down.  

Next, hug your right knee to your chest and, holding the strap in each hand, loop the strap  around the arch of your right foot. Lengthen your right leg toward the ceiling. Flex your right  foot, spread your toes, and energetically push your right heel upward. It is important that your 

right leg be completely straight. If you need to move your right leg away from you in order to  fully straighten it, take that adjustment.  

Now, if the stretch in your right hamstring feels sufficient, take 5-7 deep breaths here. To  intensify the hamstring stretch, pull on the strap to guide your right foot toward you a few  inches.  

If you forgot about your left leg, don’t worry! It happens. Take a moment to shift your attention  to your left leg. Ensure your left kneecap is facing the sky, and flex your left foot.  

Soften your shoulders into the ground, and find 5-7 slow breaths.  

To exit this posture, bend your left knee and place your left foot on the ground beneath your  knee. Afterwards, bend your right knee so you can comfortably remove the strap from your  right foot and lower your right foot to the ground. Return to the stance in which you began.  

Repeat this series on the left side.  

Supine Spinal Twist / Supta Matsyendrasana  

Lie on your back and extend your arms horizontally on the ground so your wrists, elbows, and  shoulders are aligned. Your palms will face the ground.  

Draw your knees toward your chest and lower your knees to the ground on the right side. Your  knees will remain stacked.  

Flex your feet and inch your knees closer to your right arm to deepen this spinal twist.  

Gaze toward your legs, toward the ceiling, or away from your legs—whichever option creates  the least amount of tension in your neck. Roll the right side of your abdomen upward, and  encourage the left side of your abdomen downward.  

Take ten soothing breaths.  

Now, gaze toward the ceiling, and engage your lower abdominal muscles to lift your knees  back to the center and in toward your torso.  

Repeat on the second side.  

Low lunge / Anjaneyasana  

On your yoga mat, begin in tabletop or “all-fours” posture.  

Step your right foot between your hands. Align your right knee above your ankle, and point  your toes on your right foot to face forward.  

Curl your toes under on your left foot, and walk your left knee back. The farther back you inch  your left knee, the deeper the opening you will experience throughout your left hip and hip  flexor. Your legs will remain hip-width distance apart. Glance behind you to confirm that your  left leg is parallel to the long edge of your yoga mat.  

Now, square your hips and chest forward, and stretch your arms overhead. Turn your palms to  face one another, and align your hands directly above your shoulders. Straighten your elbows, 

and slide your shoulders down away from your ears. Widen your collarbones, and draw your  front ribs in. Gaze toward the horizon line, and soften your forehead and the space between  your eyebrows.  

Take five deep breaths. 

Afterwards, lower your hands to the ground on either side of your right foot. Curl your toes  under on your left foot in order to walk your left knee forward toward the front of the mat.  

Step your right foot back, and position your left foot between your hands.  Repeat this sequence on the left side.  

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Overall, aerobic, anaerobic, high-intensity, and low-intensity forms of exercise all benefit  physical and mental well-being immensely. They can, however, leave you feeling akin to a  stone. By integrating these yoga postures which address the health of the hips, hamstrings,  and spine into your exercise routine, you initiate more well-rounded movement and nurture  balance within the body as a whole

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