This “workout of the week” is very moderate in terms of physical exertion. While intense physical exertion is important to overall health and fitness, it is also important to take time away from intense workouts and focus of recovery. The more time spent on recovery, the harder it will be to injure yourself.
Yoga is a great way to increase your mobility, as well as loosen tight muscles, which can help you recover faster from intense workout. Many times people will strain a muscle during a workout and continue to irritate that muscle by further exercise, which can cause a serious injury. If you ever feel like you have strained a muscle, take some time to do things like yoga to aid in muscle recovery. Yoga is also great because you decide how far you would like to take each pose.
Childs’ Pose – Rhomboid Stretch
If you have attended a yoga class, you have most likely done Child’s Pose, which is often used during yoga class as a resting pose, while continuing to provide a back stretch.
To begin the position, begin to kneel with your palms flat on the floor so that you are on all four limbs. Begin to shift toward your heels until you can no longer shift backwards. Your arms should then stretch forward until they are fully extended.
Make sure your forearms do not touch the ground beneath. Your knees should also be a little farther than hip width apart so that your torso fits nicely. After this, begin to take one arm and thread it through the other arm so that it goes under the other elbow. Try to get the shoulder of the threaded arm to touch the ground. Hold for 90 seconds and switch. You may do this as little or as much as you would like.