Recovery Exercises
Lower Back Pain
To ensure stability, balance your weight evenly, then lower yourself to your hands and knees. Make sure to align your hands, shoulders, hips, knees, and feet in one line for maximum support.
Picture a content pup: Start by taking a deep breath and raising your tail (hips) as you lift your head. Make sure to arch your lower back as far as possible for maximum happiness.
Imagine a sleek, relaxed cat: exhale and arch your back as far as possible while lowering your hips and head. Your spine should be at its highest for a comfortable stretch across your whole back.
Achilles Tendons
Foot circles and flexing exercises help to strengthen the muscles in your leg that extend and flex. Additionally, these workouts can help restore the flexibility of your ankle.
  • Lay on your back with your legs extended and your toes up towards the sky.
  • Take your right leg and bend it, move your knee towards your chest and wrap your arms around it.
  • Starting with your right foot, roll it in a clockwise direction in the broadest range possible to create circles.
  • Don't rush and keep your knee and hip steady; all motions should be happening at the ankle exclusively.
  • Finish 30 rotations, reverse the direction, and switch to the other leg afterward.
For the 2nd exercise, try to bring your toes as close to your chest as possible and then point them away using only your ankle. Do this 30 times for each leg.
Shoulder and Elbow Pain
Arm circles are an effective way to restore the normal functioning of your shoulder joint. Moreover, they can also strengthen the muscles of your upper back.
Proper posture is essential and can be achieved by standing tall with your head up, feet hip-width apart, and arms raised to shoulder level with palms down and thumbs pointing forward. Contracting the shoulder blades together further emphasizes correct form.
As you keep your shoulders level, do 6-inch circles forward with your thumbs and notice the tension in your neck and upper back. Feel each muscle working during the exercise.
After 30 circles with your palms facing downward, invert your hands and perform another set of 30 circles opposite. You may experience more tension, soreness, and 'clicking' sounds in your dominant arm. Make sure to complete the arm circles until both arms are evenly conditioned, and you can feel your shoulders retracting and tightening up back.
Shoulder Pain and Tennis Elbow
  • Lean against the wall with your feet slightly apart, ensuring that your ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders align with each other.
  • Ensure that your heels, buttocks, upper back, and head are in contact with the wall.
  • Clasp your hands with your fingers intertwining and the knuckles on either side of your temples, thumbs pointing downward. Then push back gently against a wall until your elbows touch it.
  • Get into the starting position, then gradually move your elbows forward until they meet in front of your chest.
Keep your knuckles on your temples throughout the exercise - it may be tempting for them to wander, so stay focused. Perform each repetition and ensure that the knuckles are back in place after each one.
Ensure your head remains in contact with the wall for the exercise. Do this a total of 50 times for maximum benefit.
Wall Squat for Core Strength
A wall squat is an easy and effective way to align your ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders. It's a great exercise to help you stay in shape.
  • Lean your body against the wall and make sure your hips, knees, and ankles all form a 90-degree angle.
  • Move your feet away from the wall such that your upper legs are level with the ground.
  • To ensure proper posture when standing, keep your feet at hip-width apart while ensuring they remain parallel. Ensure that the knees are over the ankles and in line with the feet, not over the toes.
  • Make sure to keep your ankles, knees, and hips in a straight line and an equal distance apart while in the same position. This will prevent any movement inward or outward.
  • Lean your lower and mid back against the wall and focus on how your quads are working the upper part of your thighs.
  • Pay attention to both your quadriceps while working out and ensure that they are even being exercised. Don't forget to focus on getting the right balance between them.
  • Attempt to maintain the position for two minutes. This can be an arduous task initially, so begin with a minute and eventually build up your strength to hold it for three to five minutes.
When the wall squat gets easy, you know your body is becoming more balanced and functional.