30 Quick & Effective Cool Down Stretches to Ease Tight Muscles

After an intense workout, you might feel exhausted, but it’s not time to collapse on the couch just yet. Skipping cool-down stretches might leave you feeling sore and stiff for days. Instead, easing your body back to a resting state with gentle movements, flexibility exercises and stretches can help you recover faster, maintain flexibility, and feel great after every workout. This article will help you start with calm down stretches to help you recover faster, stay flexible, and feel great after every workout without lingering soreness or stiffness slowing you down.

Pliability's mobility app is a valuable tool for achieving recovery objectives. With easy-to-follow routines tailored to your unique needs, our solution can help you get back to your training routine faster so you can keep progressing toward your goals.

Why is Cooling Down After a Workout Important?

After an intense workout, skipping the cooldown and heading straight for the shower can be tempting. But this is a mistake. “The point of a cooldown is to lower your heart rate and to ease your body into a healthy recovery zone,” says Peloton cycling instructor Hannah Corbin. “Think the exact opposite of a warm-up. If we go from waking up to lifting the heaviest weight of all time, our body is not going to cooperate. The same goes for the flipside. If we go from 10 to 0 with no in-between, the body will be confused and slightly cranky.” 

The Importance of Cooling Down After Exercise

There are many physiological reasons you may not feel your best if you skip the cooldown after a hard workout. “A cooldown helps prevent blood pooling in the extremities and promotes removing metabolic waste products from your muscles,” explains Austin Cagley, Peloton’s Director of Global Instructor Development. 

High-intensity exercises like interval training can cause lactic acid and other substances to build up in your muscles. If you don’t take the time to cool down, these compounds can hang around and cause soreness or discomfort. Indeed, one study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics found that a cooldown increased circulation and removed waste in exercised muscles to reduce the onset of muscle soreness later. Using a cooldown to help support your body’s recovery can even maximize the results of your workouts over time, adds Austin. Other benefits of a cooldown include the following:

Jumpstarts Active Recovery

Lowering your exercise intensity and doing static stretches helps you ease out of a workout. As you cool down, your blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate slowly return to pre-exercise levels. 

This jump-starts the recovery process and helps remove metabolic waste that builds up in your muscle cells during exercise. It also enables you to avoid post-workout side effects like headaches or dizziness.

Lessens Muscle Pain and Stiffness

Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is another side effect of exercise. The evidence on how stretching affects muscle pain is mixed. Some experts say static stretching after exercise won’t help, but research suggests that cooling down with light cardio may lessen DOMS.

Boosts Flexibility and Range of Motion

Targeted static stretches help lengthen and relax muscles after exercise's physical stress. This may boost flexibility and range of motion, allowing you to move more efficiently in your daily life and future workouts.

How to Cool Down After Cardio vs. Strength Workouts

If you have a well-rounded exercise regimen, you’re likely incorporating different workouts, from high-intensity and endurance-based cardio and resistance training with weights, barre, or Pilates. And if that’s the case, your cooldown will vary based on the type of workout you completed that day.

“For a post-cardio cooldown, you can incorporate exercises like light jogging or walking, followed by static stretches targeting major muscle groups involved in your cardio activity, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves,” says Austin. The jogging or walking will serve to flush those soreness-inducing waste products from your muscles, while the static stretches will relax the muscles that worked the hardest and help maintain your flexibility.

“For a post-strength training cooldown, focus on active recovery movements such as gentle bodyweight exercises or dynamic stretches that help improve flexibility and range of motion in the muscles you trained,” Austin says. Since strength moves typically work your muscles through one plane of movement or one range of motion, it’s crucial to incorporate other planes of movement into your recovery to maintain mobility. For example, large arm swings, both up and down and front to back, are a great way to loosen up your chest and upper body after doing push-ups.

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30 Cool Down Stretches to Supercharge Recovery After a Workout

Stretching is essential for post-workout recovery. After your workout, cooldown stretches help to relax your muscles and restore your body to its pre-exercise state. As your body cools down, stretching can help to decrease muscle soreness, improve flexibility, and reduce your risk of injury. 

1. Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch  

This stretch targets the shoulders, the most mobile joints in the body. Stretching them after upper-body workouts can help to relieve tension and improve flexibility.   

2. Overhead Triceps Stretch  

As the name suggests, the overhead triceps stretch targets the triceps on the back of your upper arm. It’s a great addition to your cooldown routine after:

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• Swimming
• Rowing
• Lifting weights   

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3. Butterfly Stretch  

The butterfly stretch mainly targets the groin and adductor muscles in your inner thighs. It also engages the lower back and can help open up tight hips.  

4. Standing Quadriceps Stretch  

With the standing quadriceps stretch, you activate the muscles running along the front. It can help relieve knee pain and muscle tension. And it’s a good cooldown exercise after running or doing lower-body strength training.  

5. Standing Hamstring Stretch  

This stretch activates the hamstrings at the back of your thighs. The standing hamstring stretch can help you release tight muscles, boost flexibility, and ease knee pain.  

6. Wall Calf Stretch  

The wall calf stretch lengthens the muscles in the back of your legs, which can help relieve tight calves.  

7. Seated Single-Leg Forward Bend  

Regular yoga practice helps keep your muscles flexible. This beginner-friendly pose allows you to stretch your hamstrings, calves, and lower back from a seated position. It may be a better option for those with balance problems.  

8. Single Knee-to-Chest Stretch  

The single knee-to-chest stretch loosens the back, hip, and glute muscles. It can help with lower back pain and spinal mobility.  

9. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch  

Hip flexor stretches are critical for runners and cyclists. They are also beneficial after a row or a lower body strength workout in which you compress the hips a lot.    

10. Child’s Pose  

Kneel on the floor so that the shins and tops of your feet are on the ground. Hinge at your hips, moving your hands forward and your butt back. Inch your hands out in front of you until your stomach rests on your thighs and your arms are stretched straight out in front of you, palms on the floor. Focus on your breathing, and take it slow.  

11. Shoulder Rolls  

Shoulder rolls will help loosen up the sides of your neck and the trapezius muscle (or the back of the neck). 

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• Start by standing or sitting as tall as you can. Like all stretches, remember to breathe and move slowly. 
• Without moving your arms, pull your shoulders up toward your ears, toward the back of the room, down, toward the front of the room, and then back to the starting position, slowly rotating them in a circle. 
• Circle in this direction three times, then change the rotation's direction.   

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12. Wide Leg Seated Stretch  

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• Begin seated on the ground, open your legs wide and straight into a straddle position. It’s OK if your knees are bent due to flexibility issues. 
• Flex the feet. Slowly lean forward just enough to feel a stretch in the inner thighs. 
• Hold, move forward when possible, and then release.  

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13. 90/90 with Forward Fold  

The 90/90 stretch is a great way to increase hip mobility and reduce tension-related pain. Doing this while your muscles are still warm after a workout helps to reduce lactic acid, which can cause future stiffness. In addition, achieving better hip rotation can help improve future workouts and relieve lower back pain. Here is how.  

14. Wrist Stretch  

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• Come into a table-top position with your knees underneath your hips. 
• Place your palms on the ground underneath your shoulders. 
• Turn your hands so that your fingertips are facing your knees. 
• Gently rock your upper body forward and backward, finding the position you feel the best stretch. 
• Lean into that position, holding it for at least 10 seconds. 
• Feel free to adjust as you stretch. 

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15. Ear to Shoulder Stretch  

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• Standing or sitting, drop your right ear toward your right shoulder and feel a stretch in the left side of the neck. 
• Hold for 2-4 breaths, and then release and switch sides.  

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16. Chin to Chest Stretch  

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• Place your hands behind your head and gently press your head forward and down so that your chin reaches toward your chest. 
• Feel a stretch behind the upper back and neck. 
• Hold for 2-4 breaths, and then release.  

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17. Armpit Stretch  

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• Place your hands behind your head with elbows out to the sides. 
• This time, allow your head to lean back into your hands. 
• Tilt your chin and look up toward the ceiling, slightly arching the back. 
• Hold for 2-4 breaths, and then release.  

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18. Standing Side Reach  

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• Standing with your feet together, lift your right arm straight into the air. 
• Keep your left arm at your side or on your hip. 
• Bend at the waist toward your left so that you feel a stretch in the right side of your waist. 
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.  

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19. Tricep Stretch  

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• Reach the arms overhead. 
• Bend your right elbow and place your left hand on the right elbow. 
• Pull your elbow down so that it points toward the ceiling and your right forearm dangles behind your head. 
• Feel a stretch in your right tricep, and then switch sides.  

20. Standing Lunge  

Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, step your right foot forward and keep your back leg straight. Come onto your back toes and bend your right knee over the ankle. Pull your navel in toward your spine. Feel a stretch in the front of the right hip, and then switch sides.  

21. Standing Lunge with Side Reach  

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• Step into a standing lunge, then reach the opposite arm of the bent leg up toward the ceiling. 
• Bend at the waist, reaching your arm to the side of the bent leg. 
• This elongates the entire side of the body, from the straight leg behind you up the side waist and hip flexor. 
• Hold for a few counts, and then switch sides.  

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22. Standing Single Leg Hamstring Stretch  

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• Step your right foot 1-2 feet forward; straighten the leg and flex your foot. 
• Then bend your left knee as you hinge at the waist and lean forward over the straight right leg. 
• Feel a stretch down the back of your leg and into your calf. 
• Hold for 2-4 breaths and then switch sides.  

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23. Standing Figure Four  

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• Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, balance on your left leg and bring the right leg up. 
• Cross the right ankle over the left thigh and bend the left knee to the side. 
• Sit back as if you’re about to sit down in a chair. 
• Balance here. 
• Flex the right foot. 
• Gently press your hands into your right thigh to open it up a little bit more if you’d like. 
• You can also mimic this exercise while seated. 
• Hold for 2-4 breaths, and then switch sides.  

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24. Lizard  

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• Begin on all fours with your hands and knees on the ground. 
• Step your right foot forward between your hands, and then bring both hands to the inside of the right foot. 
• Wiggle your right foot out to the right, and open the right hip, letting the right knee fall to the side so that you rest on the outer edge of your right foot. 
• Keep the left knee on the mat, and rest the left foot on the mat. 
• Push forward gently into your hips and hold. Switch so that your left foot is forward, and repeat. 
• Hold for 20-30 seconds.  

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25. Lying Twist  

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• Lying down on your back, hug both knees into your chest. 
• Open the arms straight to your sides into a “T” shape. 
• Keeping your torso facing forward, lower the legs to the right and turn your head to the left. 
• Hold the stretch for three breaths, then come to center. 
• Switch to the left side, hold for three breaths, and then move on to the next exercise.  

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26. Foot Rock  

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• Sitting upright and barefoot, rock onto your heels and flex your toes. 
• Then rock forward onto your arches and the balls of your feet, lifting your heels off the ground but keeping your toes on the ground. 
• Repeat 10 times.  

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27. Toe Splay  

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• Sit upright and barefoot, feet on the ground, and knees bent at 90 degrees. 
• Open your toes as wide as you can and hold for 5 seconds. 
• Release. Repeat 10 times.  

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28. Downward-Facing Dog  

The downward-facing dog is a great way to restore balance in your body and mind. Because it is an inversion, it positions your head lower than your heart. This improves circulation, returns your body to homeostasis, and relieves tension. Here is how to perform the downward dog.  

29. Runner’s Lunge  

A cooldown staple, the runner’s lunge is highly effective at stretching your hip flexors and quads.    

30. Floor Scorpion  

Floor scorpion stretches and releases the lower back, hips, and glute muscles. It can help relieve tension and reduce stress. Here is how he recommends doing the floor scorpion:  

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