The Best Examples of 3 Post-Workout Yoga Poses for Relaxation (Plus How to Actually Use Them)

Real-world examples of 3 post-workout yoga poses for relaxation

Let’s start with the actual poses instead of theory. When people ask for practical examples of 3 examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation, what they usually want is:

• A pose to calm the nervous system
• A pose to release the back and hips
• A pose to ease tight legs and shoulders

The three best examples that consistently check those boxes are:

• Legs-Up-the-Wall (Viparita Karani)
• Child’s Pose (Balasana)
• Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

These are beginner-friendly, low-effort, and work well even when you’re sweaty, tired, and not in the mood for a long yoga session.

1. Legs-Up-the-Wall: The go-to example of a nervous-system reset

If I had to pick just one pose as the best example of a post-workout yoga pose for relaxation, it would be Legs-Up-the-Wall. It’s simple, surprisingly soothing, and doesn’t require flexibility.

How to do it

Sit sideways with one hip against a wall. Swing your legs up the wall as you lower your back to the floor. Scoot your hips closer or farther from the wall until it feels comfortable. Let your arms rest out to the sides with palms up. Close your eyes and breathe slowly.

Stay for 3–5 minutes if you can, or even 1–2 minutes if you’re short on time.

Why it works after a workout

This pose gently sends blood and lymphatic fluid back toward your core, which many athletes find soothing after long runs or heavy leg days. It’s often mentioned in yoga and relaxation programs because it encourages your body to shift from “fight or flight” to “rest and digest.” That shift toward the parasympathetic nervous system is exactly what you want in a cool-down.

While research on specific yoga poses is still growing, broader studies on yoga and relaxation suggest that slow breathing and supported postures can help reduce stress and perceived muscle tension. For example, the National Institutes of Health notes that yoga practices may support stress management and overall well-being.

Real examples of how to use it

Here are a few real examples of how people plug Legs-Up-the-Wall into their routines:

• A runner finishes a 3-mile evening run, does 3 minutes of gentle calf and quad stretches, then lies in Legs-Up-the-Wall for 5 minutes to relax before a shower.
• A lifter ends a heavy squat session with 2 minutes of walking, 2 minutes of hamstring stretching, and 3 minutes of Legs-Up-the-Wall to let their heart rate come down.
• A beginner who feels anxious after intense HIIT uses this pose for 4–6 minutes with slow counting breaths (inhale for 4, exhale for 6) to calm down.

These are concrete examples of 3 examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation in action, with Legs-Up-the-Wall serving as the “anchor” pose for nervous-system calm.

Easy modifications

• If your hamstrings feel tight, scoot your hips a bit farther from the wall.
• If the floor is uncomfortable, lie on a folded blanket or yoga mat.
• If getting to the floor is difficult, you can mimic the pose by lying on a couch and resting your calves on the backrest.

2. Child’s Pose: A classic example of gentle back and hip release

Child’s Pose is probably the most familiar example of a post-workout yoga pose for relaxation, even if you’ve only ever seen it in a class clip on social media. It’s simple, grounding, and fantastic for a tired lower back.

How to do it

Kneel on the floor with your big toes touching and knees as wide as feels comfortable. Sit your hips back toward your heels and fold your torso forward, resting your forehead on the floor or on your hands. Stretch your arms forward or rest them by your sides.

Breathe into your back ribs and belly. Stay for 30–60 seconds to start, and work up to 2–3 minutes.

Why it works so well after training

After lifting, running, cycling, or long days on your feet, your lower back and hips often feel tight and “compressed.” Child’s Pose gently lengthens the spine, opens the hips, and gives your nervous system a clear signal that the hard work is over.

Organizations like the American Council on Exercise have highlighted yoga’s role in improving flexibility and promoting relaxation, and Child’s Pose is one of the best examples of how a simple posture can help you feel less stiff and more at ease.

Real examples of when to use Child’s Pose

Here are a few everyday examples of 3 examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation where Child’s Pose plays a starring role:

• After a deadlift or back-focused strength session, you spend 60 seconds in Child’s Pose between lighter stretches to give your lower back a break.
• After a long day of standing at work followed by a short workout, you finish with 2 minutes of Child’s Pose to release your hips and calm your breathing.
• After a cycling session, you use Child’s Pose to counter the forward-hunched position on the bike and give your spine a gentle stretch.

Helpful modifications

• If your knees feel uncomfortable, place a folded towel or blanket behind them.
• If your hips don’t reach your heels, that’s fine—just go as far as feels okay.
• If your forehead doesn’t comfortably reach the floor, rest it on stacked fists or a yoga block.

These tweaks turn Child’s Pose into an accessible example of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation even for people with stiff knees or hips.

3. Supine Twist: A relaxing example for the spine and nervous system

The third in our set of examples of 3 examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation is the Supine Twist. It’s a gentle, lying-down twist that helps many people feel “unwound” after a tough session.

How to do it

Lie on your back with your legs extended. Hug your right knee into your chest. Gently guide that knee across your body to the left, letting your right hip lift off the floor. Reach your right arm out to the side and turn your head to the right if it feels okay on your neck. Keep both shoulders as close to the floor as you comfortably can.

Take 5–10 slow breaths, then switch sides.

Why it feels so relaxing

Supine twists lightly stretch the lower back, outer hip, and chest. More importantly, they encourage slow, deep breathing. That combination of gentle stretching plus mindful breathing is a pattern seen across many yoga-based relaxation protocols.

While most large organizations like Mayo Clinic talk about yoga in general terms, this pose is a textbook example of the kind of low-intensity movement that supports stress relief and recovery.

Real examples of how athletes use Supine Twist

Here are a few concrete ways people work this pose into their cool-downs as one of the best examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation:

• After a core workout, you finish with 2 minutes of Supine Twist (1 minute per side) to ease tension around the spine.
• After a long run, you pair Supine Twist with Legs-Up-the-Wall to relax both the legs and lower back.
• After an upper-body lifting day, you use Supine Twist to release your chest and shoulders while focusing on slow exhalations.

Simple modifications

• If your top knee doesn’t reach the floor comfortably, rest it on a pillow or folded blanket.
• If your shoulders lift off the ground, that’s fine—back off the depth of the twist until it feels easy to breathe.
• If your neck is sensitive, keep your head facing the ceiling instead of turning it.

Again, the goal is relaxation, not forcing range of motion. That’s what makes this one of the best examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation for beginners and advanced exercisers alike.

How to combine these 3 examples into a 5–10 minute cool-down

Now that you’ve seen clear examples of 3 examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation, let’s put them together into something you can actually follow after your next workout.

Here’s a simple 7-minute flow, written out in plain language instead of a numbered list so you can picture it as a smooth routine:

After your last set or last sprint, walk slowly for about one to two minutes to let your heart rate start dropping. When you’re ready, lower yourself to the floor and begin with Child’s Pose. Spend about a minute there, breathing into your back and hips. From there, roll onto your back and move into Supine Twist, holding each side for about a minute. Focus on slow exhales and let your shoulders soften.

When you’ve finished both sides of the twist, scoot over to a wall or the base of a couch and set up for Legs-Up-the-Wall. Stay there for three to four minutes, letting your breathing become slower and quieter. When you’re done, gently bend your knees, roll to one side, and sit up slowly.

That’s it. In under ten minutes, you’ve used three of the best examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation to:

• Gently stretch your hips, back, and legs
• Encourage your nervous system to shift toward recovery
• Create a simple ritual that tells your body, “Workout is over, now we rest.”

2024–2025 trends: Why more people are adding yoga to cool-downs

If you scroll through fitness apps or social platforms in 2024–2025, you’ll notice more short “yoga for recovery” sessions built right into strength and cardio programs. These sessions often feature the same poses you’ve just read about—real, practical examples of 3 examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation being used at scale.

A few trends driving this:

• Wearable data focus: People using smartwatches and fitness trackers are paying more attention to heart rate recovery and sleep quality. Gentle post-workout yoga is being used as a tool to nudge those metrics in the right direction.
• Recovery culture: Instead of only pushing harder, more athletes are talking about recovery days, mobility, and down-regulation. Short yoga sequences with poses like Child’s Pose and Legs-Up-the-Wall fit perfectly into that mindset.
• Mental health awareness: With increased awareness of stress and burnout, many people use these poses as a bridge between “workout mode” and “rest of life mode.” They’re not just stretching; they’re mentally shifting gears.

Organizations like the CDC emphasize regular movement for health, and yoga is increasingly being treated as part of that movement toolkit, especially for stress management and gentle cool-downs.

Extra examples: How to adapt these 3 poses to different workouts

To give you even more practical ideas, here are additional ways to use these same three poses. These are examples include style scenarios you can steal and adapt:

• After a leg day with squats and lunges: Spend longer in Legs-Up-the-Wall (up to 8 minutes if you have time) to give your legs a break, with short stops in Child’s Pose and Supine Twist.
• After a long run or hike: Start with Legs-Up-the-Wall to ease your feet and calves, then move into Supine Twist for your back, and finish with a short Child’s Pose to calm your breathing.
• After an upper-body strength session: Use Child’s Pose with your arms stretched forward to lengthen your lats and shoulders, then Supine Twist to open your chest, and end with a brief Legs-Up-the-Wall just for nervous-system calm.
• On a rest day: Use all three poses back-to-back as a 10-minute “recovery break” to stay loose without doing a full workout.
• Before bed after an evening workout: Do a very gentle version of this sequence with dim lights and slow breathing to set up better sleep.

All of these are real examples of how a small set of poses can be reused in different ways. Instead of memorizing twenty different stretches, you’re learning a small toolkit of the best examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation and applying them where they fit.

Safety tips and when to be cautious

A few quick points to keep things safe and smart:

• If you have existing injuries or medical conditions (especially spine, knee, or hip issues), check with a healthcare professional before trying new poses.
• Move slowly into and out of each pose—this is especially important when you’re already fatigued from a workout.
• Mild stretching sensations are fine; sharp or pinching pain is a no-go. Back out of the pose and modify.
• If you feel dizzy when you put your legs up the wall, come out of the pose and try lying flat on your back with your calves on a chair instead.

Resources like MedlinePlus and Mayo Clinic’s yoga overview (linked above) offer general guidance on staying safe with stretching and yoga.

FAQ: Common questions about examples of post-workout yoga poses

Q: What are some simple examples of post-workout yoga poses for beginners?
A: Three of the best examples for beginners are Legs-Up-the-Wall, Child’s Pose, and Supine Twist. They’re done on the floor, don’t require flexibility, and focus on relaxation rather than strength or balance.

Q: Can you give an example of a 5-minute post-workout yoga routine?
A: Yes. Spend about one minute in Child’s Pose, then one minute in Supine Twist on each side, and finish with two minutes in Legs-Up-the-Wall. That’s a realistic, time-efficient example of using 3 post-workout yoga poses for relaxation after any workout.

Q: How often should I use these examples of 3 examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation?
A: You can use them after every workout if they feel good. Many people find that even two or three sessions per week improve how relaxed and “unwound” they feel afterward.

Q: Are these poses only for flexibility, or do they help recovery too?
A: They do both. While they offer gentle stretching, their bigger benefit is helping your body shift into recovery mode by slowing your breathing and lowering tension, which supports overall recovery and stress management.

Q: Do I need props to try these examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation?
A: No. A floor, a wall, and maybe a folded towel or pillow are enough. Props can make things more comfortable, but they’re optional.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: a cool-down doesn’t have to be complicated. A few minutes with these three poses—Legs-Up-the-Wall, Child’s Pose, and Supine Twist—gives you simple, repeatable examples of 3 examples of post-workout yoga poses for relaxation that actually fit into real life.