Move · Videos · Stretching · 22 min

Full-Body Deep Stretch for Recovery

Full-Body Deep Stretch for Recovery — video by Sydney Cummings Houdyshell Play · 21:42

Video by Sydney Cummings Houdyshell on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Sydney Cummings leads a longer recovery stretch: standing side reaches and a flat-back fold, downward dog calf stretch, cobra, chest and shoulder openers, wrist and forearm stretches, runner's lunge, pigeon, seated glute and lying hamstring stretches, then neck stretches and breathing.

  • 22 min
  • All levels
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • mat
Open in VideosLog it in Train

Step by step 10

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Standing side reaches: wide stance, hold your fingertips overhead and pull over to each side, hips centred. 0:30
  2. Flat-back fold: hinge with hips back only as low as your back stays flat, then twist to each foot and hang. 1:36
  3. Downward dog calf stretch: press one heel towards the floor at a time, switching sides. 3:04
  4. Cat-cow on hands and knees, then cobra with hips down; stay on your elbows if that is enough. 4:20
  5. Chest openers with wide hands and elbows out, thread-the-needle twists, then wrist and forearm stretches. 5:53
  6. Runner's lunge, first side: sink the hips, straighten both legs for the hamstring, then add a twist. 8:23
  7. Pigeon with hips square, then a seated glute stretch and a lying hamstring stretch with toes pulled back. 9:45
  8. Runner's lunge on the other side: hips down, the straight-leg hamstring stretch and a twist. 12:27
  9. Pigeon on the second side for about 30 seconds, then the seated glute and lying hamstring stretches. 14:02
  10. Seated neck and trap stretches with shoulders down, cross-body arm pulls, then slow breathing with spine stretches. 16:43

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Hinge only as low as you can keep your back flat
  • Keep your hips square in pigeon rather than going lower with hips open
  • Drop your shoulder away from your ear in the neck and trap stretch

What it works Whole body

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 4 takes load

  • Shoulders takes loaddownward dog, tabletop, wide-elbow child's pose
  • Wrists & hands takes loaddownward dog, palms-back wrist stretch, tabletop
  • Hips takes loadrunner's lunge, pigeon, figure four, hamstring pushes
  • Knees takes loadrunner's lunge, pigeon with shin down, tabletop
  • Neck movesside and chin-down neck stretches
  • Elbows moveswrist stretch with bent elbows, cobra press-up
  • Upper back movesthread the needle, cat-cow, spine float
  • Lower back movesfold, cobra press-ups, cat-cow
  • Ankles & feet movesdownward dog heel presses, calf stretch
  • Kneeling. Pressure on the kneecaps — a folded towel or cushion under the knees helps.
  • Weight on your hands. The wrists bend back under load. Fists, push-up handles or your forearms ease it.
  • Down on the floor. You get down to the floor and back up again.
  • Rounding or twisting the back. With osteoporosis or a back problem, move smoothly and within comfort, and ask a physio which suit you.

Easier option from the coach: Forearms instead of hands for the back press; stay higher in lunge and pigeon

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

More like this

Browse all 764 videos

Video by Sydney Cummings Houdyshell; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety