Sore After Training? 25-Min Slow Stretch Recovery for BJJ

But honestly it's whatever feels good in those stretches. Bringing that leg back to center, let's switch legs. So this time the ball of the left foot in the belt. I like to put my right foot on the ground just for the first stretch.

It's kind of nice on the lower back and go ahead and bend and straighten that left leg a few times. And if the left leg doesn't totally straight, it's no big deal. It doesn't mean you're a better or worse person. It just means your leg doesn't want to straighten yet.

And when you're ready go ahead and straighten or almost straighten that left leg. I'm taking the belt in the left hand, bring the left leg out to the left side, stretching the outside of the left leg. That was a lot of loves. I'm going to rotate this way.

There we go. Sorry so we'll be stretching the inside of the left leg. Those quad, what's called the adductors. That's what we use a lot to pull the leg back to center.

In jiu-jitsu we're constantly doing that. Constantly doing crazy stuff with our hips and legs. Go ahead and pull that leg back to center. Take the belt in the right hand.

And again, same thing on this side. Just post the right elbow on the ground. Bringing the left leg across the body. You'll feel the stretch through the outside of the left hip.

Allowing the left leg to be bent. It can be straight but that might have more hamstring. We just did some of the hamstring stretches. I want to target the outside of the hip.

And again it's not wrong to move all the way over to the side. I just don't want as much of a spinal twist yet. I want more of the focus to be on the outside of the hip. Bringing that leg back to center.

Getting rid of the belt. And just one more time lifting the right leg up. This time without the belt. So lift the right leg up.

Push the lower back into the ground. Engaging that lower core. So a tiny bit of strengthening just to just the smallest bit to bring some blood flow into the muscles. Sometimes if we're sore or tired that small amount of blood flow will feel super good.

Just like we did with the belt but this time there's no belt. Bring the right foot out to the right side. Pulling the leg back to center and bringing it over to the left side across the body. And back to center.

Switching legs. Right foot on the ground. Left leg up. Pushing that lower back into the ground.

Bringing the left foot over to the left side. I have a wall so I can't go all the way down but I'm sure you can. So do as I say not as I do. Pulling that left leg back to center and other side.

Back to center. Both feet on the ground. Rock and roll eventually finding your way to this twist sit. So hands behind the legs grabbing pretty much the hamstrings.

Tucking the chin and rolling out that back. Sometimes at the top of the roll I like to go ahead and straighten the back pushing the chest forward shoulders down. That can feel nice. Find your way onto your hands and knees for cat cow.

So hands and knees. If you're ready, you're afraid you already know cat cow go ahead and start moving or if you're not too familiar with this begin by arching the back so belly button towards the ground. Chest towards the ground. Then creating the opposite to that rounding the lower back and the middle back and the upper back.

So dropping the chest arching the back for your old cow and rounding the back for your cat. It's nice to start with the cat cow up and down. Keep doing this if you like or it also can be really nice to move left and right. So wagging the tail moving the hips left and right.

Big circles. Three circles one way we call it the tumble dryer. And three circles with the spine the other way. If you're not sure if you're doing it right if you're moving the spine you're doing it right.

Good. With the right foot step it to the outside of the right hand for lizard. And just feeling what you feel here for a minute. You should feel a nice stretch through the inside of that front hip.

Again that tends to get really really tight. And you don't have to stay still you can move a bit shifting left and right. Feeling what's tight feeling feeling what's loose it's hard to feel it's loose in this position because you don't really feel it. Walking the hands back use the hands to post on as you straighten or almost straighten that front leg.

And again you don't have to stay static you can do the same thing we did on the back which might feel nice of straightening and bending that leg. Walking the hands forward to bend the knee. Cat will back to your hands and knees to stretch the other side. So left foot to the outside of the left hand and staying here just for a moment feeling where everything's at.

Feeling the inside of the hip. Maybe you feel a stretch through the back hip. Making sure to post on the hands so you don't put too much load into into the back hip. With the weight still on the hands walking the hands back to straighten or almost straighten that front leg and see what feels good.

Like you can either hold the leg static and straight if that feels good or sometimes it's nice to bring movement into that. So you can gently bend and straighten the leg just just like we did in our back with the belt. Walking the hands forward to bend the leg. Finding your way onto the hands and knees and from the hands and knees go ahead and walk the hands forward.

It's called puppy so the hips are still high and we've walked the hands forward to stretch through the lats. Maybe a little bit through the side body and perhaps the upper spine might feel it a little bit too. It can be really nice. Walking the hands under the shoulders.

I want you to bring your, so we're back in tabletop, home base. Bring the chest to the ground all the way to the ground for elbows under the shoulders. Using the hands, the palms on the ground to pull the chest up and forward. You don't want to dump into that lower back too much.

We create some traction by using the hands pulling the chest forward. This might feel really really really nice on the back. Usually I find if I'm sore or tired there's been a lot of forward flexion of the back. There's been a lot of rounding forward whatever I'm doing so this balance should be really nice.

Releasing that chest to the ground. Use mostly the hands to push the hips to heels for turtle. Knees wide. You can have the hands wherever you like.

I like to just rest my forehead on the hands. Walking the hands forward. Going through this two more times. Walk the hands forward.

Find the sphinx. Hands on the ground. Chest all the way down. Hands on the ground.

Using the elbows to pull the shoulders up and forward. Releasing that. Use the hands to push the hips to heels. One last time.

Find your tabletop. Hands and knees to bring the chest to the ground. Elbows under the shoulders. Use the hands to pull the shoulders up and forward.

Your chest is probably more accurate up and forward. And by the third time it should feel pretty good. Releasing that. Hands under the shoulders.

Push the hips to heels for turtle. And allow the hands to be wherever is comfortable. You can rest the hands under the forehead. You could reach the hands forward if you like or you can have them beside the hips, beside the feet.

Whatever feels good. All right. Coming to a sit. Finding your way on to the back again for our last pose.

So straighten the right leg. Lift the left leg up so the knee is over the hips. You're bringing the left leg over across the body. So we're bringing the left leg to the right side.

Now we have a spinal twist which is really nice for spinal health. It just feels good. Stretch the outside of the hip. We didn't really open the shoulders yet so we're going to do that now.

Reaching the left arm up and allowing it to drop behind you. So the left arm can either be straight or bent. We really have three things going on. We'll stay here for about a minute each side.

Undoing all of that. Bring everything back to center. Feet on the ground. Stay here for just a moment.

Allowing the spine to neutralize after that spinal twist. Extending the left leg out. Bring the right leg, the knee above the hip, 90 degree angle and across the body. So using the left hand to pull the right leg across the body.

So you have our spinal twist. We have our stretch the outside of the hip. Reaching the right arm up and behind you. So take just a minute to see if you like that right arm to be straight.

See if you like it bent. See if you like it a little bit higher or a little bit lower. Finding that Goldilocks spot. Not too hot, not too cold.

Finding the right spot for that arm. Once you found it, chill for a minute. Letting gravity do all the work. Unraveling all of that by bringing back to center.

Feet on the ground. Just keep the spine. Allow the spine again to neutralize. Then for our last pose, I want you to reach the arms overhead and hands grab the elbows or almost grab the elbows.

Very similar as to what we did in our puppy dog, but this time letting gravity do the work. Gently releasing that. Bringing the hands to the sides. If you have more time, go ahead and stay here.

Stretch for a while longer. If you're working within that within that under half hour, under 25 minute time frame, go ahead and roll to your favorite side. Pushing yourself up. Twist it.

And there we are. Thank you for joining me everybody and I'll see you next time.