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The Best Yoga Poses for Exercise Recovery

By U.S. News & World Report

As a longtime athlete, I used to think soreness and pain were just side effects of progress. I tried to push through the discomfort, only to get injured and sidelined from competing. I put my body through so much abuse that I (unknowingly) couldn’t perform at my fullest potential.

[See: How to Know If You’re Exercising Too Much.]

Now that I practice yoga, I understand how to listen to my body. I know that if I try to push through pain, it only makes my exercises less efficient. The practice helps me recover and keeps injuries from interfering with my workouts. Here are six poses to restore your body and help you get the most out of your workouts:

1. Half Split

How to do it: From lunge, lower your back knee gently to the floor. Take a long enough stance so that your back knee is slightly behind your hip. Straighten your front leg until your toes and knee point straight up. Rotate your back inner thigh back and plug your front thigh back to square your hips. Place your hands on either side of your front shin. Lengthen your lower back and your upper and mid back equally. Twist slightly over your front leg and draw your forehead towards your kneecap as much as you can while keeping your hips level and your front leg straight.

Why to do it: If you are an avid runner, weightlifter or cyclist, or if you play a sport that involves strength in your lower body, this pose will help your performance since it helps stretch your hamstrings evenly. If your legs get restless or are sore after your workout, chances are you are tight and at risk of injury.

2. Pigeon

How to do it: Start in down dog and bring your right knee forward behind your right wrist. Angle your right shin across your mat and lower your back knee gently. Square your hips. As your hips start to open, slide your back leg and pelvis back and down toward the floor. Only stretch as much as you can keep your hips even. Take several deep breaths and repeat on the second side.

Why to do it: If you have knee pain from exercising, chances are your hips are overly tight. Tightness through your hips and IT bands creates more torque on your knee joints. This pose bulletproofs your knee joints while opening up your outer hips and your IT bands. It also helps clear soreness in your glutes and outer legs.

3. Twisted Thigh Stretch

How to do it: In a low lunge with your back knee on the mat, move your front foot to the outer edge of your mat and angle your front foot out diagonally. Place your hands on the floor to the inside of your front foot. Point your front knee in the same direction as your foot. Without moving your foundation, draw your front foot back and drag your back knee forward to square your hips. Only as much as you can keep your front knee aligned, bend your elbows and settle in for five breaths. Repeat on your second side.

Why to do it : Opening your quads is the most important aspect of recovery for athletes who experience lower back or thigh pain. But most exercisers can benefit from this pose since nearly every workout engages your quads. If your thighs become hyper-muscular, they’ll pull your thighbones forward in their hip sockets and collapse your low back.

[See: 11 Ways to Cope With Back Pain.]

4. Side Angle

How to do it : Start in warrior two with your right foot forward. Bend your front knee deeply and point your knee the same direction as your foot. Make sure you’re long enough in your stance that when you bend your front knee over your ankle, your front thigh is parallel with the floor. Align your front heel with the back inner arch of your foot. Place your right forearm on your front thigh. Extend your left arm by your ear. Stamp your back foot down evenly to set your thigh back and create an even lift out of your pelvis in your lower back. Take five breaths before switching sides.

Why to do it : Side angle creates a big release through the sides of your torso and in your lower back. Especially if you are lifting weights or taking CrossFit, you may be prone to collapsing through the sides of your body. Try side angle pose after your workouts to help eliminate tightness.

5. Bridge

How to do it : Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place your feet so that your ankles are underneath your knees and your feet are hips-width apart. Make your feet and knees point straight forward. Press your feet down and lift your hips up. Swing your arms alongside your body and clasp your hands underneath your hips. Walk your shoulders up and underneath you. As much as you can prevent your knees from turning out, lift your hips up. Lengthen your back and root your feet down. Stretch the back of your neck and keep your chin perpendicular to the floor. Take five breaths, unclasp your hands and lower your hips gently to the mat.

Why to do it: Bridge helps open up your shoulders and upper back while releasing your lower back. When you feel discomfort in your lower back after exercising, it is usually because you are flattening your back. Practice bridge to keep a sore back and tight shoulders open and healthy.

[See: 5 Bodyweight Exercises to Fix Your Posture.]

6. Seated Twist

How to do it : Start seated with your legs extended straight out in front of you on the floor. Bend your right knee in and place your foot to the inside of your left thigh. Keep your left leg straight with your toes and kneecap pointing straight up. Set your right hand behind you on fingertips. Inhale, reach your left arm up and lengthen through your spine. Exhale, twist and hook your left elbow across your right thigh. Stamp the sole of your right foot down and widen your right knee against your arm. Root down through both hips evenly to create an even stretch in your lower back. Twist from your core; then from your torso and your shoulders. Plug your right shoulder back and look over it. Take several breaths and switch sides.

Why to do it: Twists create space laterally on either side of your back. This is important to restore after back exercises.

More from U.S. News

The 10 Best Exercises You Can Do for the Rest of Your Life

How to Practice Yoga When You Have Arthritis or Another Chronic Condition

8 Ways to Relax — Now

The Best Yoga Poses for Exercise Recovery originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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