Press the top of your left foot and all five toes into the ground. Slide your left leg back until you feel a gentle stretch through the top of your thigh and groin. You may want to fold your mat in half or place a blanket under your left knee for added padding. Make sure your right knee is over your right ankle, not in front of it. Step your left foot back and lower your knee to the ground. The move: From your forward fold, bend your knees and plant your hands on the floor. Practice it regularly and you’ll discover greater flexibility in your legs. Kneeling lunge is a great pose for athletes, particularly walkers and runners, because it stretches the quadriceps, hips and hamstrings. After a few breaths in your standing forward fold, bring your arms behind your back, interlace your fingers and let your arms fall over your head. Let your head be heavy and relax your eyes. Rest your hands on a block, hold onto your ankles or place your palms on the floor.
If you can, keep your torso long and your knees straight. As you exhale, hinge from the hips and swan dive forward with your arms out like wings. Keep your low belly drawn in to help counteract arching your back. Add this chest opener variation to your forward fold and you’ll loosen the hamstrings, lower back, chest and shoulders. We often focus on stretching our lower body after a walk or run, but the repetitive motion of swinging our arms can tighten our chest and shoulders. Practicing a few yoga poses after a walk helps lengthen and stretch your muscles, keeping you balanced, flexible and walking for miles. Walking can be an easy way to build fitness and enjoy the great outdoors, but the repetitive motion can tighten muscles, particularly the hips, hamstrings and lower back.