• Incorporating hip flexor stretches may enable you to squat deeper, and improving the range of motion in your shoulders may mean you can execute a more dynamic push-up/burpee, and/or feel more comfortable in an overhead squat or snatch position.

2. Not only does stretching help you move better, conversely, it also improves stability in the major girdles like the hips and shoulders

• Flowing through a downward-dog to a plank while keeping breadth through your collarbones and a light squeeze between your shoulder blades may help your stability so you can execute handstand push-ups more safely.
• More stability also leads to more balance, which comes in handy in our daily lives but also when doing movements like pistol squats (or other unilateral movements).

3. Stretching improves circulation, which can shorten recovery time after injuries.

• By stimulating blood flow to the muscles, stretching nourishes muscle tissue and gets rid of waste byproducts in the muscle tissue. Now that’s a detox I can get behind!

4. Yoga in particular improves your posture and helps counteract all of the bad habits that we pick up by driving, hunching over our laptops, and slouching on the couch.

• Finding your ideal alignment can then work wonders in your workouts, because you have a stronger starting point.

5. Stretching, but especially yoga, is a great opportunity to learn about how your body works.

• I’ve been so impressed with the number of questions that come up in yoga at CrossFit 6S. Witnessing the lightbulb moments that students have is the best part of my job!

6. Stretching before and after a tough workout is crucial to preventing injury.

• Again, I know you can’t always stay late after class to stretch, so at least try to avoid a hard stop
• Keep walking to slow your heart rate and your breathing before diving back into the rest of your life.
• And then come to my class on Sundays to meet your stretch quota for the week!

I know you might still be hesitant, so here’s the best part. Yoga for Recovery at CrossFit 6S is designed just for you. It is not your average yoga class. I focus on creating space within the parts of the body that lifters work most: the neck/shoulders/chest, the lower back, the hip flexors, the glutes, and the hamstrings. I teach in an accessible and interactive way, and I create an environment where you can ask questions and make sure you get a variation of each pose that works for your body. I go very light on the meditation, and heavy on finding a way to make each student laugh out loud.