Yoga · Cool-down · Relaxation

Post-match recovery flow

A slow floor sequence for after a match or hard session: easy walking, longer holds for legs and hips, a twist and a few minutes of rest. May help players feel looser.

Mats or towels out; CO at the frontCO
Start / 5
Time
15 min
Players
4–30
Age
U12+
Area
Clubhouse floor or grass
Equipment
mats or towelsa blanket or jumper eachwater bottles

Setup

  1. Players have a drink, put on a layer so they don't get cold, and lay out mats or towels on dry ground or the clubhouse floor.
  2. Start within 20 minutes of the final whistle, once breathing has settled.
  3. Anyone with a knock or injury from the game sees the physio or first-aider first and skips any pose that hurts.

How it runs

  1. Walk and breathe (2 min): slow walk around the mats, breathing out for longer than in, then come down to the mat.
  2. Child's pose (Balasana) (1 min): knees wide, forehead on the hands or a rolled towel; let the back widen with each breath.
  3. Low lunge (Anjaneyasana) with the back knee down (1 min each side): hips ease forward until the front of the back thigh feels a gentle stretch; hands on the front knee.
  4. Half splits (Ardha Hanumanasana) (1 min each side): from the lunge, shift the hips back over the back knee, front leg long with a soft knee, hands on blocks or the floor.
  5. Reclined figure-four (Supta Kapotasana) (1 min each side): on the back, ankle over the opposite knee, draw the legs in gently.
  6. Supine twist (Supta Matsyendrasana) (1 min each side): knees drop to one side, arms wide, gaze where comfortable.
  7. Legs up (2 min): legs resting up a wall, a bench or a chair seat, then rest flat on the back with a layer on for a final minute and roll to the side to sit up.

Coaching points

  • This is the time for longer holds: let the breath set the pace, about five to ten slow breaths per pose.
  • Aim for a mild stretch, around four out of ten; ease off if it feels sharp or pinching.
  • Keep players warm; cold muscles and a cold wind make the floor work miserable.
  • Talk in a calm voice and keep the chat about the match for afterwards.
  • Describe the benefit honestly: it may help players feel looser and calmer; it isn't a promise of faster recovery.

Common mistakes

  • Pushing hard into stretches straight after a tough game.
  • Rushing through so it becomes another drill.
  • Back knee on hard ground with no padding.
  • Locking the front knee in half splits.

Say it: “Slow breath out, let the ground take you.”

Make it harder

  • Hold each pose for ten breaths.
  • Add Pigeon pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) on a block instead of the reclined figure-four.
  • Add a seated forward fold with a strap before the twist.

Make it easier

  • Do everything lying on the back if kneeling is uncomfortable.
  • A folded towel under the knee or a block under the hands in half splits.
  • Shorter holds of three breaths; the order still works.

Reviewed by the Sportdify coaching team.