Gentle Exercises for Recovery Days
Some days, you don’t need to mahi hard. We know that’s our whole thing… but sometimes you need to mahi soft. Let your body recover. Rest. Rejuvenate. All the R words.
While it is important to try and exercise each day, there are several more gentle kinds of exercise that allow your body to heal and refresh between more intense sweat sessions.
There are low impact options to suit everyone. Read on to learn about a few!
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient practice that involves physical poses, concentration, and deep breathing. It is an incredible gentle workout not only for the body, but does wonders for your mental wellbeing too.
We have heard our Women’s Crop Tops are incredible for a moment in the yoga studio…. And for good reason! They have a nice loose fit to better allow your body to move and breathe.
Pilates
Does a low impact exercise that improves flexibility and posture sound like a bit got you? Then pilates might be just the ticket. There are two kinds of pilates; mat and reformer. No surprises, mat pilates is on a mat, and reformer is done using a specialist machine called a reformer. A reformer is a sliding platform with a stationary foot bar which uses springs and pulleys to provide resistance. While certainly an incredible workout, pilates is far more gentle on your body that other more high impact exercises. Mat pilates is considered a good starting point for beginners to better understand the use case of your body during pilates before introducing the reformer.
Fitted clothes are good for pilates, so your instructor can better assess your form and posture. XTPro-Stretch Essence Leggings are a good option for women to wear to pilates, as they are fitted but incredibly stretchy to move with you as you increase flexibility. It is often recommended to invest in grip socks for pilates - and Iwi Athletica has recently introduced grip socks into the range, which will absolutely do the job!
Tai Chi
Our very own Lee De Jager is a Tai Chi whizz, and so we know first hand how it can bring mindfulness into your life. Tai chi ch’üan is the full name of the traditional martial art, which is also sometimes called shadow-boxing. Tai Chi is an incredible meditative exercise, with benefits for your personal health, and is also a self defence. It can take months to learn a single Tai Chi form, and a lifetime to master the art. However, its meditative state and powerful mindfulness will be beneficial to even the newest participant.
If you are considering tai chi as a low impact exercise for your body and mind, then you will need to consider what to wear when starting tai chi. It is generally considered to be a practice that requires loose fitting clothing, so your body has unrestricted movement. The XT-Pro Flex range, is a great option for bottoms for men and women practicing tai chi. With room to move, and 4-way stretch, the range offers ultimate mobility.
Qigong
The major applications of Qigong are spiritual, athletics and healing. In a very similar movement pattern to Tai Chi, Qigong’s uniqueness lies in its intentionality. Qigong can for example be a movement done specifically to open the lungs, whereas Tai Chi is flowing sequences that work on the entire body. Being specific and intentional is Qigong’s differentiator. For low impact and gentle movement, you can’t go past Qigong.
For your comfort and mobility, loose fitting and comfortable clothing is recommended for Qigong. At Iwi Athletica we pride ourselves on the most comfortable, breathable performancewear, so if Qigong is going to be your new gentle movement exercise of choice, shop our range now to get your activewear as on point as your mindfulness after a Qigong session. Shop our range now to get inspired.
For all your low impact and gentle movement workout wear, shop Iwi Athletica. Quality, durable and tech-forward New Zealand performance wear.
