I tried the latest 12-minute practice from the internet’s favourite yoga instructor and it relieved tightness in my hips and back

I’ve been doing yoga regularly for over 10 years, and I swear by it to improve my flexibility and reduce muscle stiffness.

Even just one week without yoga leaves me with tight hips and shoulders, but I don't always have time to get to an in-person class. When that’s the case, I turn to my favourite online yoga instructor, Adriene Mishler, better known as Yoga With Adriene.

Mishler is hardly a hidden gem, with more than 13 million subscribers on YouTube. One major reason for this is that she’s a gifted teacher, providing clear instructions that ensure you’re in the correct position, even without adjustments from an instructor IRL.

She recently shared a 12-minute stretching routine for recovery days, so I decided to give it a go the day after a tough gym session to see if it could help soothe my tired muscles.

How to do Yoga With Adriene’s 12-minute recovery routine

Yoga Stretch For Recovery Days | 12 Minute Yoga Practice - YouTube

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You don't need any equipment to do this routine, although you will want to roll out your yoga mat if you have one, because a lot of the poses are done on your knees. Take a look at our guide to the best yoga mats if it’s something you want to invest in.

As is the case with all of Mishler’s videos, she demonstrates this routine in real-time, so click play and follow along.

My experience trying Yoga With Adriene’s 12-minute recovery routine

This routine starts slow with some head rolls. I sometimes underestimate the effectiveness of simple moves like this, but they felt so satisfying for my stiff upper body and relieved tension in my shoulders.

We then went into a range of passive stretches, which means holding moves for some time rather than moving in and out of them.

This included butterfly pose (which my hips loved), low lunges and a forward fold, which stretched my hamstrings and also encouraged a release in the upper back.

Although we were holding poses, this wasn't a yin practice which can mean holding poses for around five minutes. We flowed through movements, staying in poses for less than 30 seconds.

This meant it provided a good full-body stretch, which I was impressed by given it took less than 15 minutes.

I felt a lot of the stretches in my hips and back, which was ideal given I work at a desk and deal with tightness in both of those areas.

But muscles across my body felt more relaxed after completing this flow, so I’ll return to it when I’m in need of some quick relief.

I also think it would work well as a cool-down after working out, because the passive stretches are ideal for relaxing the body after exercise. It’s also an opportune time to work on your flexibility, because the muscles are already warm for movement.