Everyone’s favorite actress Nina Dobrev has her own vision of good training, and we completely agree with her! She believes variation is essential for a healthy exercise program. “To be honest, I get bored quickly,” the actress said. In her workout routine, the actress constantly changes activities, switching between rowing, jogging, cycling, circuit exercises, stretching, and other activities to keep her motivated and passionate about her workout.
Dobrev’s home gym, which she built up throughout the epidemic, contributes significantly to the diversity. Dobrev, who recently worked with Affirm, a financial startup that provides loans for items such as workout equipment, relies on a variety of fitness gear to keep things interesting so she can get her heart beating and her muscles functioning. Her current set-up includes various equipment ranging from weights, resistance bands, and a Mirror to an indoor cycle, treadmill, and rowing machine.
With all of these varied workout modalities pushing Dobrev’s muscles in different ways, recovery — particularly stretching — becomes even more vital. She tries to workout for an hour four to five times a week, with 45 minutes focused on her exercise and 15 minutes for stretching afterward. She makes it a point to devote roughly one-fourth of her exercise time to trying later.
On the other hand, Dobrev isn’t overly concerned about her schedule. “Life gets in the way,” she explains.
And, as anyone who has done a lot of sprint intervals knows, your hips will feel it afterward. That’s why Dobrev always adds hip-opening stretches after running — or, for that matter, after any of her exercises.
“My hips become incredibly tight,” adds Dobrev, who also stretches for around three minutes before her exercises “just to wake everything up,” in addition to the 15 minutes following.
What is her favorite hip-opening exercise? She practices the pigeon pose after any training. “It’s just the most effective way for me to loosen up my hips,” she explains.
Hip stretches (such as the pigeon posture) are a fantastic technique to reduce pain, lessen tension, and promote mobility in your hips. They are highly critical to runners like Dobrev.
Stretching after a run is a simple technique to improve recovery, relieve muscular tension, and increase mobility; the hips and the thoracic spine and ankles are essential areas for runners to stretch, which is where the pigeon stretch comes in.
However, you do not have to be a runner to benefit from the pigeon position; it may be a perfect alternative for anybody with tight hips, which, let’s face it, is most of us.
Do you want to try out Dobrev’s favorite stretch for yourself?
Here’s what you should know.
- To execute the pigeon posture stretch, enter into Downward Facing Dog and raise your right leg high behind you from a kneeling position;
- Then, pull your right leg underneath your body and out in front of you, shin parallel to the top of the mat. (The idea isn’t to form an L with your right leg; your foot can be tucked as near to your hips as necessary.);
- Extend your left leg behind you and place your foot on the mat;
- Maintain a flexed right foot and attempt to maintain your pelvis neutral and your left hip as near the mat as possible. Bring your right foot closer to your torso if your hip rises off the floor;
- A stretch should be felt in your right hip. Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Place a block or pillow under your outward hip so that your pelvis is comfortable. To relieve discomfort, lay a pillow or a block beneath the knee on your straight leg. Lean your body forward and lay your forehead on the ground, arms framing your face or resting at your sides for a deeper stretch.
