After a long day of hiking, lots of muscle groups are exercised and your body feels very fatigued and tired.
If you just ignore the situation, chances are that you will feel painful and weak the next day, not saying that you might not sleep well because of muscle soreness. Here are the top stretches to do in your tent for better sleep and stronger hiking:
Neck Stretch
Sit cross-legged on the tent floor, back straight, hands resting on knees, and eyes looking straight.
Tilt your head to the left, stretch your neck muscles, and wrap your left arm over your head, lightly touching your right ear. Hold the pose for 30 seconds.
Now, switch to the other side - wrapping your right arm over your head and lightly touching your left ear. Hold the pose for 30 seconds.
Cobra Pose Or Bhujangasana
Lie on your stomach, keep your whole body straight, toes extended back, palms placed at chest level, and arms perpendicular to the ground. This is the starting position.
Lift your upper body off the ground, push your chest up, and stretch your spine as much as you can. Face up and take deep, steady breaths.
Hold the pose for 1 minute, then gradually back to the starting position, rest for 15 seconds.
Seated Forward Bend
Sit on the tent base, then close your legs, stretch forward, and feet up. Hands by your side while keeping your back straight and your eyes looking forward.
Lean your upper body forward slightly and reach out with your hands to grab the sides of your feet. Take a deep breath and relax your body.
Hold the pose for 1 minute and then rest for 15 seconds.
Child’s Pose
Benefits:
Child's pose is an effective stretch to help your body relax, aside from adjusting your mood to be more stable and calm. Therefore, you will sleep faster and deeper.
How-to:
Kneel on the tent floor and sit on your heels while keeping your back upright.
Slowly reach your upper body forward while keeping your arms straight, then extend your upper body to the floor, knees hip-width apart.
With your feet in line with your knees, straighten your feet and gradually bring your big toes together.
Gradually separate your knees as wide as the shoulder width. Exhale, lower your body to the sides of your thighs. Your buttocks should now touch the heels of your feet.
Let your hands relax along your torso, palms facing up.
If you want to make the pose more difficult, you can bring your arms forward, relax your hands, palms down on the mat.
Relax your facial muscles, chin, and neck, gently lower your forehead to the mat, close your eyes, and slowly roll your head to the sides. This pose will help release tension in your forehead.
Breathe slowly and steadily through your nose, then return to the starting position and open your eyes.
Intercostal Muscle Stretch
Sit cross-legged on the tent floor, keep your back straight, hands resting on knees, and eyes looking straight.
Spread one leg out to the side and keep it straight while the other leg is bent with the foot sole almost touching the inner thigh of the other leg.
Lean the upper body over to your extended leg, stretch your waist, and wrap your arms over your head.
Hold the position for a minute, then relax for 15 seconds.
Switch to the other side.
Seated Single-Leg Hamstring Stretch
Sit with your legs stretched out on the floor. Keep your back straight and your eyes looking straight.
Bend one leg up, then bend the knee to the side so that the foot sole almost touches the inner thigh of the other leg.
Lower your back slightly towards with your arm outstretched on the same side and fingertips touching the foot tip of the extended leg. The other hand rests on the best foot.
Hold the position for a minute, then relax for 15 seconds.
Bhadrasana - The Gracious Pose
Benefits: This stretch helps stimulate your muscles, has maximum impact on the blood circulation, helps you reduce the symptoms of sciatica, and at the same time, relieves stress and fatigue.
How-to:
Sit upright on the floor with your legs straight and relaxed.
Next, bend both legs and let the soles of your feet touch each other while keeping your back upright.
Slowly press your knees to the floor and try to move your heels as close to your groin as possible while not letting your arms and shoulders get strained.
Hold this position for about 1-2 minutes, then bring your body back to the original position. Repeat the stretch about 7-10 times.
Conclusion
It is recommended to do these stretches from 19:30 to 20:30. After 20:30, you should let your body rest and prepare for sleep. Do not exercise right after dinner. Instead, wait at least 30 minutes after eating.
That’s all for this article. I hope you’ve learned some helpful stretches to do in your tent for better sleep and stronger hiking after reading the post. Thanks for reading!
