My Favorite Winter Recovery Practices

Winter has a way of slowing everything down - the days, our energy, even our motivation to move. But it’s also one of the best seasons to nurture your body, deepen your practices, and embrace recovery as a form of self-love. If you spend your winters hiking snowy trails, skiing, snowshoeing, or just braving the cold on daily walks, your body needs a little extra care. Here are the winter recovery practices I come back to again and again - the ones that help me feel grounded, mobile, and fully alive during the colder months.

Slow Flow Yoga 🧘‍♀️

There’s nothing quite like rolling out your mat on a cold winter morning, or after a long day in the mountains. Winter invites us to slow down, soften, and swap those fiery flows for something deeper and more restorative.

Lately, I’ve been leaning into:

Gentle vinyasa to slowly wake up my body, build heat from the inside out, and ease stiffness without pushing too hard. It’s the perfect way to warm cold muscles and reconnect with my breath.

Yin yoga to soften, stretch, and melt away the tension that builds from colder weather, long days, or winter sports. Holding poses longer gives my body time to release in layers - physically and emotionally.

Restorative poses I can fully sink into to soothe and regulate my nervous system. Bolsters, blankets, and slow breathing help shift me out of stress mode and into deep rest - something winter practically begs us to do.

Big, lingering hip openers like Garland Pose (Mālāsana) and Reclined Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana) because winter tightness is real. These poses create much-needed space in the hips and low back, especially after time outside or sitting indoors more often.

Just a few minutes of mindful movement can bring warmth back into the body and ease back into the mind. Winter yoga truly feels like a hug.

Mobility Work for Hips, Ankles + Back 🤸🏼

Cold weather = tighter muscles. Add in winter sports, and your hips, ankles, and low back work double-time. Consistent mobility work keeps you moving with ease and helps prevent injuries on icy trails.

Some of my favorites:

90/90s for hip rotation
These help train both internal and external rotation - crucial for stable strides on uneven or icy terrain. They keep your hips feeling open, supported, and strong.

Ankle mobility circles
Cold weather stiffens our ankles fast. These gentle circles improve joint range of motion, making every step more stable and reducing your risk of slips or rolled ankles.

Glute activation like bridge pose
Your glutes are your powerhouse, especially in winter hiking. Bridge pose wakes them up, supports your low back, and helps you move with more strength and control.

Spinal twists + cat-cow
These bring fluidity back into the spine, release stiffness, and reconnect your breath to your movement - perfect after sitting, driving, or hours outdoors.

Banded hip work (fire hydrants, donkey kicks)
Light resistance bands help strengthen the smaller stabilizing muscles around your hips, knees, and pelvis - the ones that keep you balanced on slippery ground.

A little mobility before heading outside, and a little more when you come back, makes a world of difference.

Contrast Therapy 🔥🌬️

IYKYK: Contrast therapy is transformative.

Heat therapy - especially from an infrared sauna - increases circulation, boosts blood flow to your muscles, and helps flush metabolic waste that builds up after workouts. The warmth relaxes tight tissue, reduces stiffness, and supports your body’s natural recovery process. It’s one of the simplest ways to unwind tension and feel grounded from the inside out.

Cold exposure — whether it’s a plunge, cold shower, or a snowy dip if you’re feeling brave - activates your parasympathetic nervous system, improves mood by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine, and helps reduce inflammation. Over time, it conditions your body and mind to handle stress more effectively, building true resilience.

And when you pair heat and cold together? You get a deeply therapeutic reset that supports recovery, regulates the nervous system, and leaves you feeling both energized and centered.

Pro tip: If you’re new to cold therapy, start slow (about 1 minute) and focus on steady breathing. Build from there.

Breath-work 😮‍💨

Winter often invites slower days and deeper introspection - but it can also bring stress, stagnation, or that heavy “winter slump.” Breath-work is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to shift your energy, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with your body.

My go-tos:

Box Breathing – Inhale, hold, exhale, hold for equal counts. This technique balances the nervous system, steadying your mind and grounding your body during moments of stress or overwhelm.

Extended Exhales – Making your exhale longer than your inhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping lower heart rate and ease anxiety. Perfect for winding down or releasing tension.

Belly Breathing – Deep, diaphragmatic breaths signal safety to the body, relax tight muscles, and help reduce stress stored in the lower belly, hips, and back.

Energizing Breaths – Short, quick, rhythmic inhales (like Breath of Joy or Kapalabhati) help clear mental fog, improve focus, and give you a natural mid-day reset without caffeine.

Even 2–3 minutes can shift your entire state - from scattered to centered, and from heavy to energized.

Why Winter Recovery Matters

Winter is a season of slowing down - not shutting down. Thoughtful recovery practices create balance: movement when everything feels tight, rest when your energy dips, warmth when the cold settles in, and spaciousness when you feel a little closed off. They keep your body supported, your mind steady, and your spirit connected through the darker months.

Whether you’re spending weekends on snowy trails or simply navigating the quieter pace of winter life, these practices are an invitation to soften, recharge, and return to yourself with intention. 🤍