The 10 Yoga Poses You Should Do Every Day

These ten daily yoga poses are a simple and effective way to improve flexibility, build strength, and enhance overall wellness at any age.

Simply put, a daily yoga routine makes you feel good! No matter where you find yourself or how much time you have, you can use yoga to center your mind and refresh your body.

Yoga poses target specific muscles, helping to increase their range of motion and build strength, ultimately allowing you to move with greater ease and stability.

Try these 10 yoga poses below to get a simple daily stretch that will benefit your mind and body:

1. Standing Side Bend

The standing side bed lengthens a compressed spine and a tight back by moving in a new sideways direction.

How to Perform a Standing Side Bend:

1. Stand tall with feet and legs together and reach both arms straight up overhead as you inhale.
2. Lower your right arm down the right side of your body and exhale as you lengthen the left arm over the head, bending your body gently to the right.
3. Inhale to return arms overhead to center and exhale as you repeat on the left side.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds on each side (1 minute total).

2. Downward Dog

The downward dog pose stretches the entire backside of your body including your back, hamstrings, calves, and Achilles.

How to Perform a Downward Dog:

1. Begin in a kneeling position on your mat with hands directly under your shoulders, fingers spread wide.
2. Tuck your toes under and engage your abdominals as you push your body up off the mat so only your hands and feet are on the mat.
3. Press through your hands, moving your chest gently toward your thighs and your heels gently toward the floor.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds.

3. Up Dog or Cobra Pose

The up dog, or cobra pose, opens your chest and the front of your shoulders for better posture.

How to Perform Up Dog:

1. Begin lying face down on your mat with your head slightly lifted and your hand sitting directly under your shoulders.
2. Point your toes so the tops of your feet are on the mat.
3. As you exhale, press through your hands and the tops of your feet, raising your body and legs up off the ground until your arms are straight.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds.

4. Crescent Lunge Pose

The crescent lunge pose opens tight hip flexors and lengthens your spinal column.

How to Perform the Crescent Lunge Pose:

1. From a standing position, step the ball of your left foot to the back of the mat. Keep your feet slightly wider than one another like you’re standing on railroad tracks.
2. Reach both arms straight overhead and bend the right knee to 90 degrees.
3. Relax your shoulders as you continue reaching up and lengthening the back leg. Hold 30 seconds and switch sides.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds on each leg (1 minute total).

5. Cat Pose

The cat pose relieves a tight back and helps maintain spinal flexibility.

How to Perform Cat Pose:

1. Begin on your hands and knees with hands directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips.
2. Start with your spine in a “neutral” or long position, then slowly tuck your tailbone and lower the crown of your head so your back gently rounds.
3. Draw your navel up to your spine and breathe gently as you hold the stretch.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds.

6. Cow Pose

The cow pose relieves a tight back and helps maintain spinal flexibility.

How to Perform Cow Pose:

1. Begin on your hands and knees with hands directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips.
2. Start with your spine in a “neutral” or long position, then gently lift your heart and tailbone so your back gently curves downward. Be sure to focus on the lifting; do not press your back downward. Let the curve happen naturally.
3. Look slightly upward with a relaxed neck and breathe gently.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds.

7. Pigeon Pose

The pigeon pose is one of the best hips stretches around! It open your hips and lower back.

How to Perform the Pigeon Pose:

1. Begin in a plank position. Tighten your abdominals and pull your right knee toward your right hand, placing your right foot as close to your left hand as you can.
2. Keep your back leg long and keep your hips even as you relax your weight through the middle of your hips.
3. Breathe and hold for 30 seconds. Step back into the plank and switch sides.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds for each leg (1 minute total).

8. Happy Baby Pose

The happy baby pose is a yoga pose of relaxation! It will open your groin, inner thighs, and lower back.

How to Perform the Happy Baby Pose:

1. Begin lying on your back and grab your big toes with your index and middle fingers.
2. Gently draw toes down so knees pull toward shoulders. Keep elbows gently pressing knees open.
3. Relax and breathe. Hold 30 seconds.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds.

9. Yogi Squat

The yogi squat has been called the “pose of youth” because it keeps your hip flexors open and hip joint mobile. This pose will keep you walking and moving like a young person!

How to Perform the Yogi Squat:

1. Begin on feet, crouched down with tailbone between ankles and hands in prayer at chest.
2. Continue to press hands firmly together while at the same time pressing elbows against inner thighs.
3. Hold and breathe for 30 seconds.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds.

10. Windshield Wiper Pose

The windshield wiper pose will stretch your external hips and lower back, and help relieve sciatica pain.

How to Perform the Windshield Wiper Pose:

1. Begin on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms stretched out to the sides.
2. Gently lower your knees to the left side of your body and place them on the floor. Gaze right and breathe.
3. Engage your abdominals and slowly pull your knees back to the start position.
4. Gently lower your knees to the right side of your body and place them on the floor. Gaze left and breathe for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

Recommended Reps: Hold for 30 seconds for each leg (1 minute total).

Benefits of Practicing Daily Yoga Poses

Regular yoga practice offers a multitude of benefits for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Incorporating yoga into your daily routine can have a profound impact on your overall health, promoting increased flexibility, strength, and relaxation.

There are so many reasons to add yoga to your daily routine, including:

1. Helping Stiff and Sore Muscles

The most obvious benefit of stretching is to relieve stiff, sore muscles. Whether you’re hurting from a hard workout or stiff from being sedentary, stretching alleviates muscle pain.

And it’s a more natural and inexpensive solution than popping Advil or Tylenol—both of which can be hard on your body over time!

Stretching after workouts helps prevent your muscles from becoming stiff and sore the next day, so you can be ready to get back at it again tomorrow.

2. Increasing Range of Motion

Everything in our bodies is connected: muscles, bones, and joints included. If the muscles around the joint aren’t flexible, it’s difficult to move efficiently.

In other words, muscle stiffness can prevent you from doing full range of motion exercises, cause injury, and, worst of all, keep you from progressing with your fitness goals.

Even those who DON’T exercise regularly will find that skipping stretching limits the ability to take full strides when you walk, reach for things, or move with a complete range of motion.

Skip stretching, and you’ll eventually have that familiar “grandpa shuffle.”

3. Relieving Stress

Don’t underestimate the damage stress can have on both your mental and physical health. A brief stretch break that utilizes deep breathing can provide a respite during the day to find clarity and slow down your breath.

The bottom line is this: maintaining flexibility is the key to feeling good, preventing injury, moving well, and enjoying a healthy, active lifestyle well into your second half of life.

And while you probably know that yoga provides the flexibility and benefits everyone desires, you may not have the time or the desire to get into a regular yoga practice. But truthfully, if you only do a handful of poses each day, you’ll start to see the difference in how your body looks and feels.

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Printable Daily Yoga Poses

Print these ten yoga poses as a daily reminder to stretch. Your body will thank you for it!

Want the printable workout? Click here for your free download!

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