Start Your Day Right: Yoga Stretches to Reduce Stiffness and Pain

These poses will open up your whole body, increase blood flow, and make you feel stronger in no time.

When you think of a yoga class, images of complex, pretzel-like poses and intense breathwork might come to mind, but yoga doesn’t have to be daunting. It can be simple, accessible, and done in the comfort of your home. Even daily stretches can significantly improve your health and mobility over time. Regular stretching helps lengthen muscles and increase your range of motion, leading to better flexibility and ease of movement.

It’s hard to believe that just a few minutes in the morning can make such a big difference—but even 10 minutes of yoga a day can be enough to improve your health and mobility. The key is consistency, not the length of time. Holding poses for too long can actually lead to overstretching and injury, so it’s better to practice regularly in shorter sessions.

If you can coordinate your stretches with your breathing, the benefits increase. Linking movements to your breath brings mindfulness to the practice, reducing stress and calming the nervous system.

The Best Yoga Stretches for Beginners

With such great returns on such a small investment of time, there’s no reason not to start incorporating yoga into your routine. Below are some foundational yoga stretches that are common in many yoga flows. Get familiar with these poses, and you’ll be on your way to expanding your practice in no time.

Hold Time for Each Pose: 5–10 breaths

1. Downward Dog
A classic yoga pose, Downward Dog stretches your shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and the arches of your feet. It also strengthens the upper body and increases blood flow to the brain, boosting morning alertness.

How to do it: Start in a tabletop position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Inhale. Exhale and lift your knees off the floor, positioning your hips toward the ceiling. Reach your heels to the floor and straighten out your knees as much as you can without locking them up. Press through your fingertips and keep your head between your arms as you gaze between your calves.

Modification: If your shoulders are tight, use blocks or a chair to elevate your hands, and bend your knees slightly if your hamstrings feel stiff.

2. Child’s Pose
This relaxing pose stretches your shoulders and hips. It’s a great position to rest in between more challenging poses while still keeping your muscles engaged.

How to do it: Start in a tabletop position. Touch your big toes together. Then sit back on your heels and put your torso on your thighs. Place your arms straight in front of you with your palms facing the floor. This will help open up your hips.

Modification: If sitting on your heels is uncomfortable, place a blanket between your thighs and calves for extra support.

3. High Lunge and Warrior I
Lunge poses improve hip flexibility and build leg strength. Both High Lunge and Warrior I open up the hip flexors and shoulders.

How to do it: Start by standing over the long side of your mat. Rotate your hips and torso toward your right foot. Inhale. Exhale and bend your right knee so that it stacks over your right ankle. Keep your left leg strong as you root down through the outer edges of your left foot. Raise your arms overhead. Be careful not to overarch your back—keep a slight tuck of the tailbone. Repeat on the other side. For Warrior I, the position is the same except your back foot is planted on the floor, nearly parallel to the front of your mat. This creates more external rotation in the hips.

Modification: If you struggle to keep your knee at a 90-degree angle, place your hands on your hips to focus on leg strength.

4. Triangle Pose
This pose stretches the hips, hamstrings, chest, and shoulders while strengthening the legs.

How to do it: Stand over the long side of your mat. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and keep your palms facing down. Face your right foot and angle it to the front of your mat. The left foot should be at a 45-degree angle to the right. Both heels are in line with each other. Take a deep breath in as you face the right leg. Inhale as you hinge forward and reach toward an imaginary wall at the top of your mat. When you can go forward any farther, exhale and extend your torso over your right leg, hinging from the hip joint. Rotate your torso to the left and rest your right hand on your right shin, ankle or the floor on the outside of your right foot. Reach your left arm toward the ceiling and make sure that both shoulders are in one line. Keep your head in a neutral position by softly gazing up at your left hand. Repeat on the other side.

Modification: If touching the floor is too difficult, use a block to support your hand and focus on maintaining alignment.

5. Warrior II
This powerful pose builds strength in the legs and improves stamina. It’s an embodiment of balance and focus, perfect for feeling grounded.

How to do it: Stand nice and tall over the long side of your mat. Take up space; your feet should be about 3-4 feet apart. Lift your arms until they are parallel to the floor, palms facing the floor. Turn your right foot to face the front of the mat and angle your left foot 45 degrees. Bend your right knee until it’s directly over your right ankle. Check to see that your right ankle is in line with the arch of your back foot. Try to get your left thigh as parallel to the floor as possible. Hold your gaze over your right hand. Step back and repeat on the other side.

Modification: If holding the pose is difficult, use a chair under your thigh for support as you bend your knee.

6. Mountain Pose
While it may look like simple standing, Mountain Pose helps improve posture and engages your core muscles.

How to do it: Stand with your big toes touching and your heels slightly apart. Lift and spread your toes, then place them on the floor. Rock back and forth, then side-to-side. When you’re done exploring your balance, come to a standstill. Contract your thigh muscles and lift your kneecaps. Imagine a line of energy traveling up from your toes to your head. Pinch your shoulder blades together then pull them down. Raise your sternum to the ceiling without raising your lower ribs. Tuck your tailbone slightly under as you pull your belly button in towards your spine. Arms are by your sides with your palms facing the front. Your head should be in line with your spine. Maintain a soft gaze.

Modification: Try this pose against a wall to ensure your alignment is correct.

7. Cat/Cow Pose
Cat/Cow is a gentle, flowing movement that warms up the spine and releases tension.

How to do it: Start in the tabletop position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath you hips. Your spine and head will begin in a neutral position. Inhale. Exhale and enter cat: Round your spine to the ceiling and gently release your head toward the floor. Inhale and enter cow: Lift your chest, head and butt to the ceiling and be careful not to over strain the neck. Instead of holding each pose for 5 to 10 breaths, oscillate between these two positions 5 to 10 times going at your own pace.

Modification: If your wrists hurt, try doing these poses on your forearms or add padding for your knees.

8. Bridge Pose
This backbend strengthens your glutes and opens up your chest and shoulders.

How to do it: Start by lying on your back with your feet on the ground and knees pointed toward the ceiling. Bring your heels as close to your butt as possible. Inhale. Exhale and squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off of the floor. Keep your knees over your ankles. Clasp your hands beneath you and stay on the tops of your shoulders. Pinch your shoulder blades together and hold as you press your pinkies into the ground.

Modification: Place a block under your lower back for support if holding the bridge is challenging.

9. Warrior III (with Blocks)
A balancing pose, Warrior III strengthens the legs, ankles, and back muscles.

How to do it: Stand with a pair of blocks in front of your feet. Inhale. Exhale and reach for the blocks. Inhale and as you exhale, extend your right leg and try to keep your spine and leg in one line. Actively press through the heel. As you feel comfortable you can also raise your arms in front of you until they are in alignment with your right leg. This will strengthen your upper back. Hold. Repeat on the other side.

Modification: Use blocks under your hands or lean against a wall to maintain balance.

10. Seated Forward Bend
This forward fold stretches the hamstrings and promotes a healthy spine.

How to do it: Sit on your mat with your legs straight in front of you. Keep your hands on the ground by your hips as you actively press your heels forward and descend your thighs into the floor. Take a deep inhale. As you exhale, lean forward from the hip joints. If you can, you can grab your big toes or the outside of your feet. You may also start with your knees bent, and then slowly straighten them once you relax into the posture. Never force your body to go too far. Just observe where your body is at today.

Modification: If your hamstrings are tight, loop a strap around your feet for support or place a blanket under your knees.

11. Tree Pose
Tree Pose stretches the groin and improves balance and focus.

How to do it: Begin standing on your mat with your arms by your sides (i.e. Mountain Pose). Shift your weight onto your right foot and lift your left off the ground. Place your left foot against your calf, ankle, or inner right thigh. Avoid placing it directly on the knee. Above or below the joint is fine. Stare at an unmoving point in front of you and bring your arms to a prayer position at the center of your chest. Depending on how flexible you are, you might be able to get to this position without grabbing your foot. Raise your arms overhead if you want an extra balance challenge. Repeat on the other side.

Modification: Place your foot against your calf or ankle instead of your thigh for better stability.

12. Pigeon Pose
An excellent hip opener, Pigeon Pose helps release tension from long periods of sitting.

How to do it: Start in downward dog. Shoot that right leg back behind you and bring your right knee toward your right wrist (or as far as you can). Rotate your right foot toward your left arm. Rest that right leg on the ground with your shin either perpendicular to the front of the mat (making a 90-degree angle) or pointed more toward your groin (more of a 45-degree angle). Adjust yourself to make sure you’re not putting too much pressure on the right knee. You can keep your hands on the ground by your sides or you can reach ahead of the shin that’s on the ground. To increase the intensity, extend the left leg straight behind you. Gently return to the tabletop position and repeat on the other side.

Modification: Use a block or blanket under your pelvis if the stretch feels too intense.

13. Half Lord of the Fishes
This seated twist stretches the shoulders and spine, helping to improve digestion.

How to do it: Start sitting on your mat with your legs straight in front of you. Bend your knees and have your feet flat on the ground. Slip your right foot under your right leg until your left foot meets your right hip. Then place the outside of your left leg on the floor. Take your right foot and place it closer to the outside of your left hip. Your right knee will be pointed towards the ceiling. Inhale. Then as you exhale twist your torso to the inside of your right thigh. Keep your right hand behind your sit bones for support. Place your left arm on the outside of your right leg, just below the knee. Twist your torso to your right thigh as you press your right thigh into your torso. Look over your right shoulder. As you breathe lift the sternum and stay tall in the torso. Try to twist a little bit more every time you exhale. Repeat on the other side.

Modification: Use a wall for support as you twist, ensuring that your back stays upright.

With these simple yoga poses, you can tone, stretch, and de-stress—all without needing to spend an hour in a yoga studio. Consistency is key, and with practice, you’ll notice the benefits in both body and mind.