10 Minute Yoga Routine for Busy Days
If you’re looking to add a little calm to your day, We’ve got just the thing: a quick, 10-minute yoga routine that will help you take a break from a busy day!
Warm Up
The warm-up is an important part of any yoga routine. The purpose of the warm-up is to prepare your body for the workout, but not so much that it leaves you exhausted and unable to do anything else. A good warm-up should stretch all parts of your body, including muscles and joints, while also gently raising your heart rate so that it’s at an optimal level when the rest of the routine begins.
The best way to approach this is by following a sequence of poses that prepare both mind and body for what’s ahead:
- Start with gentle stretches in different directions (forward bend, back bend, and side bend). This will loosen up tight areas around your spine as well as release tension from other areas where muscles are being used more than usual throughout class.
- Then move into deeper stretches such as pigeon pose or warrior II—these help open up hips and activate leg muscles before they’re put through their paces during standing postures later on in class!
Down Dog: 5 breaths
Down dog is one of the most basic yoga poses and can be done anywhere. This pose stretches your back, shoulders, hamstrings, and calves while also improving balance and flexibility.
Down dog is a great pose for beginners because it’s easy to do—you simply bend at the waist with arms straight out in front of you (with elbows bent) until they’re parallel with the floor or slightly lower than that, depending on how tall you are.
Learn about the 5 Yoga Poses for Stress Relief here! https://movingintomeditation.com/5-yoga-poses-for-stress-relief/
Cat-Cow Stretch: 10 times
The Cat-Cow Stretch is a great way to stretch your back and spine, as well as open up the chest and shoulders. It also improves flexibility in the hips, hamstrings, and calves.
How to do it:
- Begin by resting on your stomach, arms at your sides.
- If needed, bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor.
- Inhale as you lift the head and upper torso off the ground while keeping the lower back flat.
- Exhale as you round forward like a cat curling into itself before arching back like an angry dog with its tail wagging furiously.
- Repeat 10 times for each movement sequence for 1 set; rest for 30 seconds between sets if needed.
Chair Pose: 5 breaths
Chair pose is a great way to stretch your back, hips, and legs. It also helps you develop balance and focus on the present moment.
How to do it: Stand with feet together and knees bent. Lift your arms up and back, inhale deeply, then exhale as you bend forward at the hips until your hands touch the floor (or if this is too difficult for you, just place them on top of each other). Hold for 5 breaths before returning to a standing position with arms raised above the head again.
Warrior 1: 30 seconds
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Turn your left foot 90 degrees and your right foot 45 degrees. Lift your arms up to shoulder height with palms facing each other, then bend your right knee and extend your left leg back (it may help to have someone guide you). Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
Warrior 2: 30 seconds
Warrior 2 is a great pose to help you relax and find your center. To get into Warrior 2, start in Mountain Pose with feet hip-width apart and knees bent. Make sure your hips are open and your shoulders are back and down.
Extend one leg straight behind you while keeping the other leg bent at 90 degrees. Reach up with both arms parallel to the floor or straight above your head if possible! This is a great way to stretch out before bedtime if you’ve had an especially busy day!
Side Angle Pose: 1 minute per side
Side-angle pose is a great way to stretch the hips and thighs. The pose also helps with balance, so it’s a good one to practice if you’re just beginning yoga or have trouble with balance.
Side Angle Pose:
- Stand in mountain pose (tadasana).
- Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot in 45 degrees so that they form a wide V shape with your legs. Your feet should be parallel to each other, not facing forward or back like in warrior 1 or 2 poses.
- Bend both knees slightly, bringing them into a 90-degree angle with each other so that they are directly over the ankles but not higher than this point. If they feel uncomfortable here, then lower them even further until they are comfortable yet still safe for the knees. Do not force yourself into any position that causes pain or discomfort; listen carefully to what your body needs from moment to moment during these exercises.
Mountain Pose: 30 seconds
Mountain Pose is a simple, easy-to-follow yoga routine. It’s great for beginners and can be done anywhere, anytime.
To begin, stand on the floor with your feet together. Bend your knees and sit back into your heels, keeping them flat on the floor throughout this exercise (don’t lift them up). Your spine should be straight and your shoulders relaxed.
Hold this position for 10 seconds before coming out of it by lifting one foot at a time off of its corresponding heel, releasing any tension in your back as well as tension in other parts of your body such as neck muscles or shoulders.
Tree Pose
If you have ten minutes to spare, Tree Pose is a great way to stretch your ankles, hips, and shoulders. It can also help you relax and relieve stress. You can do this pose at home or in the office; it doesn’t require any equipment other than a yoga mat (if you want). Anyone can do Tree Pose because it requires minimal flexibility and strength.
You can do yoga even if you don’t have a lot of time. The poses are only 10 minutes long!
If you’re a busy person, ten minutes is a great amount of time to do yoga. You can do it in the morning, at night, or even during your lunch break. You can even do it while watching TV!
If you have 15 minutes, That’s fine too; just add on another 5-minute round and make it an even 20 minutes total (5 x 4). And if you really want to push yourself and take advantage of all those extra seconds that come with being able to count to 60 more easily, then go ahead and try adding on one more 5-minute round after that and see what happens!
Well, this is just a sample of what you can do with 10 minutes of your time every day. You can create your own routines and make them as simple or complex as you want. We hope that by reading this article, you’ve discovered some ideas on how to incorporate yoga into your life—even on busier days!
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