I lift weights and go to the gym on a regular basis, as that's the best way for me to build muscle. However, I've found that slow, gentle movement is more beneficial for my mental health.
Because of this, I try to do yoga once or twice a week. I go to some in-person classes, but I often opt for a routine that I've found online.
I recently came across this 15-minute, full-body routine from yoga instructor Francine Cipollone, also known as Yoga With Bird. I decided to give it a go during my lunch break, to see if it could relax my mind and body.
Watch Yoga With Bird's full-body stretch yoga routine
This routine involves holding a number of stretches for a short period of time, rather than flowing through different poses in quick succession. It's similar to yin yoga, which is a quiet, contemplative practice that encourages mindfulness.
I often don't notice how tense my muscles are until I start stretching and this sequence highlighted some tight areas. It started with a child's pose, which revealed stiffness in my shoulders and back. After a few seconds in the position, I felt my body relax—and after running through the full session, the tension in these areas had completely disappeared. And I felt mentally refreshed, too.
Benefits of yoga
The benefits of yoga are well documented; the practice can help with balance, flexibility and core strength. Regular sessions can even alleviate anxiety and stress. I found this particular session really helped my mood; I felt happier and more relaxed after doing it.
I'd recommend this routine for anyone who needs to add some movement to their day—try doing it in the morning or after you've finished work. If you're looking for an even simpler practice, try these yoga stretches for beginners or have a go at some chair yoga instead.
Need a new yoga mat? Our guide to the best yoga mats can help
-
Do abs workouts hurt your neck? Then try this four-move sessionWorkouts This ballet-inspired workout will build core strength and stability, without neck discomfort
-
A run coach says this 15-minute hip mobility routine can help you run faster—here's my verdict after trying it for two weeksRunning Could a simple hip mobility routine help me get a new personal best?
-
Is targeting the quads the best way to reduce back pain? I tried this yoga routine to find outYoga Yoga With Adriene's recent yoga flow is lower-body-focused, targeting the hips, quads, glutes, and hamstrings
-
This expert-recommended tweak to child's pose is helping me undo the damage of my desk jobYoga If you spend a lot of time sitting down, you need to try this stretch
-
I did a one-minute deep breathing exercise every day for a month, and I didn’t think it’d be this effectiveMindfulness This short session calmed my mind and helped me breathe better during exercise
-
I tried this yoga for back pain routine and it immediately eased the tension in my upper-body musclesYoga Four minutes of stretching can make a world of difference
-
I tried this yoga flow instead of my usual workout and was surprised by how much it strengthened my coreWorkouts This 30-minute routine put my mid-body muscles to the test
-
I did 15 minutes of yoga every morning for a week and it transformed my dayWellbeing You don’t have to spend hours exercising — I found just 15 minutes of mindful movement every morning gave my body and mind a huge boost
-
I tried daily journaling for a year to improve my wellbeing—here's what happenedMindfulness Developing a daily journaling routine only took 10 minutes, but made a world of difference
-
I stretched like a gymnast every day for a month, and here’s what happenedCHALLENGE Here’s what happened when I stretched like a gymnast each and every day for 30 days
