Boost your flexibility in 10 minutes with this full-body yoga flow
If you spend a lot of time sitting down, you need to try this routine
As we get older, it's normal for our bodies to lose flexibility. It's a good idea to stretch on a regular basis to keep your joints healthy but it can be hard to fit into your routine.
Fortunately, you don't have to do hours and hours of yoga to improve your flexibility. In fact, this 10-minute routine created by yoga instructor Sarah Beth will stretch out your entire body with just a few simple movements.
Beth will guide you through the routine in the YouTube video below, which includes poses such as child's pose and downward dog.
Move into each pose as far as you can, ensuring you feel a stretch in the muscles you're trying to target. But if you're experiencing a lot of discomfort rather than just a gentle stretch, come out of the position in order to avoid injury.
Watch Sarah Beth's 10-minute yoga routine for flexibility
Good flexibility will improve the way you move in everyday life, as well as during exercise such as running, cycling and strength training. Stretching regularly can also reduce your injury, so it's worth dedicating some time to it.
Regular stretching is particularly important if you work a desk job and spend a lot of time sitting down, as this leads to stiffness and reduced mobility in your joints.
But improved flexibility isn't the only benefit of yoga. The practice can also improve your balance, boost your core strength and even alleviate your anxiety.
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Try doing this routine on a regular basis if you want to reap some of these benefits. Or have a go at these easy yoga stretches for beginners, which you can do first thing in the morning or during your lunch break.
Need a new mat to support your practice? Our guide to the best yoga mats can help
Alice Porter is a freelance journalist covering lifestyle topics including health, fitness and wellness. She is particularly interested in women's health, strength training and fitness trends and writes for publications including Stylist Magazine, Refinery29, The Independent and Glamour Magazine. Like many other people, Alice's personal interest in combining HIIT training with strength work quickly turned into a CrossFit obsession and she trains at a box in south London. When she's not throwing weights around or attempting handstand push-ups, you can probably find her on long walks in nature, buried in a book or hopping on a flight to just about anywhere it will take her.
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