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15-minute morning yoga: a gentle routine to start the day

A 15-minute morning yoga routine that starts where you wake up: slow breathing and gentle hip rolls lying down, then all fours, a lunge and standing poses for your legs and balance, with forward bending saved for the end. Your back is stiffer first thing because the discs between your vertebrae take up water overnight, so the routine eases in. There's no evidence that morning is the best time for yoga, but a short routine at the same time every day is easy to keep.

15 minBeginner12 movesNo equipmentGlutes · Back · Abs · Hip flexors · Calves · Quads
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Before you get up

  1. Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)1 min
    Beginner · 3D demoLying on your back, knees bent, hands on your belly. In for about 4, out for about 6Easier: Breath reachHarder: Crocodile breathing (prone diaphragmatic breathing)
  2. Hip windshield wipers10 slow passes
    Beginner · Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoFeet wide, let both knees drop slowly to one side and then the other. Keep it small if your back is stiffEasier: Supine heel slideHarder: 90/90 switch

On all fours

  1. Cat-cow8 waves
    Beginner · Back, Abs · 3D demoRoll onto your side and push up to come onto all fours. Keep the rounding small if your back is sore first thingHarder: Half lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
  2. Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)3 to 5 breaths each side
    Beginner · Hip flexors, Quads, Glutes · 3D demoStep one foot forward between your hands, back knee on a folded blanket. Hands on your front thigh if reaching up strains your shouldersEasier: Half-kneeling hip flexor stretchHarder: High lunge (crescent lunge, Ashta Chandrasana)

Standing

  1. Mountain pose (Tadasana)5 to 10 slow breaths
    Beginner · Calves, Back, Abs · 3D demoCome up slowly, with a hand near a wall if you feel light-headedHarder: Tree pose (Vrksasana)
  2. Breath reach5 breaths
    Beginner · 3D demoArms up as you breathe in, down on a longer breath outHarder: Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)
  3. Overhead side bend3 slow bends each side
    Beginner · 3D demoReach up and over without leaning forwardEasier: Seated overhead side bendHarder: Overhead lat stretch at a bench (elbows on the bench)
  4. Thoracic rotation6 each side
    Beginner · 3D demoArms crossed on your chest; turn from your ribs and keep your hips stillEasier: Side-lying open bookHarder: World's greatest stretch
  5. Chair pose (Utkatasana)2 holds of 5 breaths
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Shoulders · 3D demoSit back as if onto a tall stoolHarder: Revolved chair pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)
  6. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)5 breaths each side
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoFront knee in line with your second toeEasier: Chair pose (Utkatasana)Harder: Extended side angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
  7. Tree pose (Vrksasana)3 to 5 breaths each side
    Beginner · Glutes, Hip abductors, Calves · 3D demoA hand near a wall. Rest your foot on your ankle or calfEasier: Mountain pose (Tadasana)Harder: Standing hand-to-big-toe pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)
  8. Hip hinge fold5 slow folds, 3 breaths at the bottom
    Beginner · 3D demoSoft knees, hands sliding down your thighs, back long. Fold less, or leave it out, if your back is sore this morningHarder: Seated forward fold (Paschimottanasana)

Finish

  1. Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)1 min
    Beginner · 3D demoStanding, or sitting on the edge of the bed. Notice how you feelEasier: Breath reachHarder: Crocodile breathing (prone diaphragmatic breathing)

Tips

  • Get up slowly: roll onto your side, push up to sitting, pause, then stand. The NHS advises this if you get dizzy when you stand up.
  • If your back is sore first thing, keep bending small for the first part of the morning: in a trial of people with long-lasting back pain, cutting down early-morning bending reduced pain.
  • Morning isn't proven better than evening, so practise when you'll keep it up. If you sleep badly, a morning session fits the NHS advice to exercise during the day.
  • Tie it to something you already do each morning, like brushing your teeth. Habits took an average of 66 days to feel automatic in one study, and missing a day didn't undo it.
  • Eat first if you feel faint exercising on an empty stomach, if you're pregnant, or if you take insulin or a sulfonylurea.
  • Once you're warm, add 2 slow sun salutations if you like, with your knees down and the forward folds to a flat back half way.
  • Stiffness that lasts more than 30 minutes every morning, or more than 45 minutes in your shoulders and hips if you're over 50, is worth a GP visit.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

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Questions people ask

How long does the 15-minute morning yoga: a gentle routine to start the day take?

About 15 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

No equipment: your body and some floor space. A mat makes floor work more comfortable.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 7 of its 12 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.