5 Incredibly Beneficial Yoga Poses to Cross-Train for Life

There are hundreds of wonderful yoga poses, plus more variations for each pose than you could imagine! Each pose gives the body something it needs to feel strong and mobile. Unfortunately there is only so much time in the day to fit in a yoga practice. And sometimes that time is quite limited. If you have limited time, here are 5 poses that you can practice and feel like you’ve done something.

Ideally a balanced yoga practice has forward bending, backward bending, side bending and twisting, as well as stretching, strength, and balance. I didn’t get everything into this particular practice, but I did include leg and core strengthening, balance, and stretching for the shoulders, glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors.

You can practice this sequence daily, or mix it into your regular practice when time is tight. This sequence should take you about 10 minutes or so. I included a video at the bottom to guide you through the whole thing, as well as a couple of other videos and blog posts for more detailed descriptions of some of the poses.

Why this sequence?

In this sequence of 5 poses you are building strength, improving mobility, and cultivating balance. Many of these poses accomplish multiple things at once so they are economical in their actions. I have organized this sequence to be balanced for the whole body. If you have more time, I encourage you to add side bends and twists, but this accomplishes a lot with a little.

Hold each pose for 5-10 breaths, breathing slowly, in and out through your nose. When practicing Vinyasa yoga, it’s traditional to practice Ujjayi breath while practicing asana (poses). With this sequence you hold the poses rather than flow from one to the next, although you could play with that as well. Ujjayi breath becomes an audible focus for your practice and keeps you in your body as you practice.

Awkward pose/Utkatasana with Yoga Mudra

This variation of this pose combines leg and core strength with some chest and shoulder opening. If your shoulders are tight and your hands don’t touch, you can hold a strap or towel behind your back rather than interlacing the fingers. As long as you squeeze your shoulder blades together, you are accomplishing the same thing. Walk your hands toward each other on the strap or towel until you feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders.

Start standing in Mountain pose with your feet hip distance apart and parallel. You can also stand with your feet touching, but I find it more comfortable and stable to have your feet hip distance. Feel free to place a block between your thighs to get more inner thigh and overall leg activity. I think a block makes this pose a bit easier to maintain, although that’s relative.

Interlace your fingers behind your back (or use a strap) and squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other. Try to make one fist with your two hands rather than letting your wrists pop apart. Ideally the palms are pressing together. Spread your toes and bend your knees, bringing your weight slightly backward toward your heels. Feel the chest lifting upward as you sink your thighs downward. Hold 5-10 breaths, then stand in Mountain and interlace your fingers with the other fingers on top, repeating the pose one more time.

A video on Yoga Mudra:

Figure Four Balance/Eka Pada Utkatasana

Start in Mountain pose, your hands in Anjali Mudra. Sit backward into Utkatasana and shift your weight onto your left foot. Cross your right ankle over your left knee, creating the number 4 with your legs. You can stay just as you are, or tip the pelvis forward, keeping your spine straight. You should feel a stretch in the right hip/glutes.

Keeping the spine straight gives you more stretch in your right hip. Press your left foot firmly into the floor, activating your left glutes and inner thigh. If balance is precarious, you can hold onto a wall, a chair, or place your hands on blocks in front of you. The more actively you press your left foot into the floor, the more stable you’ll be.

Hold 5-10 breaths, then press your left foot into the floor, straightening your left leg to stand. Return to Mountain pose and repeat the whole thing on the other side.

Standing Forward Bend/Uttanasana

Stand in Mountain pose. Hinge forward from the pelvis, with bent knees, and drape your torso over your thighs. You want your hips to be the highest part of your body. If your lower back is higher, bend your knees more. Alternatively you can hold onto a wall or chair in front of you for support.

Keep your knees bent or straighten the legs, keeping the hips as the highest point on your body. You’ll feel a stretch in the lower back as well as the hamstrings. If you have osteoporosis, keep your spine straight and focus on the hip hinge. If you don’t, you can allow your spine to lengthen downward toward the floor.

You can clasp opposite elbows with opposite hands, or let your hands rest on your thighs, shins, blocks, or the floor. Find a place that feels comfortable. Hold for 5-10 breaths. If you clasped opposite elbows, repeat, clasping with the other forearm on top.

Plank pose/Phalakasana

From your Standing Forward Bend, step one foot back at a time and come into Plank pose. Your palms are flat on the floor with your shoulders stacked over your wrists. The shoulder blades are neutral on the back, neither apart nor together, neither elevated nor depressed. This allows you to keep a flat back.

Your hips are lower than your shoulders, but higher than your feet. Feel the front of the body lifting toward the back of the body as a unit. Don’t hinge at the hips, you want a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage the glutes, quads, inner thighs, and abdominal muscles.

This is Mountain pose (basically) turned 90 degrees. Stay 5-10 breaths.

Low Lunge/Anjaneyasana

From Plank pose, lower your left knee to the floor and step your right foot forward toward your hands. Place your right foot directly under your right knee so that the shin is perpendicular to the floor. Press your feet into the floor, taking some of the pressure off your left knee. Engage your left glutes.

Your hands can stay on the floor next to your right foot, tor hey can come to your right thigh, pressing your chest away from your thigh. This will increase the left hip flexor stretch. You can also raise your arms upward, or create “cactus arms” and lift the chest creating a little upper back backbend. Play with the different variations and see which suits you best.

Hold 5-10 breaths, then step your right knee back to your left knee and step the left foot forward, repeating on the left side.

Pulling it all together

Here’s a video where I guide you through all 5 poses in a 10 minute practice.

More detail

If you’d like more detail on some of these poses, check out these other posts. I plan to write about Utkatasana in an upcoming Ask a Yoga Teacher post:

Ask a Yoga Teacher: Plank Pose

Ask a Yoga Teacher: Fearless Forward Bending without Breaking

How to Use Sun Salutations to Energize Yourself

Moving From Two Feet To One: Building Balance

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Thank you so much for reading Yoga Living 50 and Beyond. Aging isn’t easy, and all the messages out there say we shouldn’t. I disagree. I write about embracing aging through the lens of yoga, and how to apply your yoga practice to your life. What you practice on the mat you take with you off the mat. Please tap the 💜 and become a free or paid subscriber. I appreciate your support, whatever it looks like. ~Janine

I don’t always remember put this graphic in, but it’s always true. All of my essays are 100% written by me, not AI. They are my thoughts, my words, and my experiences from over 30 years of practicing and teaching yoga. Thanks for reading! 💜 Janine