warming up for yoga: 8 Best Poses to Aid You in Warming Up for Yoga

Warming up for yoga practice is an easy way to ensure that your body is ready for asanas.

Warming up for yoga as a daily practice allows you to move your muscles and joints through their normal range of motions, which can help prevent injury from overexertion.

Warming Up for Yoga: 8 Best Poses

It's important to carry out warming up for yoga promptly. This elevates your body temperature, which is beneficial to your muscles. They become more flexible and sensitive to the effects of yoga. Here are the eight best poses for warming up for yoga:

1) Pelvic Tilt

Pelvic tilts are an excellent warm up yoga pose. This exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles, which are crucial for supporting your lower back.

To perform a Pelvic Tilt:

Begin by lying down on your back.
Bend your legs upwards, and point your toes forward. For this practice, you'll need a flat surface, so we recommend using one of our yoga mats.
Exhale, and press your pelvis in and upwards toward the ceiling.
Your lower back will press to the floor while you do this.
Hold this position for ten seconds before inhaling and returning to neutral.
Repeat for 5-10 reps.

2) Planks

Plank yoga pose. (Image credits: Pexels/ Ketut Subiyanto)

Planks are an excellent warm-up exercise because they strengthen your core muscles, which are important when practicing yoga.

To perform planks:

Lie on the floor, supported only by your toes and elbows.
For 20 seconds, stay in that position.
You can progressively increase the amount of time you stay in the plank as you get more comfortable with the activity.

3) Leg Stretches

Your legs are used in almost every type of yoga pose, so be sure to keep them warm. To avoid injury, take a few minutes before class to stretch your legs. Leg stretches are a great way to start a yoga warm-up.

To do this:

To get started, stand with your feet hip-width apart.
With your left leg, take a step back and place both hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart.
Lower your hips until your hip and leg muscles are tense. For 20 to 30 seconds, stay in that position.

4) Cat Cow Stretch

Cat cow yoga pose. (Image credits: Freepik) agle pose. (Image credits: Freepik)

Because it opens your chest, back, and neck, the cat cow stretch is one of our favorites. This encourages slower, deeper breathing, which is essential for appropriate yoga practice.

To do this:

Begin in cow stance with your hands and knees on the ground.
Next, take a deep breath and lift your head upwards. Drop your stomach to the floor as you breathe in.
After that, switch to cat stance by bringing your belly button towards your spine.
Curl your back towards the ceiling while doing this. If you're doing this aspect of the position correctly, it should look like a cat arching its back.
Next, lower your head to the floor, so the top of your head is facing down. Remember to keep your head close to your chest while doing this.

5) Goddess Pose

The reclined goddess pose is an important yoga warming pose because it engages both your lower and upper bodies. More specifically, when you practice goddess position, your calves, quadriceps, and glutes, as well as your abs, are all engaged.

Here's how you do it:

Start with your feet parallel and a few inches of space in-between.
Your palms should be facing out. Make sure there's about three feet of separation between your feet, and spread them open until your feet are at a 45 degree angle.
Bend your knees until they create a 90-degree angle, keeping your core engaged the entire time.
Once you've achieved this position, extend your hands up towards the sky with the palms facing each other. Hold this pose for 30-60 seconds, feeling free to hold it longer than that if you want a stronger burn.

6) Eagle Pose

Eagle pose is excellent for developing posture and balance. This stretch opens up your hips and encourages overall deeper breathing. The shoulders are another region that eagle pose opens.

To do this:

Begin in mountain stance to achieve eagle pose.
Then, with your hands on your hips, press your pelvis to the ground.
Both knees should be bent. After that, lift your right leg and wrap your right thigh around your left.
Wrap your left arm over your right arm and put both arms in front of you.
Your left elbow should be over your right upper arm as a guide.
In this position, take five deep breaths and feel the stretch in your upper back.

7) Downward Facing Pose

Downward facing dog. (Image credits: Freepik/ Prostooleh)

This is a common yoga warming pose that is also beneficial to take before any physical exercise. Downward facing dog is a fantastic way to stretch your entire backside.

To do this:

Begin by getting down on your hands and knees. Knees should be lower than hips, and hands should be lower than shoulders.
Curl your toes under and push your hips up and straighten your legs with your hands.
Then, evenly spread your fingers and press firmly into the hand.
Stretch your body into the shape of a "A" as you do this. In the meantime, dig your heels into the ground.

8) Child Pose

Child pose. (Image credits: Freepik/ Katemangostar)

Child pose a common yoga stance that can be utilized to warm up and relax muscles in between workouts. It promotes blood circulation and decreases stress.

Here's how you do it:

You kneel down and place your palms on your thighs.
Your torso is then lowered, and your arms are extended past your torso.
It's not only a terrific warm-up pose, but it can also be used as a transition between more challenging poses.

Remember that as you practice warming up for yoga poses on your own, you can move around and actively engage the muscles in your body in a way that mimics these poses. This will help you perform at a higher level when you try them out in the studio. It will also help you remember these poses better.