7 YOGA POSES TO WAKE YOU UP

Motivation to work out in the morning is tough. It can be a struggle just to get out bed when you’re tired.

That’s where yoga comes in. 

You may already practice yoga after work or go to a class on the weekends, but yoga first thing in the morning will help to change how you feel about your entire day.

We spoke to Yoga Aqua instructor Sarah Tiefenthaler who says yoga in the morning can set the tone for a successful day.

“Yoga’s a great thing to do when you first wake up, just to move the body and get the blood flowing,” she says.

“If you can go through just a few simple yoga poses in the morning, your body is going to be awake but your mind is also going to be feel more awake and you’ll feel refreshed.”

Tiefenthaler says the best way to get the most out of yoga in the morning is to practice outside. Now that the summer season is here, she recommends taking full advantage.

“Anytime you can do yoga outside, do it,” she says. “Any time you can be outside in nature and do something peaceful like yoga it’s going to make your yoga practice that much better.” 

Doing yoga in the morning also allows you to de-stress at the start of your day instead of at the end, kicking off a more balanced day ahead.

“All your day-to-day, your concerns, your stresses, whatever is bothering you just kind of disappears,” she says.

“When I do yoga in the morning the rest of my day feels better in every way. I feel more awake, more alive, more prepared, my brain functions better.”

So wake up, yogis! Tiefenthaler has put together seven yoga poses you can do in just 15 minutes that will start your day off right! 

1. Back Bend

Mimic getting out of bed reaching up to the sky arching back and taking a big breath in and exhaling and folding forward.

2. Downward Dog

From there step back into a down dog, bed one knee and then the other, waking up your legs.

3. Twisted Lunge

Reaching a leg up and stepping it through and doing a twisted lunge. Twisting is good, it’s detoxing for your body. It rings out your organs. So if you’re detoxing, do twists. 

4. Seated Side Stretch

Stretching the sides of the body, with your arms above head, waking your body up and getting you ready for the day.

5. Child's Pose

If you’re tight in the hips, just sit in child’s pose for three minutes. You can walk your hands from side to side and continue to stretch the body, it’s great for your hips and joints.

6. Lizard Stretch

This is a really deep lunge but it feels amazing. Hold this one as long as you can stand it. A couple minutes on each side, you’ll be skipping to work after that!

7. Forward Fold

When you come out of this pose you feel euphoric. It’s crazy something so simple like this stretch can leave you so refreshed afterward. Any time you do a forward fold it’s always good to go back to your back bend to counter stretch your spine. 

Have you tried Tiefenthaler’s poses in the morning? Tweet @ReebokWomen and show us!

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