13 Yoga Stretches for Stiffness and Pain Relief

If you’re feeling a little stiffer when you climb out of bed these days or your lower back aches no matter how much you stretch or rest it, it’s time to take charge of your mobility.

As we age, our muscles naturally lose strength, flexibility, and mass, which can cause joint pain and affect how well we move over time. And that can make it tough to stay active and independent as you get older.

Luckily, there’s one secret to healthy aging that you can easily add to your daily routine: 10 minutes of yoga.

Yoga is one of your biggest allies when it comes to building strength and flexibility because it combines resistance (via your body weight) and balance work. It also boosts circulation and offers a low-impact workout, making it useful for people with mobility or pain issues. The key is to make your yoga flow a part of your regular routine, as there are big benefits to doing yoga every day.

“With yoga, practicing regularly is more important than doing complex poses,” says Brandt Passalacqua, a certified yoga instructor and co-founder of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy. “Just 10 minutes of stretching a day can improve your mobility and really benefit your health,” Passalacqua says.

Ready to loosen up? Add these yoga moves to your daily routine to help ease stiffness and pain.

Meet the Expert: Brandt Passalacqua, a certified yoga instructor and co-founder of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy.

Best Yoga Stretches for Stiffness and Pain

The poses below are some of the most common positions you’ll find in yoga flows—a great place to start. Remember to inhale and exhale through each move, and add some extra mindfulness by intentionally focusing on how your muscles and body feel with each movement and breath.

Hold Time for Each Position: 5–10 breaths

1. Downward Dog

Why it works

This pose opens up the shoulders, hamstrings, and calves, as well as the arches of your feet. Down dogs also help to strengthen your shoulders and upper back. And by bending so that your heart is over your head, you’ll increase blood flow to the brain.

How to do it

1. Start in a tabletop position with hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips. Inhale.
2. Exhale and lift knees off the floor, positioning hips toward the ceiling.
3. Reach heels to the floor and straighten out knees as much as you can without locking them up.
4. Press through fingertips and keep head between arms as you gaze between calves.
5. Hold.

2. Child’s Pose

Why it works

This restorative yoga pose is a great shoulder opener and provides a restful moment between more difficult positions. You want to feel like you’re reaching hips and hands toward the opposite end of the room for maximum benefits.

How to do it

1. Start in a tabletop position.
2. Touch big toes together.
3. Then sit back on heels and put torso on thighs.
4. Reach arms straight in front of you with palms facing the floor.
5. Hold.

3. Warrior I

Why it works

If you want flexible hips and strong legs, lunge positions are for you. Warrior I is especially good for opening the front of the hip flexors, as well as the shoulders.

How to do it

1. Stand up straight.
2. Step back into a lunge as you raise arms overhead. Slightly tuck tailbone and try not to overarch back.
3. Hold.
4. Repeat on the other side.

4. Triangle Pose

Why it works

This standing pose stretches your hips, hamstrings, calves, chest, shoulders, and your spine. It’s also great for strengthening your knees, quads, and ankles.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet about three to four feet apart.
2. Turn right toes fully to the right side and angle left foot slightly inward. Extend arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
3. Keeping both legs straight without locking knees, reach right hand toward right side, over toes, then hinge at right hip and lower hand to shin or ankle.
4. Reach left arm toward the ceiling and gently rotate chest open. Keep spine long and gaze forward or up toward top hand.
5. Hold.
6. Repeat on the other side.

5. Warrior II

Why it works

This pose is known for increasing strength and stamina, particularly in the legs and arms.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet about three to four feet apart. Lift arms until they are parallel to the floor, palms facing the floor.
2. Turn right foot to face the front of the mat and angle left foot 45 degrees inward.
3. Bend right knee until it’s directly over right ankle. Check to see that right ankle is in line with the arch of back foot.
4. Try to get right thigh as parallel to the floor as possible.
5. Hold gaze over right hand.
6. Step back and repeat on the other side.

6. Mountain Pose

Why it works

Doing Mountain Pose might feel at first like you’re just standing. But when performed intentionally, it’s a great way to rest between poses and improve your posture.

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How to do it

1. Stand tall with feet together or about hip-width apart, whichever feels more comfortable.
2. Press evenly through all four corners of feet and keep knees soft rather than locked. Engage core, lengthen spine, and gently draw shoulders down and back.
3. Let arms rest alongside body with palms facing forward. Keep chin level and gaze straight ahead.
4. Hold for several slow, steady breaths.

7. Cat-Cow

Why it works

Cat cow warms up the spine. These are great to prep for more difficult backbends and to release stress, especially after getting out of bed or sitting at a desk.

How to do it

1. Start in the tabletop position with hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips, spine neutral.
2. Exhale and enter cat: Round spine to the ceiling and gently release head toward the floor, tucking chin to chest and drawing belly button up.
3. Inhale and enter cow: Lift chest, head, and hips to the ceiling, being careful not to overstrain the neck.
4. Instead of holding each pose for 5 to 10 breaths, oscillate between these two positions 5 to 10 times, moving with your inhales and exhales.

8. Bridge

Why it works

Bridges are effective glute strengtheners and a great way to open up shoulders and hips.

How to do it

1. Lie faceup with feet on the ground, hip-width apart, and knees pointed toward the ceiling. Bring heels as close to hips as possible. Inhale.
2. Exhale and squeeze glutes to lift hips off of the floor. Keep knees over ankles.
3. Clasp hands beneath you and stay on the tops of shoulders. Pinch shoulder blades together and hold as you press pinkies into the ground.

9. Warrior III

Why it works

This warrior pose is especially good for working on balance and coordination. It also strengthens the ankles, legs, and upper back.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart. Inhale to shift weight to left leg.
2. Exhale and hinge at hips, sending hips back, keeping back flat, and lifting right leg behind you. Actively press through right heel.
3. As you feel comfortable, raise arms in front of you until they are in alignment with torso and right leg. This will strengthen upper back.
4. Hold.
5. Repeat on the other side.

10. Seated Forward Fold

Why it works

Forward folds promote flexibility in your back, spine, and hamstrings.

How to do it

1. Sit on mat with legs straight in front of you. Keep hands on the ground by hips as you actively press heels forward and descend thighs into the floor. Take a deep inhale.
2. As you exhale, lean forward from the hip joints. If you can, grab big toes or the outside of feet. You may also start with knees bent, and then slowly straighten them once you relax into the posture. Never force your body to go too far.
3. Hold.

11. Tree Pose

Why it works

This position stretches the groin, thighs, torso, and shoulders. Because you’re standing on one leg, it also challenges your balance.

How to do it

1. Begin standing on mat with arms by sides.
2. Shift weight onto right foot and lift left off the ground. Place left foot against calf, ankle, or inner right thigh. Avoid placing it directly on the knee.
3. Stare at an unmoving point in front of you and bring arms to a prayer position at the center of chest. Depending on how flexible you are, you might be able to get to this position without grabbing foot.
4. Raise arms overhead if you want an extra balance challenge.
5. Hold.
6. Repeat on the other side.

12. Pigeon Pose

Why it works

Pigeon pose is excellent for increasing hip mobility, making it a particularly good stretch if you sit for long periods of time.

How to do it

1. Start in downward dog position. Lift right leg back behind you, then bring right knee toward right wrist (or as far as you can).
2. Rotate right foot toward left arm. Rest right leg on the ground with shin either perpendicular to the front of the mat (making a 90-degree angle) or pointed more toward your groin (more of a 45-degree angle). Adjust to make sure you’re not putting too much pressure on right knee. Keep hands on the ground by sides or reach ahead of the shin that’s on the ground.
3. To increase the intensity, extend the left leg straight behind you.
4. Gently return to the downward dog position and repeat on the other side.

13. Half Lord of the Fishes

Why it works

This regal-sounding pose will have you standing taller and more energized. It’s great for aligning the spine and stretching the shoulders, hips, and neck.

How to do it

1. Sit on mat with legs straight in front of you.
2. Bend left knee and place left foot next to right knee.
3. Inhale. Then, as you exhale, twist torso to the inside of left thigh. Place left hand behind sit bones for support.
4. Place right arm on the outside of right leg, just below the knee.
5. Continue to twist torso to left thigh as you press left thigh into torso. Look over left shoulder.
6. As you breathe, lift the sternum and stay tall in the torso. Try to twist a little bit more every time you exhale.
7. Optional: Bend right knee and shin under left knee to deepen the stretch.
8. Repeat on the other side.