Three seated yoga poses everyone should do to improve flexibility, according to an expert instructor

Simple beginner-friendly movements to keep your body healthy.

a woman doing a forward fold with fingers wrapped around the back of her feet, facing the camera in a living room setting with a turquoise sofa behind her.
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If you’re new to yoga, you might be surprised by its wide-ranging benefits. Yoga incorporates mindful movements that often flow into one another, helping you build stability, strength, flexibility and coordination.

Moving mindfully enables you to synchronize breath and movement, helping to reduce stress and offering space to turn your focus inward.

Laura Childs, a yoga instructor and founder of Sāmya Studios, explains that anyone can enjoy the practice and benefits of yoga. "The first thing I hear from beginners is that they think they can't do yoga because they can't touch their toes," Childs says. "But that isn't necessary and it's not the point of yoga, although it can be a nice side effect."

If you’re interested in experiencing yoga’s mental and physical benefits, Childs recommends these three beginner-friendly seated movements. You don't need any equipment, but you might want to roll out a yoga mat to support your back and make the practice more comfortable.

Reclined butterfly

A woman performs a reclined butterfly pose on a yoga mat on wooden decking. SHe is lying on her back, eyes closed, with her arms by her sides. Her legs are bent at the knee and flopped out to the sides, with the soles of her feet touching.

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  • From a seated position, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together to form a diamond shape with your legs.
  • Recline slowly onto your back, either by supporting yourself with your elbows or lying back in one smooth motion.
  • Allow your knees to naturally drop to the sides, toward the floor. Keep your feet pressing lightly together. If your hips or groin feel tight, place blocks or pillows under your knees for support.
  • Rest your arms on the floor with palms facing up, about 45 degrees away from your body.
  • Hold the pose for eight breaths.

Reclined twist

A woman in shorts, a vest and sneakers performs a reclined twist yoga move on a mat on wooden flooring. She is lying on her back, with her left leg bent at a right angle and crossed across her body. Her left arm lies horizontal to the side and she gazes towards it.

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Lie flat on your back on a yoga mat with legs extended and arms resting by your sides.
  • Bend your right knee and bring it toward your chest, hugging it with both hands.
  • Use your left hand to guide your bent right knee across your body to the left side, keeping your right shoulder grounded on the mat. Your right knee doesn’t have to touch the floor. Instead, go as far as feels comfortable.
  • Extend your right arm to the side and turn your head to look over your right shoulder.
  • Hold for eight breaths, then bring your knee back to the center.
  • Repeat on the other side.

Seated forward fold

A woman performs a seated forward fold yoga move at home in her living room. She wears leggings and a vest top. She is on the floor, with her legs straight out and her torso leaning forward. She grasps her big toes with her hands.

(Image credit: Getty Images)
  • Sit up tall with your legs extended in front of you and flex your feet. Engage your core and raise your arms overhead.
  • As you exhale, hinge at your hips and fold forward over your legs, keeping your back as straight as possible.
  • Reach your hands toward your shins, ankles or feet.
  • Hold the pose for eight breaths, then slowly return to a seated position.

Benefits of this routine

This practice will introduce you to some common yoga postures while encouraging you to connect your movement with your breath, an essential aspect of yoga.

These movements can also improve your flexibility over time. "The reclined butterfly is a hip opener, which is particularly great for people who sit at a desk all day with their hips squared," Childs says.

"The forward fold will stretch the back of the legs, while the twist lengthens the spine," she adds.

Childs recommends lying down on your mat in stillness for a few minutes before and after the moves to relax your body and mind.

Practicing this routine regularly—ideally every day—will help you become more familiar with yoga and enhance its results. If you want to try different routines, we recommend these beginner yoga stretches or this yin yoga beginner flow.

Alice Porter
Contributor

Alice Porter is a freelance journalist covering lifestyle topics including health, fitness and wellness. She is particularly interested in women's health, strength training and fitness trends and writes for publications including Stylist Magazine, Refinery29, The Independent and Glamour Magazine. Like many other people, Alice's personal interest in combining HIIT training with strength work quickly turned into a CrossFit obsession and she trains at a box in south London. When she's not throwing weights around or attempting handstand push-ups, you can probably find her on long walks in nature, buried in a book or hopping on a flight to just about anywhere it will take her.

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