It can be hard to find time for yourself when you have a busy schedule, but you don’t need to spend hours in the gym to do something good for your body.
If you’ve only got a few minutes, you can make a positive impact on your mental and physical health with routines like this one from yoga instructor Alexis Mann.
Her five-minute full-body stretch opens up stiff joints and tense muscles while encouraging you to slow down and focus on your breathing.
I’ve recently developed a few new tight spots in my body that need some attention, but finding the time for a full-length yoga class has been impossible. This quick routine seemed more realistic, so I decided to give it a try.
The five-minute routine
Mann’s program features basic stretches that most people can do. The only equipment you’ll need is a yoga mat.
You’ll be on your knees for a lot of the routine, so you may also want a rolled-up towel or pillow handy for extra cushioning. If your mobility is limited, you can decrease your range of motion as needed.
My takeaways after doing the routine
This five-minute stretch is beginner-friendly, but you should always check in with your medical team before starting any new activities.
As Mann promises at the opening of her video, I did in fact feel much better after doing the routine. Here are some other things I noticed.
It’s a little longer than five minutes
Technically, this full-body stretch takes closer to seven minutes to complete.
That’s a nitpicky observation, but those extra two minutes can make a difference for those with packed schedules.
I still enjoyed this routine even if it was longer than advertised. It never felt rushed or hurried, and each stretch opened up my stiff spots.
I was able to truly relax into each position, and Mann’s transitions between stretches were natural and flowed nicely.
My hips loosened up
My hips were the area most affected by this full-body stretch. I’ve been dealing with tight hips for years, and they’ve gotten even tighter after pregnancy and childbirth.
Mann held the runner’s lunge stretch for a while, and that allowed me to explore a deeper range of motion in my hips.
After the stretch was over, I felt like I could walk and move a lot easier.
Mann gives great verbal cues
It’s very easy to perform movements incorrectly, especially when you’re following a video instead of a live instructor.
Verbal cues become really important in this scenario, and Mann does a great job of describing each stretch while providing corrections for common form issues.
During the runner’s lunge, Mann instructs you to “actively press and push the skin off of your thigh.”
I’m a certified personal trainer and know how to perform this move correctly, but hearing her specific cue helped me to go even deeper into the stretch.
That aspect alone made me want to come back to this full-body stretch in the future.
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