5 Yoga Poses for Bodies with Limited Mobility

If you have limited mobility, doing yoga poses can be one of the best ways to improve it.

Yoga poses are one of the safest ways to work on mobility no matter what age you start at. When done regularly, these poses can increase the body’s range of motion and improve your overall physical and mental health. It can reduce stiffness and pain that might occur due to limited mobility as well.

Mobility is key to maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, so it's important to keep your muscles as mobile and flexible as you can. If you feel like your muscles have started to ache or have noticed that your mobility has reduced, it's time for you to start practicing yoga.

However, if you feel that you aren’t flexible enough for complicated poses, don’t stress, as many asanas can be easily modified depending on your mobility and flexibility level. Moreover, you can also use props such as straps and blocks to make the postures more convenient.

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Cat-cow pose and other yoga poses for people with limited mobility

Below we’ve rounded up five best yoga poses that can help give your mobility a boost. Practice them at least thrice a week, but be careful, especially if you're new to the practice. Let's get started:

1) Cat-cow pose

This gentle yoga pose helps mobilize the spine and gives a good stretch to the neck too.

How to do the cat-cow pose?

• Kneel down on a mat, and extend your hands forward and legs backwards to come into a tabletop position.
• Keep your shoulders just above your wrists and hips aligned with the knees.
• Inhale. Bring your stomach towards the floor, and keep your gaze up for the cow pose.
• Exhale. Move your spine up towards the ceiling, and bring your gaze and head down into the cat pose.
• Continue the pose alternating between cat and cow for a few reps.

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2) Puppy pose

If you have limited mobility and pain in your upper back and shoulders, try this yoga pose to get relief.

How to do the puppy pose?

• Get on all fours on your knees and hands.
• Position your knees under your hips and wrists under your shoulders. Press your palms onto the mat, and position your hands at shoulder-width distance.
• Start to walk your hands in the front, and slowly lower yourself towards the floor. With your arms in a stable position, slightly lift your hips, and relax your forehead on the floor.
• As you do that, you will feel the stretch in your upper back and shoulders.
• Focus on taking long deep breaths, and hold the position for a few seconds.

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3) Child’s pose

This yoga pose relaxes and stretches thespine, shoulders, and neck, improving overall upper body mobility.

How to do the child’s pose?

• Take a tabletop position with your knees at hip-width distance and arms under your shoulders.
• Slowly sit back onto your heels, and start to stretch your upper body forward.
• Walk your fingers forward as far as you can, and drop your head and chest towards the mat.
• Press your palms onto the floor to deepen the stretch in the shoulders and chest while keeping your hips on your heels.
• Close your eyes, and relax for a few seconds.

If you have tight hips, position your knees wider than hip width, or place a block or folded blanket under your hip bone for comfort.

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4) Reclined pigeon pose

The reclined pigeon pose is a great yoga asana to stretch the piriformis and glutes, and improve hip mobility.

How to do the reclined pigeon pose?

• Lie straight on your back. Keep your feet at hip-width distance, knees bent, and place the soles of your feet flat on the mat.
• Lift your left foot, and place your left ankle on your right thigh. Make sure to keep your left knee aligned with your left hip, and keep your left shin parallel to the mat.
• Gently pull your left toe back towards your shin, and feel the stretch. To deepen the pose, interlace both hands around your right thigh.
• Hold the posture for a few breaths, and change sides.

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5) Head-to-knee pose

The head-to-knee pose is a great asana to improve mobility in the hips, thighs, and back. It increases blood flow and is also a great exercise to reduce stress.

How to do head-to-knee pose?

• Sit with a straight posture on the floor or mat.
• Extend your left leg straight in the front, and press your right foot inside your left thigh. Breathe easily, and bring your arms over your head.
• Start to hinge at your hips, and fold forward towards your left leg.
• Place your hands on the mat, or simply hold your fingers of your outstretched leg. Hold for a few seconds, and switch legs to continue.

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Safety guidelines

When doing the aforementioned yoga poses, be gentle with your muscles, and avoid forcing your body into any pose that feels painful or uncomfortable.

Listen to your body and release the pose immediately if it starts to hurt. Remember that the key to attaining the benefits of yoga poses for mobility is to be consistent, starting slow, and working your way up gradually as you become more flexible and stronger.