Make Any Workout Vinyasa: 14 Poses to Add Between Sets

Think you don’t have time for yoga? This vinyasa fits right into your usual workout—between sets of any exercise—to keep things interesting.

Yoga, the oldest science for self-improvement known to humankind, can optimize any athletic workout to bring the body, mind, breath, and spirit into balance. But if you struggle to find the time to add it to your routine, this dynamic sun salutation is for you. Work this vinyasa sequence from my upcoming “Flow Fusion Yoga” video with Coach Bob Kaehler to add fun and flow to any repetitious, weight training, or therapeutic exercise workout.

Set after set of repetitious exercises alone can get boring fast. By interspersing yoga into your routine, you can keep the workout interesting, making it easier to keep up daily. I am continually searching for ways to do my best while making my workouts more challenging, dynamic, uplifting, and fun. I have a hard time to stay committed to anything that isn’t fun.

Incorporate this vinyasa into your next workout—between each set of biceps curls or leg lifts, for example. Enjoy!

14 Yoga Poses To Add Into Any Workout

Standing at Attention

Samasthiti

Bring feet together and center weight over the four corners of your feet. Engage your thighs, keeping your spine neutral. Engage your core, lift your chest, and soften your shoulders. Parallel your chin to the ground and reach the crown of your head toward the sky. Bring your hands to prayer and with three cleansing breaths set an intention for your workout or for your day.

See alsoThe Difference Between “Tadasana” and “Samasthiti”

Mountain Pose

Tadasana

From Samasthti, let your arms fall to rest at your sides. Then lift arms up and above the head, roll shoulders back and down to create space and to open the chest and heart.

See also Goddess Yoga with Sianna Sherman

Chair Pose

Utkatasana

From Tadasana, sink weight into heels and extend arms overhead, palms facing one another. Engage your core and lift your chest. Engage your legs, bringing them together. Lift heels high off of ground to challenge your balance. Balance on balls of your feet.

See also Plan a Yoga Road Trip Up the West Coast

Standing Foward Bend

Uttanasana

From Tadasana, bend forward, hinging at hips lift and legthening as you bring your chest to your thighs. Bend your knees as much as necessary to maintain the integrity of your spine. Release your spine and open the back of the body in order to oxygenate the central nervous system.

See alsoYoga for Athletes

Half Lift

Ardha Uttanasana

From Uttanasana, inhale and lift halfway, bringing your hands to your shins or the floor in front of you. Lengthen through your spine, engage your core, and gaze forward. Open your chest and heart.

See alsoEveryday Yoga for Athletes: 5 Pre-Workout Warm-Up Poses

Plank Pose

From Ardha Uttanasana, fold foward keeping wrists and shoulders stacked over each other. Step back to a Plank Pose, maintaining a neutral spine position and engaging your core. Press back through your heels, engaging your legs. Create a long, strong line of energy. You can always do a modified variation of plank by keeping your knees on the floor.

See also Yoga for Trail Running

Four-Limbed Staff Pose

Chaturanga Dandasana

From Plank, slowly lower down, keeping wrists under your elbows and elbows in line with shoulders. Squeeze elbows in close to the sides of the ribcage, creating a 90-degree angle in the arms. Engage your abdominals and maintain a neutral pelvis and spine.

See alsoVIDEO: Chaturanga Dandasana

Upward-Facing Dog Pose

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana

From Chaturanga Dandasana, inhale and straighten your arms, rolling over your toes and lifting your chest. Soften shoulders away from the ears. Press through the tops of your feet, engaging the front of your thighs and lifting them away from the mat. Engage your abdominals, straighten your arms, open your chest and heart.

MODIFICATION You may also lower body to the mat and come up into a low Cobra Pose.

See also Everyday Yoga for Athletes: 9 Post-Workout Poses to Balance Core Strength

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Adho Mukha Svanasana

From Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, with palms flat on floor, shoulder-width apart, tuck your toes under and press the hips up and back. Straighten the legs and engage the thighs, pressing down through the heels. Relax the shoulders away from ears, open your heart, and extend your spine long. Engaged your core.

MODIFICATION Try bending your knees if that feels better.

See also3 Ways to Make Downward-Facing Dog Feel Better

Three-Legged Downward-Facing Dog

From Adho Mukha Svanasana, lift one leg up, pressing equally through hands and squaring hips to the ground.

See alsoThree-Legged Downward-Facing Dog: The Ultimate Hip Opener

Low Lunge

Anjaneyasana

From Downward-Facing Dog, step left foot forward between hands, aligning left ankle underneath knee. Pull left hip back so it is directly behind knee, staying on the ball of back foot and engaging right thigh.

See alsoEveryday Yoga for Athletes: 6 Post-Workout Hip Openers

Crescent Lunge

From Low Lunge, engage your core extend hands overhead, palms facing in. Level your hips and engage your legs.

MODIFICATION Bend your back leg and lengthen your lower spine toward the floor if that feel better in your body.

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Warrior II

Virabhadrasana II

From Crescent Lunge, place back heel down and extend arms out from the heart, parallel to floor at shoulder height. Roll shoulders rolling back, open your chest, and bend right knee over ankle, lining the outside of the knee with the little side of foot. Engage the back thigh, level hips, and engage core.

See also Strong-Core Side Angle

Reverse Warrior

Viparita Virabhadrasana

From Virabhadrasana, inhale into Reverse Warrior. Lightly touch the back thigh, bending the front knee over the ankle. Lift front arm up and extend back, gazing at hand. Engage the back thigh and core, relaxing shoulders to create space in neck. Reach back, lengthening the side body.

MODIFICATION Lift upper arm straight up if that’s more comfortable than bending it back. Straighten the front knee a bit if that’s better for your body.

See also Patanjali Never Said Anything About Limitless Flexibility

To learn more about “Flow Fusion Yoga” and upcoming classes, retreats, trainings, videos and programing, please visit lizasavagekatz.com.

About Liza Savage-Katz

Liza (pronounced lee-za) Savage-Katz uses her dynamic expertise as well as her infectiously motivating personality to inspire transformation of bodies and lifestyles. Currently residing in Rochester, New York, you can find Liza doing what she does best at Move with Me Yoga Adventures, the JCC of Greater Rochester, M/Body, Finger Lakes Yogascapes, and Hindu Temple of Rochester. Liza is also a Wellness Coach for MIX, Wellness Ambassador for Project Lean Nation, and a rowing coach for Brighton Rowing Club and Genesee Rowing Clubs. To learn more about “Flow Fusion Yoga” and upcoming classes, retreats, trainings, videos and programing, please visit lizasavagekatz.com.

Photography by Tracy Grier
Wardrobe by Lululemon Clover