Stef’s Favorite Standing Yoga Routine; With Printable!


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I haven’t talked about it much, but I practice yoga regularly.  To be clear though, I’m not trying to get overly flexible.  As long as we have generally good range of motion in our joints, being overly-flexible isn’t necessary for healthy aging.  What IS necessary is the quality of our joint stability and mobility.  And, of course, staying strong and having good balance.  So that’s why I practice yoga.  Not to be able to do the splits, but to build all those other things.  Yoga, to me, is for training my movement efficiency—and even more importantly, for the mental health benefits. Yoga is so much more than the physical practice. But, for the purposes of this particular workout, let’s stay focused on the physical.

In this video, I share my favorite yoga routine. I’ve got a bunch of yoga sequences I do on the regular, but THIS one is my go-to.

 

Seniors, I also shared modifications for you, so don’t write this one off!  You’ll see a box on the left of the video pop up where I show the senior version.  Really though, it’s all about holding on when you need to, and not going so deep into the moves.  Stay safe and don’t overdo any of the poses as you’re learning them!

In the video, I promised a printable guide to the 8 poses in the yoga sequence and here it is:

 

 

Click the picture and it’ll take you to a full-page PDF version you can print out, stick in your RV glove box, and use to help you stay fit on the road!  It’ll also make an excellent rest stop recharge workout for your long driving days in the RV.

Hope you’re all hanging in there!  Even with all the distractions 2020 has been throwing at us, make sure you keep exercise one of your top priorities.  It truly is the best medicine.

Comments below are always welcome.  Stay strong!

Love, Trainer Stef

 

 



After 15 years as an educator in both the public K-12 setting and the University level in Special Physical Education, Stef made the leap to her true passion… the fitness world. She’s currently a personal trainer and wellness coach specializing in seniors, medical conditions, and injuries. Stef loves running, cycling, and being “Mugga” to her two favorite mini-humans — Punky and Marshmallow. ❤️


    11 thoughts on “Stef’s Favorite Standing Yoga Routine; With Printable!

    1. Bob Baker

      Hi Stef
      I’m not an RVer but just picked up bands from my son. He had an extra set and gave to me. I’ve been doing your exercises for about 6 weeks now. I’m 78 and still do a lot of outdoor activities.
      I play golf so some of if not all of your exercises I think are helping me to get strength in areas where golf muscles
      Are used.
      Thank you,
      Bob Baker
      Texas

      Reply
      1. Stefany - Post author

        Excellent! My workouts are all about movement efficiency, so they’ll definitely improve your golf game. Keep going! xo

        Reply
    2. Juju

      Thanks so much for posting this practice! I’ve lost a lot of fitness since I was nursing my partner through cancer. He passed in February of this year , so now I’n trying to get my life back tougher and move forward without him.

      Your website and videos have already been immensely helpful as I try to choose a new RV (we sold out Scamp in January) for myself. And now, yoga! You guys are the complete package! Thanks again.
      -Juju

      Reply
      1. Stefany - Post author

        Oh Juju. I’m so sorry to hear this. Yoga is so good for both the body and mind, I hope you’ll embrace it as a way to help you heal– and grow stronger– on your path forward. Sending you love and strength! And do keep us updated on your RV hunt! Be well and stay strong Juju! xoxo

        Reply
    3. Judy Kilhefner

      LOVE THIS! Please post more yoga. I am 71 and have been doing yoga for 10 yrs. It helps so much with balance as we age. Since covid shut down my studio, I haven’t done as much but have picked up some on Silver Sneakers online. I have already noticed a difference in my balance since I cut back and it’s not good. I need to be more diligent in practicing.

      Thanks for posting and keep up the great videos. Looking forward to your EKKO reviews!
      Judy

      Reply
      1. Stefany - Post author

        That’s wonderful, Judy! Glad you’re picking it back up again and you’re noticing changes already. The body is adaptable and will work with us as long as we’re consistent! Keep going, stay strong! xo

        Reply
    4. Jamie C

      62 w/ a bad knee that led to a bad hip, then an accidental environmental poisoning that led to all sorts of complications, which in-turn did in my old workout routine, and then came the fat fairy. Went from a very fit 6’1″ & 205 to 1/2″ shorter, 275 lbs.and a 6.7 A1C in about 2-years. Heavy metal & VOC exposures ruined my balance (along with working memory & a bunch of other stuff) which just led to more sitting and eating and less doing. Every new drug that was prescribed just aggravated my kidneys and caused other problems, and so the spiral worsened.

      Refused to go on statins & pharmaceuticals (AMA) for the Type II diabetes, but dropped A1C to 6.0 in 3 mths. (which the doctor claimed wasn’t possible and kept insisting that I was taking the meds he had prescribed). Not a huge dietary change, since I had long ago cut out soda & fast food, but replacing simple carbs w/ complex carbs as well as making a concentrated effort to avoid sugar, white bread, etc., did the trick. Lost 15 lbs. along the way, and since have lost another 10, but trying to lose the weight when I can’t do my old steady hour-long workout is tough (‘cuz I do love food).

      The vicious cycle of; joint pain stops workout – more sedentary leads to more weight – more weight equals more joint pain, and so on is quite insidious. Used to ride everywhere on my bike, but the atrophied leg with the bad hip & knee throw pedaling all out of whack (plus there’s the whole balance thing) and quickly aggravates the hip, so another vicious cycle (no pun intended).

      Finally bought a motorhome to take my wife to see all of the country that I’ve seen but she hasn’t, and now I developed blood clots in the bad leg because of driving too far and long without taking adequate breaks and exercising. That led to a trip to the ER and a prescription of a new blood thinner (Eliquis) which broke up the clot in short order (just a few days actually) but I’ve no intention of becoming dependent on them either, so now I’m bearing down on putting fewer calories in the pie-hole, doing more short sessions of aerobics, and including more holistic means of keeping the blood clean and pumping (cider vinegar, more ferments, juicing, more turmeric, ginger and alliums, all organic everything, etc.). Oh, and no more Mad Max Canon-ball Run driving stints. New rule is 150 miles max with a good 20-30 minute aerobic period before driving again, and of course – always drinking lots of good clean water.

      Used to be extremely flexible into middle-age, thanks to years of martial arts. Unfortunately, all of that over-stretching has also contributed to the degradation of my hips, so everything seems to have a double edged sword attached these days.

      A good friend who’s a huge yoga fan (and a very fit 58) has been encouraging me to try yoga for years – but I’ve been way too smart for that. lol

      Anyway, just wanted to share my story and thank you for the yoga tips. Now that I’ve run out of bad choices to make you’ve finally convinced me to try the most obvious one that I’ve been ignoring. Also wanted to thank you for mentioning that ya don’t have to be gymnast flexible as you age to stay healthy.

      I still have a long way to go, but everything gets better when you drop the pounds. Thankfully, once you begin to see and feel the progress, it all becomes self-reinforcing (at least for me). People are like cows in that we love a routine and will always follow the same path back to the barn – unless something big gets in our way. The idea of not being able to travel and/or developing on-going DVT, or worse, is a big enough obstacle that my routine had to change, so adding a safe stretch and balance habit is just what I need to round out my plan. Thank you again!

      Also wanted to thank you both for your videos & gear reviews. I have a Class C Mercedes Sprinter and your gear reviews will likely have me embracing poverty for several years to come (I mean, who can live w/o auto-leveling and air-ride suspension?). 🙂

      Reply
      1. Stefany - Post author

        Thanks for sharing your story and your thoughts on exercise! You’re right about how exercise can exacerbate injuries and cause problems… it’s always a fine balancing act of figuring out how far you can push yourself without causing any injuries or concerns, but the bottom line is we absolutely have to move and exercise to age well. The key is finding the right amount for you, and the types of exercise your body responds favorably to. Perhaps, like your friend suggested, for you it is yoga! I really hope you’ll try this routine and see!
        Also, I am SO glad everything worked out after the blood clots and you are okay. One of our biggest rules for RVers is to be careful with long driving days. Stop often and exercise at each stop. Try not to drive such long days. Glad you’re now doing that, but sorry you had to find out the hard way.
        Wishing you the very best, and healthiest, years ahead! Stay well, Jamie, and keep exercising! Love, Trainer Stef

        Reply

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