Free 28-day yoga plan for beginners

Four weeks that start at 5 minutes a day and build to 20. Every day opens one of our timed routines, so you press Start and follow the timer. Tick days off here or print the calendar. No sign-up.

5 → 20 min

a day, week 1 to week 4

24 days

of practice, plus a rest day each week

235 min

in total over 4 weeks

Start day 1 Download PDF

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Week 1: Start small

30 minutes this week

Five minutes a day. The aim is to show up, not to work hard.

  1. Day 1 5-Minute Morning Wake-Up 5 min
  2. Day 2 5-Minute Morning Wake-Up 5 min
  3. Day 3 5-Minute Bedside Routine for Stiff Mornings 5 min · easier day
  4. Day 4 5-Minute Morning Wake-Up 5 min
  5. Day 5 5-Minute Morning Wake-Up 5 min
  6. Day 6 5-Minute Bedside Routine for Stiff Mornings 5 min · easier day
  7. Day 7 Rest day A walk is fine if you feel like it.

Week 2: Ten minutes

50 minutes this week

Move up to the 10-minute full-body routine, with a short day in the middle.

  1. Day 8 10-Minute Full-Body Morning Routine 10 min
  2. Day 9 5-Minute Morning Wake-Up 5 min · easier day
  3. Day 10 10-Minute Full-Body Morning Routine 10 min
  4. Day 11 10-Minute Full-Body Morning Routine 10 min
  5. Day 12 5-Minute Bedside Routine for Stiff Mornings 5 min · easier day
  6. Day 13 10-Minute Full-Body Morning Routine 10 min
  7. Day 14 Rest day A walk is fine if you feel like it.

Week 3: Add Sun Salutations

70 minutes this week

Three days of the 15-minute flow, which links poses to the breath and adds standing poses.

  1. Day 15 10-Minute Full-Body Morning Routine 10 min
  2. Day 16 15-Minute Energizing Morning Flow 15 min
  3. Day 17 5-Minute Morning Wake-Up 5 min · easier day
  4. Day 18 15-Minute Energizing Morning Flow 15 min
  5. Day 19 10-Minute Full-Body Morning Routine 10 min
  6. Day 20 15-Minute Energizing Morning Flow 15 min
  7. Day 21 Rest day A walk is fine if you feel like it.

Week 4: Build strength

85 minutes this week

Two 20-minute days with longer holds and more leg and core work.

  1. Day 22 15-Minute Energizing Morning Flow 15 min
  2. Day 23 20-Minute Strength and Mobility Routine 20 min
  3. Day 24 5-Minute Bedside Routine for Stiff Mornings 5 min · easier day
  4. Day 25 10-Minute Full-Body Morning Routine 10 min
  5. Day 26 20-Minute Strength and Mobility Routine 20 min
  6. Day 27 15-Minute Energizing Morning Flow 15 min
  7. Day 28 Rest day Or repeat your favourite routine.

How the plan works

  • Six days on, one day off. Each week has one rest day and one or two easier days with a shorter or gentler routine.
  • Missed a day? Carry on from the next one. Don't do two routines to catch up.
  • Tired or sore? Repeat the week you're on instead of moving up. Mild muscle soreness a day later is common when you start; sharp or joint pain is a reason to stop.
  • Can't get down to the floor? Swap any practice day for the 15-Minute Chair Yoga Routine for Seniors.
  • Any time of day works. The routines are named for mornings, but the plan works just as well before dinner. Picking the same time each day makes it easier to remember.

Why week 4 adds strength days

The CDC asks adults to do muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days a week, and lists "doing some yoga postures" as one way to do it. The 20-minute routine has longer holds in Chair Pose, the Warrior poses, Locust, Bridge and Side Plank, so week 4 has two of those days.

This plan isn't a complete exercise program. The same guidelines also ask for 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking.

After day 28

Four weeks is a start, not a finish line. In a 2010 study of 96 people building a new daily habit, it took a median of 66 days for the habit to feel automatic, with a wide range of 18 to 254 days. The same study found that missing one day didn't set people back. So keep going: repeat weeks 3 and 4, or pick the routines you liked best from the routines page.

Before you start

If you are pregnant, have had recent surgery, or have a health condition, talk with your health care provider before starting yoga, as the NCCIH (opens in a new tab) advises. Stop if you feel pain, dizziness, chest pain or shortness of breath. Times in the routines are a guide; rest whenever you need to.

Questions

Is this plan really free?

Yes. There is no sign-up and no email needed. Every day links to a free routine with a built-in timer, and you can print the calendar.

What if I miss a day?

Carry on from the next day. Don't do two routines to catch up. In a 2010 study of how habits form, missing a single day did not set people back in any meaningful way.

Will 28 days make yoga a habit?

Probably not on its own. In the same study, a new daily habit took a median of 66 days to feel automatic, and the range was wide (18 to 254 days). Repeat weeks 3 and 4 after day 28 to keep going.

Do I need a yoga mat?

A mat helps, but a rug or carpet works. The bedside routine is done in bed and sitting on the edge of the bed, so it needs nothing at all.

What if I can't get down to the floor?

Use the 15-minute chair yoga routine on any practice day. It is done seated or holding a sturdy chair.

Can I practice in the evening?

Yes. The routines are named for mornings, but any time of day works. Pick a time you can keep, such as before dinner, so it's easier to remember.

Sources

  1. What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults (opens in a new tab), CDC.
  2. Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world (opens in a new tab). European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010;40(6):998–1009.
  3. Yoga: What You Need To Know (opens in a new tab), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.