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Vinyasa Flow — Flow 4

This 60-minute beginner workout focuses on 60 minute beginner vinyasa flow for spine and hips. Led by Nuni Soriano, it targets spine, hips, core with evidence-based exercises designed for women of all fitness levels.

Exercise Breakdown

21 exercises in Flow 4

Warm-up4 exercises
6m 48s
6:20
Lying Hip Circles

Start making big circles outwards here, bringing a little bit more of mobility to that hip.

hipscore
low
10:01
Spinal Rolls

Take it as a massage for your spine.

spinecore
medium
10:50
All Fours Wrist and Hip Circles

Spread those fingers, big circle, moving in one direction.

wristshipsspine
low
14:41
Toe Stretch and Finger Splashes

Bring the weight to the heels. Toe stretch, super important.

anklesforearmsshoulders
medium
Flexibility6 exercises
12m 45s
8:01
Reclined Spinal Twist with Figure Four

Left foot comes on top of your right thigh. Open that knee.

spinehipship flexors
low
12:31
Wrist and Forearm Stretch

Palm is going to face up, and the fingers pointing towards your knees.

wristsforearms
medium
17:40
Melted Heart Pose (Anahatasana)

Hips stay in line with the knees, and we're going to start walking with the hands forward.

shouldersupper backchestspine
medium
29:11
Yogi Squat (Malasana)

Lower the hips as much as we can. Open those knees to the side.

hipsinner thighsankles
medium
30:51
Forward Fold with Knee Bends

Try to keep the chest on the thighs, hips up, crown of the head down.

hamstringsspine
medium
47:31
Pyramid Pose

Reach far with the nose towards that big toe.

hamstringscalves
medium
Balance2 exercises
6m 10s
23:30
Bird Dog Pulses and Quad Stretch

Right leg goes back. Now, your left hand goes forward.

coreglutesshouldersquads
medium
44:10
Crescent Lunge with Twist and Backbend

Left arm goes far back behind us. Follow it with your gaze.

spinequadscorechest
high
Cool-down2 exercises
2m 10s
56:40
Happy Baby Pose

Bring the knees down towards the floor, next to the ribs.

hipsspineinner thighs
low
59:10
Savasana and Final Meditation

Whenever you find your mind going somewhere else... come back to your breath.

full body
low
breathing1 exercise
4m 20s
1:40
Reclined Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Bring the soles of the feet together and the knees out.

hipsinner thighscorespine
low
yoga6 exercises
16m 49s
20:51
Sphinx Pose with Elbow Lifts

Elbows in line with your shoulders here. Roll the shoulders away from the ears.

lower backspinechest
low
26:30
Downward-Facing Dog Waves

Wave the spine forward to a plank. Bend the knees, chest back to the thighs.

full bodyhamstringsshouldersspine
medium
34:10
Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskar A)

Shoulders, hips, and heels in the same straight line for plank.

full body
medium
38:00
Crescent Lunge with Elbow Pulls

On the exhale, we go deeper down. We bring the elbows farther back.

quadship flexorsshoulderschest
medium
41:40
Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

Weight on your heels. Tailbone pointing down.

quadsglutescore
high
51:40
Bow Pose Prep and Full Bow (Dhanurasana)

Catch those heels, flex those feet, and pull back to open the chest.

spinechestshouldersquads
high

Muscles Targeted

Primary

spinehipscore

Secondary

shoulderschestquads

Equipment & Modifications

Equipment Needed

  • block
  • mat

Don't Have Equipment?

You can substitute with:

thick bookfirm pillowrolled towelthick towelcarpet

Available Modifications

  • Bring feet farther back for inner thighs
  • Bring feet closer in for hips
  • Bring knees closer to fingers for more space
  • Bring forehead to floor instead of chin
  • Stay in Bird Dog without bending the knee
  • Keep a bend in the knees
  • Widen the stance to help ground the heels
  • Knees on the floor for Chaturanga
  • Bend the back knee slightly to align hips
  • Use blocks or books to bring the floor closer
  • Lift toes for a deeper calf stretch
  • Perform one side at a time
  • Stop if there is sharp pain in the lumbar spine
  • Grab calf muscles if legs are tight
  • Grab big toes with peace fingers

Coaching Highlights from Nuni Soriano

Start making big circles outwards here, bringing a little bit more of mobility to that hip.

Form

Press the lumbar spine towards the floor a little bit more without bringing tension to the shoulders.

Safety

Option two, bend the knee, bring the left hand back, find that foot.

Modification

Whenever you find your mind going somewhere else... come back to your breath.

Motivation

Nuni teaches yoga as movement meditation. Her vinyasa flows build heat gradually, and she's unusually attentive to hip and shoulder mechanics. She'll slow down mid-flow to fix your alignment.

Form

She pauses mid-flow to say 'find your breath first'. and won't move on until you do.

Form

Health Benefits

Women who want to move freely again. If chronic pain, vaginal dryness sound familiar, the joint mobility work here directly supports your recovery. The spine, hips, core emphasis addresses the most common restriction patterns in women. Beginner level with modifications — depth comes with time, not force.

Relevant For

anxietyback painbalancebone densitycardiovascularcore strengthflexibilityhip paininsomniajoint painpelvic floorposturesciaticashoulder painstress

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does this flexibility workout target?

This session works through spine, hips, core as primary focus areas, with shoulders, chest, quads getting secondary attention. For hip mobility exercises, what matters is the combination of active and passive range of motion work. Nuni Soriano sequences these 21 movements to progressively open tissue — starting gentle and building depth. A systematic review in Sports Medicine found this progressive approach yields better long-term flexibility gains than aggressive static stretching alone.

Do I need any equipment for this workout?

You'll need: block, mat. Don't have these? A thick towel on carpet works fine as a mat substitute — I've coached women who started with nothing but a clear floor space and still got results. The equipment here supports comfort and alignment — it doesn't make or break the workout. This aligns with principles of core workouts at home that make sessions like this effective.

Is this workout suitable for beginners?

Yes. Nuni Soriano built this for people who are starting or restarting their movement practice. Every exercise has a clear entry point, and she demonstrates modifications throughout. Here's what I tell women who are nervous about starting: the first session is about learning the movements, not about intensity. Your body needs to build motor patterns before it can build capacity. Give yourself three sessions before you judge whether this works for you. This aligns with principles of core exercises at home that make sessions like this effective.

How long is this flexibility session?

About 60 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down. Nuni Soriano packs 21 exercises into that window — I want to be honest: 60 minutes doesn't sound like much. But research from the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that even 15-20 minutes of structured exercise produces measurable improvements in cardiovascular health and mood when done consistently. It's not about marathon sessions. It's about showing up regularly.

Are there modifications available?

Yes, and this matters more than people realize. Nuni Soriano demonstrates modifications including: Bring feet farther back for inner thighs; Bring feet closer in for hips; Bring knees closer to fingers for more space — I've worked with women recovering from knee replacements, managing chronic pain, dealing with diastasis recti. Modifications aren't 'cheating'. they're how you make the exercise YOUR exercise. The American Physical Therapy Association emphasizes that individualized modification is key to long-term exercise adherence. Skip the ego, take the modification.

What's the difference between hip mobility exercises and general stretching?

I get this question constantly, and the answer actually matters. General stretching typically targets muscle length in a single plane. Hip mobility exercises works through multiple planes of motion — flexion, extension, rotation, lateral movement — to improve how your joints actually function in daily life. This session uses active range of motion challenges alongside passive holds. Nuni Soriano's sequencing moves through spine, hips, core in patterns that mirror real-world movement. A core strengthening exercises approach addresses not just muscle flexibility but joint capsule mobility, fascial glide, and neuromuscular coordination. That's why you'll feel improvements in how you move, not just how far you can reach.

How often should I do this flexibility workout?

3-4 times per week is the sweet spot for flexibility work. Your tissues need time to adapt and remodel — daily intense flexibility training can actually be counterproductive if you're not giving connective tissue time to recover. Alternate this session with complementary sessions from the same course. Rest days aren't lazy days — they're adaptation days. The research is clear: progressive overload applies to flexibility just as it does to strength.

Is this workout suitable for women over 35 or in perimenopause?

Flexibility work matters more for women over 35 than most people realize. Collagen production declines starting around age 30, and accelerates during perimenopause as estrogen — which stimulates collagen synthesis — drops. That's why joints feel stiffer, recovery takes longer, and range of motion quietly shrinks. This session counteracts those changes through progressive tissue loading. Nuni Soriano's approach targets the fascial system alongside muscle flexibility, which research in Frontiers in Physiology (2019) identifies as a critical but often overlooked factor in age-related mobility loss. Consistency here literally changes your tissue architecture.

How does this session address ab workout at home?

Ab workout at home requires a combination of joint mobility and muscular control through range. This session addresses both. Nuni Soriano includes active flexibility challenges — where you're building strength at end ranges — alongside passive holds for tissue adaptation. That dual approach is what the literature calls 'functional flexibility': not just how far you can go, but how strong and controlled you are at those ranges. A 2020 review in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy found that active flexibility training produced better functional outcomes than passive stretching alone.

Related Workouts & Topics

About the Trainer

Nuni Soriano

Flexibility Trainer

From: Vinyasa Flow