Though they mark only the beginning of most yoga routines, sun salutations can be performed on their own as a simple and effective exercise that provides many attractive health benefits.

Sun salutations are made up of a series of poses and movements connected by the flow of the breath. They can be performed anywhere, at any time of day, and in a limited amount of space. Because they utilize the entire body, sun salutations provide all of the main health benefits of an entire yoga routine in one succinct package, including:

1) Improved cardiorespiratory fitness

Just like any form of exercise, sun salutations can help improve your cardiovascular fitness. Studies have found that sun salutations exert an optimum amount of stress on the cardiovascular system, enhancing pulmonary functions such as vital capacity, expiratory reserve volume, tidal volume, breath holding time, and peak expiratory flow rate. Improving your cardiovascular fitness can help prevent future respiratory diseases, and it can also help with weight loss and weight management. In fact, one study found that a 60 kg individual can burn about 230 kcals during a 30-minute session of sun salutations.

2) Enhanced flexibility, posture, and balance

Sun salutations require a full range of stretching. You alternate between bending forward and bending backward, helping to fully stretch and extend the spinal column over the course of the workout. The arms and legs receive a good stretch as well, helping to improve total overall body flexibility. Improving your practice also goes hand-in-hand with improving your posture and balance, as both are needed to properly perform the poses and movements of the exercise. Sun salutations can be used to relieve stiffness in the morning and to refresh your muscles at any time of day.

3) Strengthened muscles

On top of enhancing the flexibility of your muscles, sun salutations also improve the strength of your muscles. Sun salutations are essentially a calisthenic exercise which uses your own bodyweight instead of weights to help build and tone muscle. Performing all of the postures and movements of a sun salutation routine requires the use of the muscles in the legs, arms, wrists, back, shoulders, neck, and abdominal tract.

4) Reduced stress

Finally, sun salutations are beneficial for your health because they can help reduce stress. Reducing stress should always be your number one goal if you are looking to improve your health, as stress can put a damper on your immune system. Sun salutations have been found to promote mental quiet and physical relaxation. Yoga – any type of yoga – is a meditative exercise which utilizes the breath to promote a calm and reflective state of mind. Performing only the sun salutations offers the same stress-reducing benefits.

The best part of incorporating sun salutations into your daily routine is that they are simply fun to do. It feels good to stretch your spine and to work your muscles into the gentle poses and movements. Rather than finding excuses not to do it, this is one beneficial exercise that you’ll find yourself looking forward to.