5 morning stretches that make all the difference

Nowadays, unfortunately, most of us do our work sitting down and leaning over a computer. This kind of lifestyle has long been described as unhealthy in a variety of ways. One place where you’ll notice this the fastest is in your back and shoulders. While any type of regular physical activity will help you feel spritelier in the morning, chances are that doing some morning stretches in particular will ensure all of your fatigue and frustrations don’t settle in your back.

Things are slightly different if you do workout, however. If you’re not a morning person, the gym is probably a place you visit later in the day once you are done with all of your other obligations. In this case, perhaps you have developed envy towards morning exercisers who wax poetic about how awake and energized they feel from their morning workout.

So, whether you need to make sure you are able to go through work without pain and discomfort or want to find a way to wake yourself up in the morning, read on. These are the 5 morning stretches that make all the difference.

Do I need equipment?

Obviously, as these stretches are meant to be quick, fruitful and easy to do, you don’t need any particular equipment. No lifting weights, let alone heavy machinery. Hopping out of bed in your pajamas and getting into these different positions should be as easy as pie. You can pretty much just do them on the floor, but you’ll definitely be a bit more comfortable if you have a yoga mat. Once you’re done, just roll it up, set aside, and start your day!

V-Sit

Perhaps you will remember this position from PE classes of yore. If you had a PE teacher who wanted to make sure you keep your back in optimal shape, that is. It is exactly what it sounds like. Sit down on your mat and extend both of your legs in front of you. Move your legs outwardly as wide as you can. Sit up straight and set both hands on the floor in front of you. Then, bend from your hips and, keeping your hands on the floor, stretch forwards as far as possible. Whenever you exhale, reach out a little further with your hands. This way, you will increase the stretch bit by little bit. Stay in this position for 40 seconds and then move on the next.

Hurdler

These morning stretches start similarly to the V-sits. Sit down on your floor or yoga mat and extend your legs in front of you, spreading them as wide as they’ll go. Bend your left leg at the knee and draw your left foot in, making sure it is resting against the inside of your right leg. Then, bend from the hips and reach out towards your right foot with your right hand. Gently pull your toes towards you if you can reach them.

If you want, try to lower your torso towards your left leg. This will increase the stretch, but make sure you are always bending from the hips. Once you’re in position, hold it for 40 seconds. Finally, repeat on the other side.

Downward Dog

You are probably familiar with this addition to the morning stretches if you’ve ever taken a yoga class. Here are instructions on how to do it properly. Place both hands on the mat. They should be a bit further apart than shoulder-wide. Your feet should be together on the mat behind you. You should be resting on the balls of your feet in a push-up position. Making sure to maintain a neutral spine and using your abdominal muscles to stabilize, raise your hips to form an inverted V with your body. Bend your knees a little and press your heels into the mat. In the same breath, tilt your tailbone upwards. Draw your shoulder blades down and back and hold for 40 seconds.

The Chest Stretch

This is perhaps the only one out of these morning stretches that you can do from time to time in your office as well when no one’s around. Kneel on the floor and join your hands behind your back by interlocking your fingers. Extend your arms gently, pulling your hands away from your back. Doing this, your shoulders should retract and your chest should open up. Stay in this position for 40 seconds.

Cat-Cow

These morning stretches will wake up your tired muscles, and that is especially true of the cat-cow pose, also familiar to frequent practitioners of yoga. If you’re already kneeling down from doing the chest stretch before this, all you need to do is push yourself onto all fours. The tops of your feet should lay flat, your shoulders in line with your wrists and your hips in line with your knees. Inhale and drop your belly. Your back will arch, but your shoulders should be rolled back and down. You should also look towards the ceiling. This is the cow part of the pose.

On the exhale, press your hands into the ground and arch your back. This is the cat part. Keep doing this for five breaths – rounding your back on the exhale and dropping your belly on the inhale.

The benefits of morning stretches

These 5 morning stretches will hopefully improve your morning routine and help you start the day fresh. Obviously, these aren’t your only options and once you get bored of them, you can do a little research and mix and match them with some others. You can also do them in whatever order you’d like.

Whatever you decide to do, the benefits of morning stretches are manifold. Firstly, stretching will relieve any pain or tension that have gathered in your body during sleep. Secondly, it will increase your blood flow, making you feel more awake and ready for the day. Thirdly, working on your back will give you much better posture. And finally, it will make your muscles and joints more flexible, making it easier to go about your business. For all of these reasons, make sure you adopt a morning stretch routine to build a better body.

Author: Betty White