Ever wake up feeling super stiff? I know I do at least a few mornings a week. In my experience, a great way to reduce that stiffness and wake up the body is to do some light stretching before you head out for the day. Stiffness is mainly due to tight muscles that constrict or in some cases “lock” joints. By warming up and lightly stretching your bodies main muscle groups you’ll prepare you body for all the activity of the day ahead. Just getting your blood moving and oxygen pumping will boost your energy. Here is an awesome series I do almost every morning:
Child’s Pose: Stretch out that low back and get some nice hip flexion with this pose. Kneel with either your thighs together or hip width apart. The forehead rests on the mat or floor as the arms stretch by your sides. I also love to place my arms above my head and get a nice back and shoulder stretch. Hold for at least one minute.
Piriformis Stretch: There are several ways to stretch the little piriformis, but this is my utmost favorite. The piriformis is a small muscle that sits deep inside the hip. It’s responsible for rotating your leg outward, so as you can imagine this guy can get pretty damn tight, especially if you sit a lot. By stacking the lower legs on top of one another you’ll really open those hips. I like to place my hands on the floor in front of my legs and walk them out until my body is lying on my thighs. Hold for at least a minute on each side.
Cat Cow: OMG! This is the most fabulous way to awaken the spine in the morning. If you want a nice healthy spine for life you’ve got to build strength and flexibility through movement. Cat to Cow gets you moving in almost all of the spinal mechanics. Cow nails the flexion, Cat pushes for extension, and if you do my version you can get lateral (side) flexion as well! Start on all fours with a neutral or flat spine. Move into Cat by curling the pubic bone towards your nose as you exhale. Make a nice even “C” curve in the back. Go back to neutral spine and then extend into Cow by reaching your tail bone up to the ceiling as you press the chest forward, head follows. Try to make an even “U” with your spine. To get that much needed lateral flexion, go back to neutral spine, abdominals pulled in, and reach your ear to your hip. Same on the other side. You’ll kind of feeling like a dog wagging her tail, but it feels so good!
Forward Bend: This is another great low back and obvious hamstring stretch. Stand with feet together or hip width apart. Roll from the top of your head all the way down your spine until your hands reach the floor. If they can’t reach don’t worry, it will get better! I also like to cross my arms above my head holding each elbow with opposite hand and just hang there, letting my head dangle and swivel from side to side. Or you could clasp your hands together behind your back and reach your arms behind your head towards the floor for a nice shoulder opening. Hold for at least 30 seconds. Roll up through your spine the same way your rolled down. Trying to articulate every vertebrae.
Now your ready for your shower! Why not walk out the door feeling ease in your body every morning?
