Waking up in the morning is a challenge for many as no one wants to leave the comfort of the soft and cozy bed. Isn’t it? And it can get even worse when you are forced to stay indoors all day long due to pandemic. You might feel lazy and restless. You can have days where you feel sluggish and the body is full of uneasiness being stiff. I believe it is extremely important to open up your body just like you open up your mind through meditation. The easiest way to do so is stretching. To make your work simpler, I am sharing a list of the best 10 morning stretches to open up your body completely.
Lets first start with the stretches you can easily do in the comfort of your bed.
- COBRA POSE
- SPINAL TWIST
- KNEE TO CHEST
- SHOULDER STRETCH
- NECK STRETCH
- UPPER BACK STRETCH
1. COBRA POSE
To do the cobra pose, lie on your stomach and place the hands flat beneath your shoulders. Make sure to tuck your elbows by your sides and slowly raise your head and chest. While doing so keep your hips and groin on the bed. The key to do this pose is to stretch back so that you can feel it in your back while keeping the neck and shoulders relaxed.
2. SPINAL TWIST
For the spinal twist, lie on your back and raise one of your knees to gently roll it over to the opposite side. When you do it you will feel a strong stretch on the sides of your upper body as well as the lower back. To add more to it, stretch one arm out to the side making sure to keep it in line with your shoulders. For the final touch slowly turn your head to face your outstretched arm. While doing this breathe deeply and repeat on the other side as well. If you want instead of one knee you can also use both knees at a time to stretch to one side and then shift to another side.
3. KNEES TO CHEST
Just like the spinal twist, this stretch also requires the support of your back. Lie flat on your back and bring one knee close to your chest. Hold your knee in position with your arms or hands. A nice and intense stretch will be felt in your lower back. In case you wish to level it up, bring both the knees close to your chest and stretch.
Once you do these 3 stretches, your body will start to open up and feel a bit awake. So you can sit up and do these next 3 exercises to open it more.
4. SHOULDER STRETCH
Relax your shoulder blades and reach one arm across your body while gently using another arm to intensify the stretch. Hold like this for 15-20 seconds and you will start feeling a burn in your shoulders. Repeat this on the other side once done with the one side.
5. NECK STRETCH
While relaxing your shoulders softly move your left ear towards your left shoulder taking the support of your left arm. Stretch as far as you can to feel the stretch deeply. Once 15-20 seconds are completed switch to the other side.
6. UPPER BACK STRETCH
Keeping your feet flat, interlock your fingers and reach forward whole bending your middle back. Stretch with your hands pushing them forward at shoulder level. Doing this you will feel a stretch between your shoulder blades.
Once you do these 3 stretches, your body will be all set to get up, shake around and stand. Complete the stretching routine by doing the 4 exercises I will be mentioning below. These will gear you up completely to kick-start your day!
- SIDE STRETCH
- STANDING QUAD STRETCH
- HAMSTRING
- CALF STRETCH
7. SIDE STRETCH
Start with a side stretch. To do so stand with your feet hip-width apart and clasp your hands above your head. Now gently lean your body towards one side and you will feel a deep stretch on the side you are leaning. Hold it for 15-20 seconds and repeat on the other side.
8. STANDING QUAD STRETCH
Stand up straight keeping your feet hip-width apart. Reaching the back, grab your left foot with your left hand. Make sure to keep your thighs lined up next to each other and your left leg in line with your hip. Incase you need support to stand take the support of a chair or a wall. Doing this excercise not only will you feel a stretch in your left thigh and hips but it will also test your stability.
9. HAMSTRING STRETCH
Standing upright gently bend one of your knees. Placing the opposite leg outright, point your toes towards the ceiling. Now bend forward from your hips to feel a nice stretch alongside the back of your outstretched leg. Hold for 15-20 seconds and repeat on the other side.
10. CALF STRETCH
Place your hands on the wall for support and step back on one leg. When set in this position gently push your heel towards the ground. While doing so you will feel a deep stretch along the back of your calf region. Hold it for 15-20 seconds and then repeat on the next side.
While doing these stretches it is important to also listen to your body and understand till where it is willing to stretch. Going an extra mile and ending up with injuries won’t be fruitful. So start slowly and steadily. If you devote sometime do these stretches every day not only will it wake your body but your body will start getting flexible and active too!
