How To Start Your Day With Stretching

It’ll Reset Your Body After Sleep

After a night of sleep, the body craves movement. But that needn’t be a 10k or high-intensity HIIT session, says yoga instructor and founder of Kin Yoga Mats Laura Pearce. “The benefits of stretching aren’t just for flexibility. Stretching, especially when done in the morning, can help increase your range of motion, which essentially means you have better suspension, helping your body to feel better and reducing your risk of injury. It can also keep muscles healthy by increasing blood flow and in its slow, steady nature, is a stress-busting thing to do.” When you wake in the morning, chances are you may feel a little stiff, particularly if you spend all day sat at a desk. Hip flexors and the lower back are the parts of the body which are most compromised while sitting, and if you move little during the day, chances are your lower back will feel stiff in the morning, says Rachele Gilman, director at Stretch Inc. “Factors that impact stiffness include dehydration, lack of sleep, lack of movement during the day and overworking the muscles, as well as a body that is poorly supported during the night – think your pillow and mattress. But once you start moving, this pain should ease.”

If You Sleep On Your Stomach, It’s Really Important

While experts agree that stiffness upon waking is more down to the quality of your mattress than how you sleep, the exception is if you sleep on your front. “If you sleep on your stomach, it’s pretty likely you’ll wake up with neck or back pain,” says Laura. “Sleeping on your front means you’ll have your neck craned to one side, which definitely isn’t the best thing for your body.”

You Can Boost Your Brain Power

Just as your body needs sleep to recover from the day and decompress, you also need movement in the morning to release the connective tissues that have been accumulating between your muscles when at rest. Moving in the morning loosens tight muscles and wakes the body by boosting circulation and increasing energy. “Stretching may seem simple, but it works wonders to wake up the body and mind,” stresses Rachele. “It is a great way to kickstart blood flow, which in turn wakes up your mind to prepare you for the day ahead.”

It’s Important To Think About How You Use Your Body

“Unfortunately, there isn’t one magic stretch that will cure all, but it’s important to think about how you spend the majority of your day and tweak your stretches accordingly,” advises Ruth McKinnon, head of massage at Ten Health & Fitness. “If you spend your day sitting hunched over a desk, consider starting your day with some stretches that move your body in the opposite direction – stretch your quads and glutes, do some spine extensions and chest opening moves. If, however, you’re on your feet a lot, then a cat-cow movement and calf and hamstring stretches will set you up for the day.”

Ten Minutes Is All You Need

“If you don’t have time for a full workout, a simple ten-minute stretch really is all you need, and it can even be done in bed,” says Rachele. “A solid routine could start with a classic knee to chest move – start by lying flat, pulling your knees into your chest to release the lower back. Next, try a supine twist. Whilst still on your back, drop your knees to one side, turning your head and extending the arm to the opposite side. Then find a place on the bed where you can extend your legs up against the wall. Scoot your left hip as close to the wall as possible and then turn your body so that your bum is touching the wall or as close as possible, with your back flat on the bed. Extend your legs up and slowly alternate pointing and flexing your feet, which will improve circulation. Finally, sit on the edge of the bed with your feet on the floor and fold forward, rounding the back, relaxing the neck and letting the arms hang towards the floor. If you only have time for one stretch, do a supine twist – this gives you the biggest stretch for the least effort in the morning.”