The Five Best Morning Stretches

Mornings can be hard. There are days when the blaring of the alarm comes way too early since we struggled to sleep the night before. Or sometimes you’re dreading the day ahead before you even get started. One of the best things you can do to jumpstart your morning is to roll out of bed and head to the window to watch the sunrise. Even better if you can go outside and feel the rays on your skin.

Once you’re out of bed, you can get your morning going with a few stretches to knock the kinks out and prepare you for your day. These stretches might even encourage you to change your outlook on what you thought the day might be. After all, part of having a good day is believing you’ll have a good day.

Knees to Chest Stretch

Reducing bloating, promoting digestion, and promoting blood flow to the critical organs are all achieved by drawing the knees into the chest. As you’re lying down for this stretch, you can even stay in bed for this one.

  • Lie on your back and pull your knees into your chest evenly and slowly.
  • Wrap your arms around your knees and hold the pose for 15 – 20 seconds.
  • Repeat 2 -3 times.

Twist and Stretch

The supine twist hits your glutes, hips, and back all at once. This is a great stretch for lengthening the waist, opening the chest, and regaining the spine’s natural range of motion. Additionally, twists strengthen the abdominal muscles and massage the organs, as well as discharge toxins.

  • Lie on your back with your legs spread slightly.
  • Twist your pelvis so that one leg falls over the other.
  • Turn your head gently to face the same way your top leg is facing.
  • Repeat on the opposite side.
  • Take your time with these movements, and don’t forget to breathe.

Butterfly Stretch

  • While lying on your back, gently pull your feet up toward your pelvic area.
  • Bring the soles of your feet together.
  • Allow your legs to fall open with your knees going out to each side.
  • Be gentle in this movement, so your knees don’t yoyo back up.
  • Hold 15–30 seconds, and then release.

Bridge

While the stretches above could be done while still in bed, this one should be done on the floor to get the most out of the stretch.

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet apart.
  • Your arms should be at your sides.
  • Lift your hips by pushing down on your feet and squeezing your glutes.
  • Do not arch your back.

Child’s Pose

If you’ve ever practiced yoga, this pose will be familiar.

  • Kneel down with your knees hip-width apart and your feet behind you.
  • Exhale and lower your torso until it rests on your thighs.
  • You should be sitting on your butt with your back toward your feet.
  • Straighten your arms past your head and reach forward with your palms down or cross them and relax your head on them.
  • Depending on your flexibility, you might not be able to completely lower yourself.

Summary

Enjoy these morning stretches while you find your happy place in the morning. Consistently taking a few minutes to stretch in the morning will give you time to focus and mentally prepare for the day.