Morning Stretches

May 16, 2023 | Joel Runyon

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Watch a dog or cat wake up and you’ll catch them stretching themselves out. We’re animals too – we need to be ready to MoveWell. If you want to start your morning off in the best way, try incorporating a little stretching routine before you head out of the house for the day.

We’ve all heard the benefits of stretching for our body, but for most people, it’s still hard to take the time to do it. But, if you can find the discipline to start the habit, it will pay dividends in the future. Stretching in the morning signals to your joints and muscles that it’s time to wake up and start the day. If you do it consistently enough, it will feel like your day can’t start without a few key stretches to make you feel your best.

One major benefit of stretching is increasing flexibility. Flexibility is the ability to move a joint through a complete range of motion. Can you sit in the bottom of a squat without discomfort? Or raise your arms completely overhead with no issues? If not, then you have limited range of motion and could benefit from increasing your flexibility by stretching.

Stretches for the Morning

Stretching first thing in the morning can also get your blood moving. After sleeping for at least 8 hours (hopefully!) in the same position, you likely feel stiff and tight. Stretching will improve your circulation and get blood moving in different directions to loosen up your body.

Of course this morning routine has physical benefits for the body, but it can also help get you into a healthy mindset for the rest of your day. Our days are usually loaded with stress and to-do lists. Having a stretching routine in the morning allows you to take a few minutes for yourself. It gives you time to get out of your head and connect to your body and breath.

Whatever the reason, we all should have a simple morning stretching routine. Nail these exercises when you get out of bed to properly prep your body for the day ahead. Be ready for anything your day brings.

Joel Runyon

Joel Runyon

Joel is the founder of IMPOSSIBLE and the founder of MoveWell. Joel founded MoveWell after sustaining an injury while running an ultra marathon on every continent. Joel writes about mobility, pain management and health and wellness overall.

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