To get your day off to the best possible start, try these 4 simple and gentle stretching first thing in the morning just after getting out of bed. These simple exercise routines are safe to perform even with cold muscles and best of all, gets your mood to a get start!
1. The Pelvic Twist
Yes, the all time favourite!
Pelvic tilts help to increase blood flow to your midsection, relax your back muscles and realign your sacrum, one of the large flat bones that form your pelvis.
- Here’s the right way to do it :
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
- Lift your right thigh towards your chest, grasping the back of your thigh with both hands.
- Bring your knee as close to your chest as you can.
- Hold for two seconds, release, then repeat 10 times.
- Swith legs and repeat.
2. Hands And Finger Stretches
Regular finger stretches keep your hands nimble and strong. Stretch one hand at a time for best effect. Let’s get those appendages to work :
- Finger stretch
Place a hand on a table top or on your thigh, with your palm facing down. Spread your fingers as wide as you can and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. - Thumb touch
Place your hand, palm up, on a table withh your fingers open and relaxed. In a smooth movement, touch the tips of your thumb and index finger together. Hold this for a second, then return to the starting position.
Then touch the tip of your thumb to all of your other fingertips. - The ‘Spidey Walky Walky’
Place your hand, palm down, on a table top. Use your fingers to pull your palm across the table as far as you can reach.
3. The Trunk Extensor Stretch
Get your back ready for some tough love as you will be repeating this routine periodically during the day to release tension!
Sit on the floor with your knees and feet flat on the floor. Lift your toes until only your heels touch the floor. Sit tall with your back straight and spine long and extended.
Place your hands on your shins and tuck your chin into your chest, bend forward from the hips and pull your torso as far down as you can.
Hold for 2 seconds, release, then repeat 10 times.
4. Hamstrings Stretch
Like the pelvic twist, the hamstring stretch is also quite popular and easy to do, like so :
Firstly, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Lift your right knee intowards your chest and thread a rope (or a tie or towel, whichever you fancy) round the arch of your right foor – hold the ends of the rope with your left hand.
Then extend your towards the ceiling. Place your right palm against your right thigh and press into it as you use the rope to increase the stretch – hold for 30 seconds, release and repeat 3 times.
Switch legs and repeat.