A great morning routine is essential to your overall health. From staying hydrated with a tall glass of water to giving your body the nutrients it needs with a healthy breakfast, the way you choose to start your morning will impact how you feel throughout the day. As it turns out, experts agree that stretching as soon as you wake up is one of the best ways to set yourself up for success and wellness.
“Daily stretching should be incorporated into everyone’s routine, as it not only increases your flexibility but it also can improves energy levels, regulate metabolism, improves digestion, improves sleep and prevent injuries,” Physical therapist Lalitha McSorley of Brentwood Physio confirms. These benefits largely stem from the activation of our parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to increase blood flow, boost energy, and regulate digestion. “By increasing the amount of blood delivering oxygen and vital nutrients to the muscles, we can increase the removal of metabolic waste products and drastically reduce recovery time and muscle soreness after physical activity. This can be really helpful for those who are exercising for the goal of weight loss.” Nice!
Want to reap the benefits of daily stretches by incorporating them into your own morning routine? McSorley gave us some of her top stretches for energy, weight loss, and digestion: Cobra stretch, advanced bow, and seated twist. Find them all below!
1. Cobra stretch
“This stretch is amazing as it increases the mobility of our spine and awakens our body by increasing blood flow throughout our core and activating our parasympathetic nervous system,” McSorley raves. Another great thing about the cobra stretch is that it’s quite simple to do, so it’s a great way to start your day. You should start out on your stomach with your hands on either side of your shoulders. Then, lift your upper body towards the ceiling. “Use your arms to help push your upper body into the stretch,” McSorley instructs, noting that you should hold the post for 30 seconds.
2. The advanced bow
If you’re looking for a deeper stretch, McSorley recommends an advanced bow, which she notes is “more advanced than the cobra.” While this may be a bit tougher, it’s one of the best ways to get your blood flowing in the morning. “It increases the mobility spine and core, awaking our body by increasing blood flow and activating our parasympathetic nervous system,” she says. And although it’s a deeper stretch, the instructions are still pretty straight forward: “Begin by lying down on your stomach. Arch your back and grab each ankle with your hands.” Just like cobra stretch, you should hold the post for 30 seconds. Do you feel the burn?!
3. Seated twist
McSorley says doing a seated twist stretch is one fantastic way to kickstart your digestion in the morning. That’s because this stretch will require you to twist your torso and squeeze your core, which she says “helps massage our GI tract” to aid digestion. Perfect! To complete it, you’ll start by sitting tall and upright with your legs out in front of you. “Take your right knee and cross it over your left leg. Your right foot should be firmly planted on the ground and your left leg should be straight out in front,” McSorley instructs. From here, you’ll place your left elbow on the right side of your knew and “use this as a lever to push off as you rotate your trunk to your right side.” If you need some extra help with balance, you may place your right hand behind you. You know the drill: hold for 30 seconds.
So, there you have it: three fantastic stretches that are sure to set your day on the right track. Whether you want faster weight loss, a healthier gut, or just some better blood flow to boost energy, you can’t go wrong with some morning movement.
