7 morning stretches recommended by osteopaths to prepare you for the day

Tense or stiff muscles as soon as you wake up? Osteopath Kemmy Gichaba, reveals 7 morning stretches to help you and your body get fit for the day

Daily stretching, whether you exercise or not, is important for a variety of reasons. It helps to improve posture, support flexibility and freedom of movement, prevent injuries and maintain blood circulation in your body.

Stretching first thing in the morning also offers additional benefits. When you sleep, your muscles relax, blood flow decreases, and your heart rate slows down.

Lying in the same position all night tends to tighten your muscles, so a quick morning stretch is an effective way to get the blood flowing and to wake up the muscles so you are properly prepared for the day are.

When you lie in the same position all night, your muscles tend to tense up

Additionally, daily stretches in the morning after waking up from a long night will help your mobility and can even help increase your focus throughout the day.

Here are my favorite routes to effectively prepare you for the day:

# 1 knee hugs

When you wake up in the morning, your body will naturally feel tense – especially your back, since you’ve been lying down for a long time.

Just bring your knees to your chest and hold them tight

So when you wake up in the morning try the knee hug exercise. This can be done while you are still in bed and lying down.

Simply bring your knees to your chest and hold them, slightly releasing them, and moving your legs in a circle to mobilize your lower back before standing up.

# 2 Figure 4 Gluteal stretch

Whether we spend the day at the desk or on our feet, the Figure 4 Glute Stretch is a great way to optimize our glutes and mobilize the hip flexors.

To make this movement, while lying down, bring one leg to you, turn your knee outward, and aim for a 90-degree angle.

Once your knee is pointing out, bring your leg closer to your chest for a serious buttock stretch.

# 3 Twist the spine

Rotating the spine daily can maintain good spinal health, which is important for maintaining posture and managing lower back pain.

To do this, keep your upper body facing forward while lying down. Then take one leg across your body, extending the arm on the same side straight out.

This stretches your back and mobilizes your spine as well as your chest muscles, which opens up the front of your body.

# 4 Pec stretches

With much of the day spent in front of the computer, it’s incredibly common for our pecs and upper bodies to be tense and tense.

Try using the wall to create a larger area of ​​movement and a deeper one

If that matters to you, it can be beneficial to take time to do some extra chest muscle stretches.

One of my favorites is done while sitting and pushing your arm away from your spine at a right angle to get a chest stretch.

If that’s not enough, try using the wall to create a wider range of motion and get a deeper, more effective stretch.

# 5 neck stretches

Neck stretching is an important but overlooked part of stretching, especially if you spend long periods of time on the phone or at a desk.

Stretching the neck is also incredibly easy and can be done anytime, anywhere. One simple neck stretch that you can do is simply slide your neck with your hands and twist it forward, backward, and side to side.

Your hands help increase range of motion and provide support so you can feel a deeper and more effective stretch.

Your hands will help increase range of motion and provide support

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To increase that stretch and provide more relief, I would recommend using Holistic Impact CBD Body Salve, which contains 1500 mg of active, highly concentrated CBD combined with eucalyptus and lavender oils.

# 6 cat-cow stretch

Another great stretch to do first is a popular yoga move known as the cat-cow stretch.

This stretch can increase the circulation of your spinal fluid, which can lubricate the spine, stretch your back and trunk, and gently massage the organs in the abdominal area to aid digestion and keep your body supple.

To do this stretch, get on all fours and push your spine toward the ceiling as you exhale. During the inhalation, bring your spine towards the floor while bending your neck and do this for ten breaths.

# 7 Facial and jaw stretch

The pandemic has increased the number of people who grind their teeth and clench their jaws as an unconscious side effect of added stress.

Many people grind their teeth in their sleep, and for this reason, a simple stretching of the face and jaw as the first can work miracles.

For an effective stretch, place one hand on your jaw and one hand on the base of your skull. Use the hand on your jaw to push your neck back slightly to pull the smaller muscles at the base of the skull that can cause headaches and tighten when you tend to clench your jaw or teeth crunch.

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