3 Morning Stretches to Kickstart Your Day

Stretching is an easy way to wake up your muscles and get the blood flowing. While stretching is common for pre-workouts, having a stretching routine every morning can also help to relieve the tension from sleeping in the same position and get you ready for the day’s activities. It maintains the range of movement in your joints, improves posture and reduces strain from activities that are more likely to cause pain or injury when you’re not stretching.

If you don’t have enough time to visit a chiropractor for back pain or have lower back pain treatment in Singapore and your back badly needs some good cracking, then stretching can help you kickstart your day. Whether you’re stretching in bed or on the floor, feel well-stretched with the following:

How to Do Each Stretch

1. Knee-to-chest back stretch

After getting up from a goodnight’s sleep, you’ll want to loosen stiff muscles and feel refreshed for the day ahead. Starting off with the knee-to-chest back stretch, this can play a part in improving the flexibility of your hamstrings and strengthening the buttocks and abdominal muscles. Do this gently and it can ease lower back pain. While you’re at it, it improves circulation by increasing blood flow to the rest of your body. Further, it decreases the likelihood of injury from sudden movements (like jumping) during or after exercise.

Steps:

1. Lay flat on your back with both knees bent.
2. Draw your knees to your chest and with hands over your knee area, hold this pose.
3. Make sure you’re not rocking back and keep your spine straight on the ground.
4. Release and repeat with your other leg.

2. Standing quad stretch

Stretching is crucial for preventing muscle strains associated with exercise, but it is also important for maintaining your body’s health. With the standing quad stretch, it’s a simple go-to to strengthen your hamstrings while maintaining the mobility of your knees.

Steps:

1. Stand while keeping your knees next to each other.
2. Bend your right knee and bring it towards your buttock.
3. Grab onto your ankle with your right hand.
4. Raise your left arm to maintain your balance. To keep yourself steady, you can also hold onto a chair if necessary.
5. Hold this position for 20 seconds before releasing.
6. Repeat with your other leg.

3. Standing hamstring stretch

If you’re looking to maintain the flexibility of your hamstrings to walk comfortably, hamstring stretches can make it easier to go about your everyday tasks at ease – whether you’re bending down or flexing your knee. Strengthening the hamstrings is also important for those who participate in vigorous sports to lower the risks of straining or tearing the muscles. Start the day energised, rather than feeling sluggish or heavy after waking up, with the standing hamstring stretch and here’s how you can get started:

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend forward from the hips, keeping your back straight.
3. Reach down towards your knees and hold this position for 15 seconds before returning to the starting point.
4. Repeat with your other leg.

Stretch at Your Own Pace

If you’re not getting any activity during the day, stretching in the morning will help counteract that lack of movement during these hours. Doing these three stretches can not only help you feel more refreshed in the morning, but they can also set a positive tone for the rest of your day. Don’t forget to take it slow and stretch safely as you get started.

Stretching regularly but still experiencing the discomfort of persistent body aches? Check in with your local chiropractor on treatments for back pain and other symptoms today.