Incorporate a morning stretching routine if you want to! It’s not a necessity but it can be a nice way to ease into the morning.
Why incorporate a morning stretch routine into your life?
A morning stretching routine can be a great way to get your day started as it will slightly elevate your heart rate, get the blood flow going, and increase your alertness. In fact, incorporating any sort of movement routine into your morning routine can be of great benefit. Here are a few other reasons below:
- Practicing movement before everyone else is up or when there is more peace and quiet is a wonderful way to start the day. I find that it brings tremendous mental clarity.
Key Takeaways
- A morning stretching routine is not necessary however it can be a great way to help you wake up in the morning and become more alert
- Stretching is a great way to build a movement habit. Usually people who stretch also find it easier to build an exercise habit, too.
What are the benefits?
The benefits of a morning stretching routine or morning movement routine is that you are building a habit of movement. You are building a commitment to yourself that feels good. Stretching is much lower effort than a challenging workout and there can be much less of a barrier to entry. If your goal is to eventually be working out and exercising every morning I think that stretching is a wonderful way to start embracing a new habit that feels good.
Do you recommend it daily?
If you enjoy it and you are wanting to use it as a habit builder, then yes, I recommend it daily. It doesn’t need to be an hour long, It can be as short as a few minutes up to as long as you want. The most important point is choosing a routine that is do-able for you even when motivation levels are low.
What are the goals of a morning stretch routine?
The goals of a morning stretching routine are fewfold. It depends on what YOUR overall goals are. Do you want to get up earlier? Great, stretching can help as it gives you a reason to get up a little earlier.
Do you want to start a fitness routine and improve your overall health in 2023? Great, then stretching can be a great bridge to more exercise as you’ve established the habit.
It’s incredibly important to establish the habit before you make it difficult! Don’t forget this!
Should such a routine include static or dynamic stretches? Or both?
Whichever feels best for you. If you’re the type of person that likes more variety I’d do both. If you’re the type of person that can do the same thing for months on end then you could do either. There’s no magic if you do one or the other, or both.
Should it also incorporate breath exercises/relaxation?
Incorporating breath exercises can be a great way to get started in the morning! Taking nice deep belly breaths with a long exhale can produce a relaxing effect and is a great way to center yourself in the morning before all the craziness begins.
For the average person, what’s a good baseline morning stretch routine?
For the average person who wants a fairly quick morning stretch routine, I’d recommend the following:
- Childs pose
- Cobra or Prone on elbows
- Open book or thread the needle
- Sun salutation
With those 4 movements/stretches you will hit most joints of the body in a very short duration of time. Shoot for doing a set or two or around 10 repetitions or less to get started.
How many movements should it include?
I like to keep things simple. Start with 2 to 4 movements and only increase the number of movements once you are consistent. If you can’t be consistent with two, you won’t be consistent with eight.
How should someone tailor a basic routine like the above to target their specific issues?
If you have specific musculoskeletal issues such as right knee pain, left shoulder pain, or back pain and you want to start a movement routine without irritating it I would recommend starting slowly and beginning with one movement at a time of one set of ten reps.
If you find that the particular movement you did does not irritate symptoms then I would add in another set. Once you’ve gotten to a point where you can do three sets of ten of a movement without any further irritation you are free to add another movement targeting the same area.
This issue people make is that they add in ten different things, flare themselves up (from a pre-existing issue), and then give up.
The better approach is to start small, choose one movement, test it to see how it feels and then to layer on from there.
Should people switch up/modify their morning routine over time?
You can switch up or modify your morning routine over time if you get bored easily. It really depends on the type of person you are.
If you are the type of person who can do the same thing over and over (I can eat eggs for breakfast every morning, forever), then you’d be fine doing the same thing.
But, if you are someone that hates monotony and needs variety then I would recommend switching things up every couple of weeks or every month.
This switching up can be as simple as switching out one of the exercises.
If you aren’t sure how to do that you can always look up stretching routines on YouTube, google, Instagram, or reach out to a professional.
Should you do this routine before or after you eat/drink?
You can do this routine before or after you’ve eaten/drank, it doesn’t matter. If you are going to do a hard workout I recommend eating and drinking beforehand as your body needs calories to work at its best.
Should you stretch before or after morning exercise?
It doesn’t matter if you stretch before or after morning exercise. What’s more important prior to an exercise session is to warm up the muscles and joints that you will be using during the workout.
Warming-up is as simple as doing the motions you have planned in your routine but slower and with less weight for a couple of sets until you feel your body temperature coming up.
Is an evening stretch routine also recommended, and, if so, how should it differ?
An evening stretching routine can be helpful if you need something to assist you in winding down for the night but it’s not necessary, per se.
It doesn’t need to differ at all from your morning routine however you might find that you’d like a little variety from time to time so you might choose to do something a little different.
I hope this is helpful!
