You Can (and Should) Do This Every Day!

Ah, that first morning stretch…there’s nothing quite like it. Studio SWEAT onDemand Trainer AJ likes to sink even deeper into the morning stretch with what she likes to call “Morning Mobility Movements.” Even before she gets out of bed, AJ goes through a morning stretch routine designed to open up your chest and hips so you feel better and move better all day long.

Morning Movements:

For each movement, repeat for 20-30 seconds (or longer if you’re extra tight).

1. Low Back Rotation – While on your back, reach your arms out to the side, and bring your knees up to a 90° angle. Keeping your shoulders on the ground (or bed!), rotate your knees to one side and then the other, stopping briefly in the center. Oh yeah, feel that stretch!
2. Chest Opener – This one is like a yoga cobra. Starting on your stomach, place your hands next to your chest with your shoulders down and back. Press down on your hands, lifting your chest off the bed. Hold for a moment and then release back down. On the last one, hold for a nice deep stretch.
3. Dynamic Child’s Pose – From the cobra, drop back into a child’s pose (you can have your feet together or apart…whatever is most comfortable for you). Then push forward to stretch your hips. Repeat, holding the final child’s pose as long as you’d like.
4. Hip & Chest Opener – (You’ll do this for 20-30 seconds on both sides) Come up to a kneeling position, bringing one foot forward. Your front foot will be flat on the ground with your knee over your ankle. Put your arms up into a “goalpost” position. As you push forward into your lead leg, stretch your hip and retract your shoulders back, opening up your chest. Return arms and legs to your starting position, and repeat. Ahhhh, yes!
5. Spine Rotation – Begin in tabletop position (on hands and knees) with your knees under your hips, and hands under your shoulders. Bring one hand up to your ear, with your elbow out to the side like a wing. Rotate your elbow in toward your base arm, and then up toward the sky. Repeat for about 10-15 reps and then do the other side.

It feels so good to start your day like this, so give it a try! And for more mobility and stretching workouts like this, check out the Stretch & Restore library with a 7-Day Free Trial over on Studio SWEAT onDemand! Download the app, or if you happen to live in southern California, visit us in our San Diego studio.