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28 September In Health, Motivation, Stretching by Alessa Caridi

Start your day on the right side of the bed: 3 morning stretches I do as my feet hit the floor

My college roommate would make fun of the way I took my first few steps out of our dorm room each morning. Being a dance major, I began to realize the wear and tear my craft was having on my body. (And I was only 19 at the time!) I knew I needed to bring more focus to what my body needed in my everyday functions, not just when I was in dance classes. Stretching was the natural beginning to every class I took, so why didn’t I think of morning stretches as the natural way to start my day?!

 

My 3 morning stretches:

Once I began adding these three, one minute-long stretches I felt more aware, physically even and long, and my roommate stopped with the silly remarks because my weird 1st steps were gone!

Give these morning stretches a try. Your Body with thank you.

 

The 1st Stretch: The Roll Down

My feet hit the floor and I do a sitting roll down: this is great to elongate the spine without putting immediate stress on the hamstrings (hamstring stretch comes later). While resting my torso on my quads i shake my head, “yes ” and “no”.

 

 

The 2nd Stretch: The Hamstring Stretch

Sitting hamstring stretch: both feet on the floor, extend one leg long and hinge forward from the waist. Make sure to do both legs and play around with pointing and flexing feet. I love this because you can warm up your legs without needing to worry about early morning balancing.

 

 

The 3rd Stretch: The Full Arm Roll

Full arm rolls: as a side-sleeper I tend to use my arm for support and most morning my shoulders need a good wake up call and this does the trick.

 

Now I will leave you with this:

Your body was designed to have a certain alignment with built-in curves and shock absorbers. When functioning within this alignment your body is at its strongest, most Jōbu. When the alignment is altered it affects your everyday functions. So, give these stretches a try. It will make for a better morning, and ultimately, a better day.

 

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