Do you find your joints stiff & aching when you wake up in the morning.
Read on here for what I do when I wake up in the morning to help relieve stiff joints and alleviate achy joints/muscles.
My 5 Minutes Ritual In The Morning To Relieve Stiff, Painful Joints
Here I share my 5 minutes routine in the bed when I wake up in the morning. Follow this five steps to see a dramatic change in your outlook:
# 1
Few Deep, Slow Breaths
Just as you open your eyes from your long night’s sleep, take a couple of deep, slow breaths. This helps boost the circulation of oxygen into your body system, which will nourish your muscles, tendons and ligaments.
# 2
Gentle Range Of Motion Movements
To start with do some gentle range of motion movements.
Now it’s time wake up your leg muscles a little bit. Slowly bend and then straighten your legs. Repeat this movement a few times.
Do some gentle stretching with your arms. Try to reach up to the ceiling by raising your arms and then bending your elbows and placing your hands behind your head. This will just takes a minute or two.
# 3
Long, Big Stretch
Now you are ready to take a long, big stretch. Extend your legs as far as they can go; at the same time stretch your arms over your head towards the headboard as far as you can reach. Hold this position for a few seconds and then release your body into relaxation. Believe me, you will really feel great! Repeat it a few times.
# 4
Alleviate Low Back Pain
To get relief from any pain in your low back, slowly bring one knee at a time up to your chest. Place your both hands on the inside of your thigh and press your leg towards your chest. Perform the same movement with your other leg. Repeat a few times. Now do it with your both legs at the same time by hugging them toward your chest.
Always keep breathing normally when you do this so that your body will respond without tensing up.
As you are hugging your both legs to your chest, move side to side slightly to help your back relax and elongate. When done, let go of your legs & rest for a minute.
[Watch this video to learn How to do Knee To Chest Exercise]
[Learn here: How to prevent/treat Low Back Pain]
# 5
Finish with some ankle pumps (pointing forward and flexing backward your toes) and ankle circles with your both feet before you get up. Pointing and flexing your toes will set off the blood flow going literally from your head to your toes.
# 6
Once you complete this little, quick wake-up routine, you are ready to start your day with renewed energy. Turn to your side and then push yourself up into a seated position with the support of your hand and place your feet on the floor.
Finally, take one more deep breath, raise your arms to reach the ceiling and you are up to begin your day!
It’s amazing what a few minutes of gradual stretching can do to lubricate those tight, stiff muscles & joints. It makes a great difference as compared to just jumping out of your bed.
Every morning I do smooth, range of motion movements, progressing to full strides as compared to starting my day with the shuffle-jerk-stick action of a sticky, rusty tin robot!
About Author: Renu Bakshi, AKA Fitness Buffhq, is ISSA Certified Personal Fitness Trainer, Nutrition Health Coach & Specialist Exercise Therapy. He shares his experience and knowledge about nutrition and effective workouts to get you in the best shape of your life, no matter how old you may be. The author says: “I am now healthier and fitter at 69 than I was at 28. For me age is just a number!”
