Waking Up Feeling Tight? Here’s 5 tips to help you feel younger in the mornings.
You swing your legs out of the bed, sit up and cross the fingers hoping nothing is going to hurt when you stand up.
But ahh, there it is… A stiff back…
Ooop, yep, tight neck and why does your knee hurt?! Not the best start to the day!
Your body will always have a reaction to whatever you have been doing with it in the days or weeks leading up to today.
Whether that’s a day in the garden, a long run, moving furniture around the house, carrying grand-children or walking around the shops, your body’s muscles play a vital role in making those action happen.
After any repetitive movement, our muscles will become tight and can quickly cause an imbalance at a particular joint. Sometimes, we just don’t feel it until the next day.
Here are 5 tips to help your muscles overcome imbalances and repetition so you can wake without as much morning discomfort:
1. Complete 20-30 glute bridges before bed.
This will open the muscles of the front of the hip, thighs and chest.
This will help to undo all your bending and sitting positions of the day and wake up the muscles at the back of the hips.
This should allow you to stand with more ease.
2. Heat pack your neck and drop your head slowly side to side 10- 20 times.
This will increase blood flow to your shoulders and neck muscles which allows them to relax. Couple this with number 3 and your neck will love you!
3. Ensure you have the correct pillow for your head.
As your hopefully sleeping 7-10 hours each night, your head needs to be in the most neutral position to prevent your muscles being stuck in the wrong position over the duration of your rest.
Try to keep your ear away from your shoulder throughout the night to avoid waking up without the ability to turn your head.
4. Sleep with a pillow between your knees.
This prevents your upper leg falling in and across so your leg muscles remain in a neutral position through the night.
5. Take 15- 30 minutes to stretch shoulders, neck, back, legs and hips before putting your head on the pillow.
If you can reset your body through a stretch session, your body has a higher chance of waking up feeling fresh and ready to attack the day a head.
Stretching, and in particular stretch therapy, has been shown to help with morning pain and stiffness. A stretch therapy session allows you to have a professional address the reasons you are waking sore, and help you get back to feeling fresh in the mornings, faster. If you’d like to know more, you can get in touch here or online appointments can be made here.
Remember, your body responds to what you do to it. You are in control so take the small amount of time to help yourself feel your best.
Listen to your body, take care of it and it will take of you.
