Why Stretching Should Be Part of Your Morning Routine

Sometimes it might be tempting to omit a stretch session before or after working out, especially in the morning. But here is the thing. You could be missing out on substantial body benefits. Why? Because morning stretches don't just aid in getting an extra-bendy body. It also helps you prepare for the day.

When sleeping, your muscles tend to relax, your heart rate slows, and your blood flow decreases. And sleeping for extended periods tightens up your muscles. Like other animals, human beings instinctively stretch after sleeping to wake up the muscles and improve blood flow. After waking up from a long or short sleep, stretching will help your mobility. It will also assist you in focusing throughout the day and avoiding injury.

This insightful piece helps you understand why you should consider developing a daily morning stretching routine. So keep reading.

How Does Stretching Help Prepare a Person For The Day?

Incorporating some stretching in your everyday morning routine can significantly assist in energizing you for the rest of the day. So, if you intend to lose some extra weight, stretching can help you skip that coffee and snacking until mid-morning when you might be requiring it more. That's not all. Stretching can also help you begin your day with higher confidence levels.

In addition, stretching helps in increasing your mobility. And the ability to move around in multiple ways aids in your daily activity. Without morning stretching, your body tends to become stiff all the time. In that case, getting out of your vehicle or shopping for groceries and other items becomes difficult.

But the good news is that morning stretches help keep your muscles flexible. This flexibility lets you have an improved motion range in your joints. Furthermore, engaging in morning stretches, particularly those focusing on your back and chest muscles, may improve your posture significantly. So, you will have fewer struggles spending the rest of the day sitting in front of your computer. You will also experience fewer pains and aches.

How Does Stretching Help the Mind Prepare For The Day?

As mentioned earlier, daily morning stretching increases circulation and blood flow. And that includes your brain and muscles. With an improved blood flow within your body, you will benefit from a more cheerful mood and a clearer mind. After participating in morning stretches, you might realize you are rethinking decisions and situations better. These situations might have been cloudy before.

Stretching also functions as a stress reliever. Many people wake up and begin worrying about the come day. Stretching switches your focus from the worries of life and brings you into a whole other stress-free world. Instead of worrying about the day's apprehensions, you focus your mind on stretching your entire body.

This way, you will end up diminishing any stress that psychological or physiological factors may cause. Often, stress leads to tension building up in your entire body. And stretching can help to release this tension and relieve the tight muscles. With reduced pressure, you get to earn huge dividends throughout your day.

What's The Best Type of Stretching For People to Get Started With?

Static stretching is among the most recommended stretches for beginners and general fitness. This stretching type requires you to slowly ease into the position and hold for approximately 10 to 30 seconds. Then you slowly release the stretch. However, the recommendation is to perform static stretching with warm muscles. Like at the end of a workout or after a warm-up.

But you can also perform other simple stretches like Quad Stretches, Standing Calf Stretch, Standing or Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch, and Seated or Standing Inner Thigh Stretch.

Final Word

There are many ways morning stretches can be helpful, as outlined above. Begin by sparing a few minutes every morning to stretch your body and witness the benefits.