The 7-Minute Morning Routine That Eliminates Stiffness

The video title says “65+”, but honestly, if you are younger than that, and wait until you are 65 to attend to such things as mobility maintenance, then you’ll wish you’d started a long time previously!

So, today is always a good day to start, whatever your age.

A good way to start the day

The exercises do not, in fact, include the forwards bend depicted in the thumbnail. Rather, they are:

Exercise 1: toe wiggles (1 minute):

• while lying in bed, open and close your toes to improve foot mobility.
• this may seem silly and/or trivial, but it’s vital for overall mobility as foot health impacts daily movement, and your toes are responsible for a surprising amount when it comes to your posture, gait, etc.

Exercise 2: calf and hamstring stretch (1 minute):

• use a rolled-up towel (or similar non-stretchy long thing) to pull one foot towards you while straightening your leg.
• hold the stretch for 30 seconds per leg to relieve tightness in the calf or hamstring.

Exercise 3: knee flexion (1 minute):

• bend your knee as much as possible and pull your shin towards you.
• perform for 30 seconds per leg, gently easing into stiffness if necessary to improve knee mobility (i.e. if this is difficult at first).

Exercise 4: knee extension (1 minute):

• straighten one leg on the bed and press your knee down while pulling the toes up.
• hold for 5 seconds, repeat six times per leg, improving knee extension and strengthening the quads.

Exercise 5: hip flexion mobilization (1 minute):

• with your knees bent, pull one knee towards your chest and release in a rhythmic motion (see video for differences from #3)
• do 30 seconds per leg to improve hip mobility and loosen stiffness, especially beneficial for those with hip arthritis.

exercise 6: cat-cow stretch (1 minute):

• on all fours, alternate between arching your back (cat) and dipping it (cow).
• improves mobility in the neck, mid-back, and lower back.

exercise 7: shoulder and upper back stretch (1 minute):

• stand facing a wall, place your hands on the wall, and hinge at the hips to drop your torso between your arms.
• stretches lats, shoulders, and the upper back; do two 30-second holds..

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!