One Morning Routine To Fix (Nearly) All Stiffnesses

Over-50s specialist physio Will Harlow shows us how:

Good morning, every morning

The best time to do this is immediately upon waking up (you’re allowed a bathroom trip first!).

It’s a gentle, low-effort way to improve morning mobility, reduce joint stiffness, and help your body feel ready for the day without needing long workouts or special equipment.

In fact, the exercises can be done on your bed:

1. Knee rolls: lying on your back with your knees bent and mostly together, gently let your knees drop side to side until your buttock on the side in question just begins to lift, which helps ease stiffness in your lower back and hips.
2. Knee bend and straighten: still lying on your back, slowly bend one knee towards your chest into stiffness but not pain, then straighten your leg and gently press it into the bed, which helps reduce knee stiffness and also promotes joint lubrication through synovial fluid movement.
3. Seated overhead reaches: sitting on the edge of your bed with your feet on the floor, relax your shoulders and reach your arms up and overhead, focusing on shoulder movement rather than arching your back, to loosen your shoulders, mid-back, and chest, while facilitating deeper breathing.
4. Seated forward folds: from the same seated position with your legs comfortably apart and your feet flat on the floor, slowly roll forwards from the top of your spine, letting your hands slide down the insides of your legs as far as feels comfortable, to gently release stiffness in your lower back and hips.

As ever: do avoid any movement that causes pain, stay within a comfortable range, and consult a local physio if unsure.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!