Stretching in the morning is a great way to "awaken" your muscles and get them ready for the day. Stretching loosens up your body while increasing blood flow to your muscles.Incorporating morning stretches into your daily routine is a positive way to begin each day. Learn an easy and effective morning stretch exercise program.Before starting this, or any other exercise program, check with your doctor to ensure that exercise is safe for you to do. Stop any exercise that causes pain.

5 Morning Stretching Exercises

<a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/morning-stretch-for-back-pain-4020348">Start your morning protecting your back </a>by doing the prone press-up exercise. This is a type of <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/mckenzie-exercises-for-your-low-back-2696222">McKenzie exercise </a>that helps to keep your back in a good position to start your day:<ol><li>Lie on your stomach with your hands in a push-up position.</li><li>Relax your back and hips, and slowly press your upper body up, allowing your back to arch.</li><li>Hold this position for 2 seconds, and then release.</li><li>Repeat 10 times.</li></ol>

Prone Press-up

To gently stretch your low back, perform the seated lumbar flexion exercise. This is a perfect stretch if you have <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/things-to-stop-doing-if-you-have-lumbar-spinal-stenosis-2696099">spinal stenosis </a>.2 <ol><li>Sit on the edge of your bed with your feet on the floor.</li><li>Bend over, reaching your hands toward your feet.</li><li>Arch your back.</li><li>Hold for a count of 10.</li><li>Repeat 5 more times.</li></ol>You must be careful with this stretch if you have a bulging or herniated disc in your spine. This exercise may place increased stress on your disc, causing significant pain. If that happens, stop the exercise and check in with your doctor right away.

Lumbar Flexion Stretch

A simple way to get your neck moving is with the <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/gentle-neck-stretching-exercises-2696365">neck rotation stretch </a>. Here is how you do it:<ol><li>Remain seated on the edge of your bed with your feet on the floor.</li><li>Rotate your neck in a circle, touching your ears to your shoulders.</li><li>Rotate slowly in a clockwise direction 5 times.</li><li>Rotate slowly in a counterclockwise direction 5 times.</li></ol>

Neck Mobility Stretch

Keep your rotator cuff and shoulders healthy with the overhead shoulder stretch. Here's how:<ol><li>Stand next to your bed.</li><li>Lace your fingers together.</li><li>Raise your hands above your head, palms upward.</li><li>Lift up stretching your rib cage.</li><li>Hold for a count of 10.</li><li>Repeat 5 more times.</li></ol>Be sure to watch for any pinching or painful sensations in your shoulders as you do this. If you feel shoulder pain while stretching, stop the exercise immediately.<ol><li>Stand up and hold onto something stable.</li><li>Bend one knee up and grab your ankle with one hand.</li><li>Hold your leg up for 15 seconds.</li><li>Repeat 3 times.</li></ol>

Morning Shoulder Stretches

Get your shoulders loose with the seated shoulder shrug, like this:<ol><li>Remain seated on the edge of your bed with your feet on the floor.</li><li>Shrug your shoulders up to your ears.</li><li>Repeat 10 more times.</li></ol>

Shoulder Shrugs

What are the best stretches to get moving in the morning? Try these total body morning stretches for physical therapy.

Shoulder Shrugs

5 Stretches You Should Do Every Single Morning

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