Some days I feel incredibly primitive. Not about age or modern music in my knowledge (although my millennial daughter might disagree), but about how my body feels. There are mornings when every part is rusted and cracked.
You know what I mean: the stiffness and dull ache (and accompanying grunting and groaning) after you get up. These feelings often go away inside five or 10 minutes. Some mornings are worse than others, and sometimes I get up stiff.
Why morning stiffness?
However, any prolonged period of sitting can even cause stiffness, similar to watching TV, working on a pc, or riding in a automobile.
Easy cure for stiffness
To break up long periods of sitting, set a timer in your phone or computer to remind you to maneuver around every 20 to half-hour. Take a walk around your home or neighborhood, do some chores, and even do a fast set of lunges or march in place for a minute.
Another option is the next ABC routine. Three movements deal with key tight areas: shoulders, back and legs. Do this within the morning to loosen up, during a break from sitting, or each time you're feeling a bit of “old”.
A: Arm sweep
Stand straight together with your feet together. As you inhale, sweep your arms out to the edges and up toward the ceiling. As you exhale, sweep your arms back. Repeat five to 10 times.
B: Back bend
Stand straight together with your feet barely apart. Place your hands in your lower back together with your fingertips. As you inhale, roll your shoulders back and gently lift your chest toward the ceiling, arching your back to a resting position. You ought to be taking a look at the ceiling in front of you. (Be careful to not overextend your neck.) Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Release on exhalation. Do three to 5 repetitions.
C: Chair pose
Stand together with your feet about shoulder-width apart and arms down at your sides. Raise your arms above your head. As you exhale, bend your hips and knees and lower yourself right into a squat position (as little as is comfortable) while keeping your back straight. Pause for just a few seconds, and rise up while lowering your arms to finish one rep. Repeat this movement until you might have done five to 10 repetitions. You can raise your arms only to chest height, or place your hands in your thighs, so that you just focus only in your lower body.