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Getting out of bed in the morning can be a tedious task. It’s bad enough that you’re awakened from your slumber, but your body is stiff and your mind is fuzzy and it’s just a groggy start to the day.
Incorporating some basic movements into your morning routine can get your blood flowing and energize you for the hours ahead. It’ll also loosen up your joints and muscles, making movement easier throughout the day.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to work out in the mornings. Although it is a great time to work out, you can stick to your usual hours - doing these exercises in a circuit in the morning will only take a few minutes.
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5 Best Morning Workouts
Although a few minutes of walking in the morning can be helpful to get the blood flowing, and to increase your step count, it is optional. Here are some exercises you can perform at home without any equipment that should keep you perked for the day.
1. Standing Toe Touches
This is the most basic yet most effective activity for waking your spine up. This move stretches your legs too, specifically the hamstrings, which tend to be the stiffest in the morning. It also wakes up the hips.
- Start by standing straight with your feet together.
- Inhale and lift your hands up over your head, lengthening your entire body as you reach for the sky.
- Exhale as you hinge at your hip and bend forward, keeping your arms straight as you reach for your toes. Try to keep your legs as straight as possible.
- Repeat the move for five to six reps.
2. Downward Dog to Cobra
This is a popular move in warm-up routines. This exercise stretches the back, arms, legs, abs, and hip flexors. This should help with stiffness in the hips right in the morning.
- Start by getting into a high plank position.
- Lift your hips up until your body is in a wide, inverted, V-shape over the floor.
- Maintaining this position, press against the ground with your hands and push against your hips. Exhale.
- Inhale as you lean back forward and lower your hips down. Lower them below the high plank mark and bring them to the floor, making sure your arms are straight.
- Flatten your legs straight out behind you and push the ground with your hands, keeping your shoulders tall. Shift your gaze upwards.
- Lift your hips back up to return to downward dog and repeat the movement for five to six reps.
3. Cat and Cow
This is another exercise that stretches out the back and warms up the shoulders as well.
- Start by getting on your hands and knees. Ensure they are all aligned.
- Drop your belly towards the floor as you inhale, arching your back down and straightening your shoulders. Turn your gaze upward.
- Arch your back upward towards the ceiling while exhaling. Round your shoulders in as you turn your head towards the floor and shift your gaze down.
- Inhale and arch your back towards the floor again to return to the cow pose. Repeat the movement for five to six reps in each pose.
4. Bird Dog
This is a powerful core exercise that will stretch your midsection and activate your core muscles. Activating and engaging the core muscles in the morning will keep lower back fatigue at bay.
- Start by getting on your hands and knees. Keep your back straight by bracing your core, and ensure your arms and legs are at 90-degree angles to your body.
- Raise your right arm and straighten it in front of you upon inhalation. Simultaneously, straighten your left leg out behind you. Allow your fingers and toes to point in the opposite direction.
- Bend both limbs in towards your body as you exhale and return them to the starting position.
- Repeat this movement with your left arm and right leg. Continue the pattern until you have completed five to six reps on each side.
5. Deadbug
Deadbugs are a variation of the bird-dog that is performed lying on your back. This too is a good morning core activation exercise that also stretches out your arms and legs.
- Start by lying on the floor on your back. Raise your legs up slowly, keeping them bent at the knee while ensuring your lower back is flat on the ground,. Your knees should point towards the ceiling and your lower legs should be held at a 90-degree angle from them, parallel to the ground.
- Raise your arms straight out in front of you, with your hands pointing to the ceiling and palms facing each other.
- Drop your right arm towards the floor above your head while drawing in a breath, ensuring it remains straight as it goes down. Straighten out your left leg simultaneously, and drop it towards the floor. Do not let your limbs touch the floor; let them hover an inch or two above it.
- Exhale as you raise your limbs to bring them back to the starting position.
- Repeat this movement with your left arm and right leg. Keep alternating sides until you have performed five to six reps on each side.
Although the minutes after waking up feel like the worst ever, taking five minutes out to perform these simple movements in your daily morning routine can boost your energy levels significantly. It’s like drinking coffee without drinking it!
