Do These 5 Barre Stretches Right When You Wake Up In The Morning
Stretching in the morning has so many benefits including awakening the body and getting the energy stirring. Some of my clients experience stiffness when they wake up in the morning, and they just need a little support to work that out and get moving. Here are my favorite five barre stretches to get you moving and feeling good in the morning.
Hands over Head Reaching from Toes to Fingers – I like to call this one the big Good Morning Stretch. Once you hit the alarm before you get out of bed, I want you to do the classic “Okay, I’m up!” reaching arms over head and making your body as long as possible from fingertips to toes. Take a big breath in and as you exhale you can disengage the stretch taking your arms back towards your hips. Pretty simple, right? YES, but totally effective!
On to the next one!
Externally Rotating the Hips In and Out – This one is feels so good in the hips (especially when you’ve been killing it inside the studio doing the barre bodywork – wink wink). So to do this one, as you are still in bed bring your toes and heels together. Then gently squeezing the heels together start turning the toes outward like you are drawing two halves of a rainbow. Then squeezing tight through the legs and your bum turn the toes back together. Repeat 5 times. This movement creates and opening and closing of the hips as well as a nice squeeze for the booty warming up all the good things that keep you movin’ throughout your day! Win Win!
Next, we fire up the core. We’ve got big plans for the day. After the first two we can find our way out of the bed, two feet on the floor and ready to get through the next three moves.
Lateral Stretch with a Twist – Once standing, lift your hands over head stretch tall and with your arms still extended send your arms towards the left and your right hip towards the right. You will get a great side body stretch here. Then slowly twist left bringing your chest to face the floor. You will feel a gentle pull through the ribs and underneath the shoulder blade while the core is still engaged for stability. Use your core to pull back to center and repeat on the other side. (This is one of my favorite barre stretches to do in the morning. This one gets my vote hands down!)
After we get in the big stretches its good to reset everything with some gentle movement. You worked out some residual tension and now we move.
Hip Circles – Place your hands on your hips and try to bring your thumbs to the top of the hip bones on the back side. (This would be where you have the two indentions on your back. If you put your thumbs in your low back start moving them down until you feel supported and not like you are arching into a backbend.) Your fingers will wrap around the front of the hips. Then, begin to draw big circles with the hips moving them forward, to the left, to the back and then to the right fluently. You don’t need to stop in each direction unless you feel something and want to explore that feeling through the stretch a little longer. Make those big circles using your thumbs to support your low back and then do a few in the opposite direction.
Now we’re stirring up the energy! We’re almost there. One more recommended stretch and you are on your way to make big things happen today! This one is a classic, and it feels so good! There’s no way we could leave it out of the morning routine.
Gentle Forward Fold and Ragdoll – For this one, take a big inhale and swoop your hands up and overhead, bring your palms together and as you exhale fold forward. Think of this like a standing hamstring stretch! You can grab opposite elbows here, sway side to side, really release the head and neck shaking your head no and nodding your head yes. Then gently put a greater bend in your knees. Press through your heels and start to squeeze your bum to support the low back as you roll ever so slowly back to standing. Your chin is the last thing to lift bringing your gaze into neutral and your spine nice and long ready for the big day ahead!
And just like that you’ve started your day with some beautiful breath, some movement, and a stirring of energy that your body appreciates more than you know. You need movement that supports you, and a series a breath and barre movement at the beginning of your day is the one of the best ways you can incorporate it into the business that is life without the concept being overwhelming. Sustainable wellness is a thing and by doing these five barre stretches right when you wake up, you’re nailing it!
Do you have some barre stretches you love to do in the morning that aren’t listed here? Share girl, share! Spread the love and let us know how you get movin’ in the morning!
