Wake up? Do this before you stretch.
Most people feel stiff the moment they get out of bed. It seems like an obvious fix and one that many of us have done over the years. But that can actually be the wrong move, especially after 60. What I recommend instead is what is called an osteoarticular warm-up, a short routine that you can do right. by your bedno equipment is needed to move your joints before the muscles can be stretched. Do this for five minutes tomorrow in the morningand you will feel the difference immediately.
Why stretching the first thing can backfire
While stretching can be beneficial, and I use it with nearly every client, it may not be the best way to get things done first thing in the morning. The problem is blood flow, or the lack of it. When you sleep, more blood is pumped into your organs doing their cleaning and repair work, meaning your muscles aren’t ready yet.
Due to the lack of blood flow, your muscles are less flexible and flexible, increasing your chances of injury. If a client comes in and tells me they’re stiff in the morning and stretching isn’t helping, that’s exactly what I give them. That is changing fast.
Your joints need WD-40
Here’s the science behind why it works. Most of your joints have a lining called synovium, where your body produces synovial fluid. Think of synovial fluid like WD-40 for joints. As you move through a specific range of motion, you stimulate the production of fluid and thus begin to lubricate the joint.
The key is to rest before you ask your body to do anything more demanding. Get the joints working first and everything else will respond better.
Your nervous system will also wake up
It’s not just about joints. Like you create tension through different ranges of motion, you stimulate proprioception, which is information from the connective tissue and joints. We talk about mechanoreceptors that measure tension, chemoreceptors that measure chemical levels, thermoreceptors that measure heat, and many others.
When your proprioceptors are stimulated, you not only move better, you actually feel more awake. A big part of feeling low energy in the morning isn’t just tiredness. It’s because there isn’t enough blood flowing to your brain yet, and you haven’t activated your proprioceptors, and you haven’t moved your body through smooth, fluid ranges of motion. This routine fixes all three at once.
Start with the cardiovascular section
The first three minutes of the osteoarticular warm-up are the cardiovascular portion. We slowly try to raise the heart rate and body temperature, and it starts with a gentle march. I try to maintain a good gravity line the whole time, meaning my ear, shoulder and hip are roughly in line. A soft chin support and pelvic girdle keep the spine relatively straight.
After about 60 seconds, I pick up the pace and go a little higher with my legs. The idea is to push the leg into the ground so that it looks more like a spring rather than just lifting the hip flexor. Hold this for about 90 seconds to two minutes before moving on.
I hug when the march goes. The purpose is to keep them above the heart to allow blood to flow back to the heart for distribution and to increase body temperature. I cycle through three positions, each held for about 30 seconds: pushing and pulling with the arms forward, then pushing to the sides while squeezing and releasing the shoulder blades, then opening and closing the arms above the head.
After these three positions, I combined all three movements for the final 30 seconds. This part covers the heart and blood vessels, and from there the arms rest.
Move to the upper body
For the upper body, I start with rib slides. When closing my pelvis, I translate the rib cage side to side to keep as little movement from the pelvis as possible. Then I add a layer of rotation: each side I fly, I turn that arm in, turn the opposite arm out, drop the inside arm, lift the outside arm, and look at the side of the turned-in arm.
This sequence warms the neck, rubs the shoulders, and works the rib joints. It may seem subtle, but after about 15 to 30 seconds you will notice a real difference in your upper body movement.
Work through your pelvic floor
For the pelvic section, I take a wide stance with soft knees and work through the anterior and posterior obliques, basically pulling the angle out and tucking it under. This warms the spine and bones. About 15 seconds here.
Then I switch to a lateral movement, lifting one side of the pelvis as the other side drops. We warm and lubricate the spine, bones, spine and all the ligaments that connect the spine to the pelvis, as well as the ligaments that connect the legs to the pelvis. Aim for 15 to 30 seconds on each move. Small range of motion, but they add up quickly.
Finish with the lower part of the body
For the lower body, I start by rolling the pelvic bones in and out a little bit, really trying to lubricate the hip socket, or what’s called the acetabulum. About 30 seconds here.
Then I bring the knees and feet together and do small circles in both directions, working on the knees and feet. The key is to come almost to the right knee with each circle, not in constant flexion. I do this part with a sequence of raising the calf to the feet, alternately on the toes, and then lifting them off the ground, for about 30 seconds.
The final move is the bonus integration that ties everything together. I take a wide stance, keep my legs as straight as possible, raise my arms, then go back down on one leg and back up. If the knees bend a little, it is good. Maybe you just get on your knees. This is good. But if there is flexibility, we go toe to toe.
After everything that happened before, the body is very different to this movement than it was when it was cold. Give it about 30 seconds and you will feel the difference.
No Equipment, No Excuses
The entire routine takes about five minutes and requires nothing but floor space by your bed. This is intentional. There are no settings, no gears, and nothing to talk to yourself about.
If you’ve tried stretching before and still feel stiff or weak, it’s probably not working. The body must move before it can stretch. Spend five minutes doing an osteoarticular warm-up, and you’ll feel better about how your body moves and how your energy levels respond tomorrow.
