Let’s face it, for most of us getting up in the morning is a matter of yanking off the sheets and groaning our way to the edge of the bed, before hurriedly thrusting ourselves onto our feet, despite our bodies’ protests. We like to get going in the morning and that is understandable, but doing so without letting our bodies wake up too can put it at an increased risk for injury, not to mention making movement more difficult than it needs to be. Because they’ve been more or less still for several hours, our muscles, joints, and tendons become less elastic while we sleep and we wake up feeling stiff, even if we stretch right before bed (a topic for another post). Luckily, our bodies are really good at telling us what they need to feel better; all we have to do is listen. So, the next time you’re thinking about jumping right out of bed in the morning, try this easy routine to ensure a smoother transition.
Get Comfortable
Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet on the bed. Adjust your hips so your back is comfortable and breathing feels easy. Then, take a few deep breaths into your lower abdomen to turbo charge your tissues with fresh oxygen. Press your low back gently but firmly into the bed a few times to activate your core and let it know it’s time to get to work.
Loosen Your Hips
Once your core is working for you, try a few leg movements to loosen up and lubricate your joints. Any movement that feels good is fair game, but a few you may want to focus on include opening and closing your knees, rolling your legs together from side to side, and squeezing one leg to your chest while straightening out the other.
Lengthen Your Spine
When you’re ready, sit up as tall as you can on the edge of your bed. Stretch the top of your head away from your ischials (the bony nubs in your butt) with a comfortable and sustainable effort. Take a few breaths and make sure it feels right, you can adjust the effort at any time. These are your anti-gravity muscles and need to be activated to support your spine! With this length maintained, try leaning back in bed, using your arms to help support you. Take a few breaths here. Alternate between this position and leaning forward, reaching for the floor to stretch out your back, coordinating the movement to your breath to ensure a smooth flow.
Prepare for Takeoff!
To get your core and balance ready for being on your feet, pick your feet off the floor and try balancing on your ischials. Make sure to keep your spine long and stay here for a few breaths until you find your balance. Then, rock forward and backward, as far in each direction as is comfortable, even going all the way from your upper back on the bed to your feet on the floor. When you’re feeling good, come all the way up to standing and press your hips as far forward with as much effort for as long as is comfortable.
Keep it Up
Now that your spine is long and limber, keep it feeling tall and supported throughout the day by remembering to effort upward. I suggest making something you commonly encounter throughout the day a sort of reminder for yourself to check in and do what you need to to help your back feel its best. Keep in mind, your body doesn’t take time off so take care of it and it’ll take care of you!
If your back pain isn’t going away or getting worse, contact us to schedule an evaluation with a physical therapist.