Latest / Staying Aligned with Dr. Kevin Hartung / Morning Mobility Routine - Easy exercises to start the day

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Morning Mobility Routine - Easy exercises to start the day · Staying Aligned with Dr. Kevin Hartung

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  Good morning. This is Dr. Kevin Hartung from
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  Family Chiropractic Center here in Robinson Township,
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  Pennsylvania. And you know what? I want to talk
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  with you today about something that could change
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  the way your entire day feels. We're talking
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  about a simple morning mobility routine. Now
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  here's the thing. Most of us roll out of bed,
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  maybe shuffle to the coffee pot, and boom, we're
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  off to start our day. But your body? It's been
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  lying still for six, seven, maybe eight hours.
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  Your muscles are tight, your joints are stiff,
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  and everything's just kind of locked up. And
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  then we wonder why our back hurts by lunchtime.
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  So, let me walk you through a quick five -minute
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  routine you can do right when you wake up. Nothing
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  fancy. No equipment needed, just you and your
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  body getting ready for the day ahead. First thing,
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  while you're still lying in bed, do some gentle
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  knee to chest stretches. Pull one knee up toward
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  your chest, hold it for about 10 seconds, then
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  switch sides. Do that maybe three times each
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  leg. This wakes up your lower back and hips in
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  the gentlest way possible. You're essentially
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  telling your spine, hey, it's time to move. Now,
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  once you're up and standing, let's do some spinal
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  twists. Stand with your feet about shoulder -width
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  apart and just gently rotate your upper body
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  side to side. Let your arms swing loose like
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  you're wringing out a towel. Do this for about
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  30 seconds. You'll feel your mid -back start
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  to loosen up. That's exactly what we want. Next
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  up, neck rolls. And listen, go slow here. Drop
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  your chin toward your chest, then roll your head
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  gently to one side. back and around to the other
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  side. Nice and easy. Do maybe three or four circles
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  each direction. Your neck holds so much tension
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  from sleeping, from your pillow, from everything.
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  This helps release that. Here's one people forget
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  about. Your shoulders. Bring them up toward your
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  ears. Hold for three seconds, then drop them
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  down. Do that five times, then roll your shoulders
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  backward in big circles. Forward two. We carry
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  stress in our shoulders and this simple move
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  can save you from that tight hunched feeling
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  later. And finally, let's get those hamstrings
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  and lower back with a standing forward fold.
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  Feet hip width apart. Bend at your hips and let
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  your upper body hang down toward the floor. Don't
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  force it. Just let gravity do the work. Hang
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  there for 20 or 30 seconds. You should feel a
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  nice stretch down the back of your legs and into
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  your lower back. The whole routine, five minutes
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  tops. But here's what I see in my practice every
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  single day. People who start their morning with
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  just a little bit of movement, they feel better,
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  they move better, they have fewer aches and pains
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  throughout the day. Now, if you're waking up
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  with significant pain, or if these movements
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  make things worse instead of better, that's your
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  body telling you something's off. That's when
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  you need to come see us. We can figure out what's
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  going on and get you moving the right way. But
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  for most of you listening, this simple routine
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  is a game changer. Try it for one week, just
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  one week. See how you feel. I think you're going
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  to be surprised. Thanks so much for tuning in
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  today. If you have questions or you'd like to
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  schedule an appointment here at Family Chiropractic
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  Center in Robinson Township, just give us a call.
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  We'd love to help you feel your best. Take care,
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  and I'll catch you next time.