For many of us, aches and pains are a common occurrence, especially in the mornings. You may get up with stiff and sore muscles, even after a good night’s rest, that take time to relax and loosen up. If you experience muscle stiffness when you get up, you’re not alone, but the good news is that there are simple steps you can take to help warm up joints and muscles so that pain and stiffness are reduced, allowing you to move freely. A local Physical Therapist Hopewell Junction recommends following this regimen on a daily basis for maximum effectiveness, but if you continue to experience issues that don’t go away with exercise, you should consult with your physician for further testing.
After waking up but before getting out of bed, lie on your back and reach your arms up to the ceiling, then gently allow them to fall back over your head and towards your shoulders, stretching the back of the arms to ward off stiffness and promote greater range of motion. Still lying on your back, bring one knee in towards your chest and use your hands to gently stretch it. This loosens the muscles in the back of the thigh as well as the buttocks. Repeat with the other leg, then turn on your side and pull both knees in towards your chest again to stretch the back muscles, which can become especially tight and uncomfortable after spending the night in one or two positions. Repeat on the opposite side for maximum benefit. In addition to making this a morning routine, performing these stretches prior to sleep can also be effective. Many people don’t realize that how you feel in the morning is greatly affected by how you go to bed at night, so start the night off with stretching and your muscles will be able to relax and rejuvenate better during sleep, and you’ll wake up happier as well.
Waking up can be much more pleasant when your body isn’t in pain. Following these suggestions from an expert Physical Therapist in Hopewell Junction area can help you build strength and flexibility as well as enable you to live a healthy, pain-free life. To know more about physical therapist click here.
