Start your day with stretch!

This stretch flow will go over six exercises that will help wake up the body and get you ready for the day. If you've never attempted a stretch routine or flow before, the key to remember is that it's not about pushing yourself to the limit! It's about listening to your body, and only going as far as you feel is comfortable for you! 🩷

Find a space where you have a little bit of room to move and make sure you're wearing comfortable clothing (pyjamas are 100% acceptable!). 

Before you begin, standing tall, shoulders down and relaxed, have a moment to breathe. In through the nose - hold - and out through the mouth. Repeat for three breaths before coming into your first exercise. 

Exercise One - Forward Fold

Starting from the neck, roll your torso down, reaching the arms towards the floor, head to knees and legs straight (but not locked!); hold.

If you're unable to keep your legs straight and reach the floor with your hands, that's okay! You can either:

• Place a block or chair in front of you so you can rest your hands on this, or
• Bend your knees to touch the floor

This exercise is great for stimulating circulation through the body, stretching out the glutes and hamstrings and lengthening the spine. It's also known to help calm the nervous system so it's great for your mental health too! 🩷

Exercise Two - Downward Dog

From your forward fold, bend the knees and then creep your hands forward on the ground. Place your feet hip width apart and straighten legs. You should roughly be in a triangle shape with your booty as the top, and your hands and legs as the base.  

Once you're in position: push the floor away with your hands and try to push the chest towards your thighs. If you're new to the stretch, you'll likely be on tip-toes and that's okay! Each time you practice, try to work towards flat feet 👣

This exercise is a great full body strengthener! It'll build strength through your hands, wrists and shoulders whilst also stretching out your hamstrings and calves. Just like your forward fold, it's great for blood circulation too! 🩷

Exercise Three - Lunge

From your downward dog, drop the back leg down and swoop one foot forwards - either on the outside of one arm or in the centre of both; then lift the torso. Your front leg will be bent, back leg will be kneeling. Place your hands on your front knee. 

Once you're in position: Try to tuck the pelvis under and hold. This will be a very small movement but you should feel a stretch through the front of your thigh once you have tucked the pelvis under. If this feels like too much pressure on your back knee, feel free to put a pillow/blanket underneath it, or tuck the toes on the back foot under. 

This exercise is great for not only stretching and strengthening your quads and glutes, but it also helps strengthen your core and improves your balance! 🤹

Exercise Four - Hamstring Stretch

From your lunge, place your hands on the floor either side of your front leg, straighten the leg. Try not to curl the shoulders forward, you want to maintain a flat back.

If you can't straighten the leg with your hands on the floor, that's okay! Lift your torso upright, either with the arms relaxed beside you or with one holding onto a chair, wall, block etc (anything to keep you balanced). 

Once you're in position, point and flex the feet 2-3 times and then repeat on the other side, starting with your lunge.

This exercise can help reduce back pain, increase mobility through your hips and knees whilst also strengthening your core as you balance to stay in position! 🤸

Happy Cat (above), Angry Cat (below)

Exercise Five - Happy Cat / Angry Cat

From your lunge, swoop the front leg back, coming into a table top position (hands and knees on the floor). 

• Happy cat: Squeeze the shoulder blades together, pushing your booty and your chin up towards the ceiling
• Angry cat: Push the floor away, round through the spine, and tuck your chin to your chest. 

Slowly alternate between happy cat and angry cat, taking a moment to pause in each pose. 

This exercise is great for relieving back pain and increasing spine mobility whilst also strengthening through the hands and wrists! 👋

Exercise Six - Child's Pose

From your happy cat/angry cat, sink your booty down and rest it on/just above your heels. Widen your knees, extend your arms out and keep your head and neck in a neutral position. 

Try not to collapse through the arms, you want to be actively extending them out in front of you so you're still getting a nice stretch!

The perfect end to any stretch or great on it's own! This pose will help open your hips, relieve any tension in your pelvis, lengthen the spine, stretch through the shoulders and help circulate blood flow! 😌🥰

Now that you know the exercises, try putting it all together! We recommend holding each pose for 3-5 seconds each, but as we said at the start - listen to your body, and do what feels right for you! 🩷

Check out the full stretch flow in action here!