Fresh Start 2 Fitness- Morning Wall Stretches

Ever wake up first thing in the morning and feel like your joints are tight and stiff? Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital exercise physiologist John Gregory says there are a few stretches people can do to help find relief. Gregory suggests doing these three mobility movements to get the body moving and on the right track to feeling better.

1) Standing Open Books:

• Start in standing position against wall. Be sure to have a yoga block or small pillow handy.
• Take your outside leg and move it forward.
• Kick your inside leg back so your legs are split.
• Place the block/pillow in between wall and front leg inner thigh.
• Arms are parallel to the ground and inside arm is pushing gently into the wall.
• Outside arm is opening and you’ll follow it back with your eyes while front leg inner thigh keeps contact with the block/pillow.
• Repeat 5-10 more times before switching to the other side.

2) Standing Pigeon Stretch:

• Bring one leg in front and rest the knee and foot of that leg on a bench, mattress, or elevated surface.
• The opposite leg will be relatively straight back. Hands will rest outside of the front leg.
• Fold your torso forward over that front leg to feel a deep stretch through the hip.
• Come back up with your torso to the position that you started in and repeat 5-10 more times before switching to the other leg.

3) Wall Angel:

• Start with your back against the wall.
• Walk your feet about a foot or so away from the wall.
• Sink your hips/knees down slightly until you’re in a quarter squat position.
• Push your low back against the wall and make sure it stays in contact for the duration of this exercise.
• From here, pull your arms apart and reach back until your fingertips make contact with the wall.
• Reach back with the arms and slide them up the wall until you reach a point where you feel like you cannot keep sliding them up.
• Bring your arms all the way down and drive your elbows towards the ribs then repeat this motion 5-15 more times.