Does it take you forever to wake up? Do you find yourself being a zombie for the first few hours of the day? One major contributing factor is blood flow and oxygen circulation in the body after sleeping all night. With a few stretches and muscle strengthening techniques, you can get your body moving and improve how you feel every morning!
- Start with some easy stretches. Bend over and touch your toes. It is good to hold a stretch for at least 10 seconds. You should push yourself to feel tension, but not pain. If you need to, you can do this sitting down as well.
- Stretch each major part of your body: neck, arms, back, and legs.
- Rotate your arms like a windmill one at a time, or at the same time, as it feels comfortable.
- Do a few push-ups and sit-ups. You don't have to do lots; just a few to get your blood circulating.
- Hold each foot behind your lower back (one at a time), which should stretch your major leg muscles.
- Go to a wall and push your toes up as far as they can go against the wall. On a step, stand with just your toes on the step, with your weight pushing down. Let your feet relax and your toes will get pushed up. You should feel tension in back of your lower legs, called your calf muscles.
- Once you have your blood pumping, you may feel a bit thirsty, or hungry. This is a good thing. Make sure to eat something clean and healthy. Fruits, or simple proteins work best in the morning. Eggs, cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese are good options for morning meals. Avoid eating a large portion or heavy carbs.
- Try to drink 2 glasses of water before you leave in the morning. During the day, if you can, try to drink a few bottles of water, and at the end of the day drink another 2-4 glasses with dinner, etc. This may seem like a lot at first, but your body actually does need 8-10 glasses of water to stay correctly hydrated. You may have to use the restroom more than usual when you first start. This is only temporary! As your body gets used to having all the water it needs, it will absorb into your system and your restroom visits will return to normal.
- Go to bed early the night before, so you won't fall asleep in your breakfast or anything.
- Sleep for at least 6 hours in a single cycle.
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