The Five Best Exercises to Start Your Day

How do YOU start your day? By stumbling out of bed in the morning to drag yourself downstairs for that cup of coffee before shuffling half-asleep out to the car to head to work? Talk about a low-power day!

If you want to have an upbeat, fast-paced day full of energy and vigor, you need to get your heart pumping, your blood moving, and your fat burning first thing in the morning. The best way to do that: read on to find out! You will also learn what morning exercise will encourage better posture throughout the day. Worth a try!

Below, we’re going to look at five of the best exercises to start your day. But first, understand that not everyone has the energy or mindset for a full workout first thing in the morning. Some of us just like to get to our coffee and out the door to work.

However, by including these exercises into your morning, you’ll boost your metabolism, improve your digestion, and improve your mood. It’s worth spending 5-10 minutes a day getting in a short workout—you’ll feel better all day long!

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Sun Salutation Sequence

After a night spent in bed, your body needs some stretches to loosen up any stiff muscles, joints, or connective tissue. The Yoga Sun Salutation Sequence is an amazing exercise to help you stretch.

• Start by reaching up to the ceiling, standing on your tip-toes. This stretches your spine and shoulders.

• Bend backward slightly to give your back a stretch, and to each side to stretch your oblique muscles.

• Bend forward to touch your toes, and hang for 10-20 seconds, breathing all the time.

• Move into Downward Dog for 5 seconds, into Plank Hold for another 5 seconds, and into Upward Dog for another 5 seconds.

• Move into Child’s Pose and Cat Pose for 5 seconds each, then back to Upward Dog, Plank, and Downward Dog.

• Finish by coming up to your original position.

Doing this series of stretches every day will improve your mobility. To put that another way: you’ll move more easily and without aches or pains.

Push-Ups

Push-Ups are a killer upper body movement that will work the “pushing” muscles: chest, shoulders, and triceps. A single set of 10-20 Push-Ups will get the blood flowing through your upper body. You’ll find yourself feeling more energized after just one set.

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X Toe Touches

This movement is simple: spread your feet wide, reach your arms up into an X, and bend to touch one toe at a time. It’s a great way to loosen up kinks in your core and hips, and will give you a great lower back workout to start the day.

Plank Hold

Starting the day with 30 to 60 seconds of Plank Hold will do two very important things: 1) strengthen the muscles in your core, and 2) encourage better posture throughout the day. You’ll feel the muscles in your abs and back burning, and the mild soreness will help you to be aware of the way you sit and stand all day long.

To perform the Plank Hold, get in the “Plank” position: hands flat on the floor beneath your shoulders, feet on the floor, butt tucked in and core engaged. Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds (however long you can), and feel the burn in your core!

Do this every day, and you’ll strengthen your core and burn belly fat.

Squats

Yes, the idea of doing a set of Squats first thing in the morning probably doesn’t hold a lot of appeal, but it’s vital to work on your hip mobility and get the blood flowing to your legs.

To perform Squats properly:

1. Stand with your feet spread roughly shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly outward.

2. Keeping your back straight, bend your knees and lower your butt to the floor.

3. Lower until your heels are about to come off the floor, then push upward to return to a full standing position.

The fact that your legs are the largest muscle group in your body means this exercise will get blood flowing and calories burning. A single set of 10-20 Squats will encourage a faster metabolism as you head downstairs to have breakfast.

It’s really a simple workout: 5 exercises, each requiring 30 to 90 seconds to perform. With just 5 to 10 minutes of exercise a day, you’ll kick-start your metabolism, improve digestion, enhance energy production, reduce muscle soreness and stiffness, and strengthen your muscles. Totally worth it!

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