Spending a few minutes stretching in the morning is one of the best ways to start the day.

According to the certified personal trainer Jennifer Warthann, a fee minutes spent stretching boosts blood flow through the whole body, including the brain, wakes you up, and prevents feeling sluggish.

Stretching first thing in the morning helps the circulatory system to deliver nutrients to muscle tissue, so the body can perform the daily activities with more ease. Additionally, 80 percent of Americans report feeling stress on the job, so some morning stretches can relieve or lessen those feelings, and reduce the emotional tension that might be taking up residence physically in the back, neck, or legs.

This will also improve posture, an issue which is often overlooked during all those hours we are curled over a computer.

Stretching offers huge benefits for our health, as it increases our flexibility and range of motion, improves body posture, relieves back pain and reduces the tension in the muscles, relaxes and calms the body, and strengthens the entire body.

The following morning routine involves 8 stretches that will help you enjoy all these benefits:

Standing Forward Bend

Stand with the feet spread hip- distance apart and the knees slightly bent. Hinge forward at the hips, for the upper body to hang over the legs, and grasp the elbows. Hold for 4 breaths, and then slowly come up by pulling in the abs and round the vertebrae up one at a time. Repeat twice.

Standing Hamstring Stretch

With the left heel placed on a chair lower than the hip, flex your foot, and bend forward toward it for a deeper stretch. Hold for half a minute.

Elevated Pigeon Stretch

Take the left leg with the knee bent on the bed. Square the hips while the front knee is placed outside of the front shoulder. Bend forward at the hips, with the spine straight, and place the hands on the bed. Hold for 5 deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Door Stretch

Place the arms on the door jam, step the foot through the threshold, with the upper arms parallel to the ground, and the forearms aligned up and along the doorway. Next, bend the front knee to feel the stretch in the shoulders hold for half a minute, and repeat with the other leg.

Standing Side Stretch

Clasp the hands, stretch the pointer fingers, and hold them over the head. As you reach forward, breathe in, and breathe out as you bend the body to the right. Breathe in slowly 5 times, return to the center, and repeat on the left side.

Cat & Cow

Start with the knees and hands on the ground, the palms placed directly under the shoulders and the knees right under the hips. Inhale, pull the abs, and arch the back up like a cat stretching.

Then, return to the initial position, bend the upper part of the spine upwards while supporting it with t the help of the abs. Keep the neck as a long extension of the rest of the spine, and don’t let the head fall back. Repeat to the starting position, and make 5 repetitions.

Straight Leg Calf Stretch

Stand up, facing a wall, the arms straight in front of you, and the hands flat against the wall.

Keep the right leg forward with the foot flat on the ground, and stretch the left leg behind you with the heel flat on the floor. Then, lean into the wall, and hold for 30 seconds. Switch to the other side, and repeat twice with each leg.

Clasped Hand Chest Stretch

Clasp the hands behind the back, elevate the arms behind while bending forward at the waist. Hang the head loose and raise the arms up overhead. Try to touch the palms together. Hold for half a minute, and make 3 repetitions.

Source: theheartysoul.com