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When your alarm clock rings or buzzes in the AM, do you leap out of bed like you’ve been struck by lightning or hit the snooze button?
Dr. Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute, told HuffPost Healthy Living that your answer should be “Stretch my back!”
He says that the “greatest incidence of slipped discs occurs within 30 to 60 minutes after we wake up.”
Oexman recommends that you “stretch out your back before you ever leave bed” instead of falling back to sleep, which interrupts your natural sleep pattern, counteracting sleep’s restorative values.
An old, lumpy bed and and the position you sleep in can put cause your back to become strained during that valuable rest-time. This “can actually increase stress on our ligaments, spinal discs and spinal joints,” says Oexman.
The following stretches, from the Sleep to Live Institute, can make a powerful difference in preventing back pain and keeping you limber throughout the day. And when your back starts to misbehave, just book a massage!
Here are the 5 Stretches to Do Before You Roll Out of Bed:
1) Low Back
Bring both knees to the chest by first raising one and then holding the knee with both hands. Then raise the other knee. Grasping both knees, pull them down to the chest. Relax.
2) Buttocks
Lying on your back with both knees bent, cross the left leg over the right. Using both hands, pull your right knee toward your chest. You should feel a stretch in the buttocks on your left side. Repeat on the opposite side.
3) Pelvic Tilt
Lie on your back with your knees bent, In this relaxed position, the small of your back will not be touching the bed. Tighten your abdominal muscles so that the small of your back presses against the bed. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat this 3 times and gradually build to 10 repetitions.
4) Knees to Chest
Lie on your back with both legs straight out. Bring one knee up to your chest and do a pelvic tilt. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 5 times. Repeat with the opposite leg.
5) Piriformis Stretch
The piriformis muscle runs through the buttock and can contribute to back and leg pain. To stretch this muscle, lie on your back and cross one leg over the other; gently pull the knee toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the buttock. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax. Repeat 3 times.
Source: Huffington Post
