Simple Morning Stretches for Shoulders & Back 😌

If you’re like me and wake up stiff as a board, here are some simple morning stretches to ease your shoulders & upper back that take less than 5 minutes to do 😌
1. Bow & Arrow Cross-Lateral Arm Stretches - there’s a reason why you see almost every sport that requires hand-eye coordination include these in their warm-up. They’re great for releasing tension in the shoulder joints and increasing mobility, which then allows your shoulders to fall more into their natural alignment with your spine and avoid the hunch we all know we’re about to get from our computers/phones during the day
2. Y Arms - think of YMCA but your soul is leaving your body b/c of how many times you’ve heard that song (too many) and it’s time to go. This one is especially good for opening the chest & combatting any pinching of the pectoralis major/minor (which is again, often thanks to our electronic devices). If you’re feeling particularly anxious or stressed on a morning, this is a good heart opener that can release those feelings by improving overall circulation through your body, aka more regulated blood flow.
3. 🐢 Turtle Back Extensions - yes I made this name up, but it makes more sense to me than cat/cow with arms crossed? Grab your arms (either holding onto elbows, mid forearms, or wrists depending on your comfortability & range) and gently push them away from your body as you curl inward on the exhale. Think of rounding your spine rather than crunching. On the inhale, lengthen your spine & raise your arms up and slightly behind your head (without splaying your ribs too much) to feel a really juicy stretch in the deltoids and your armpits. The curving and extension of this pose will help release stiffness in the thoracic spine & wake up the exterior muscles around your shoulders.
Let me know which ones you try out & how they feel on your body 🤔 always curious to hear how poses land for different people and whether there are other cues to note from your experiences.
❤️ Like if you want to see more content like this! Personally I love geeking out about this stuff and would love to keep making more helpful videos like these.
#yoga #movementismedicine #morningstretch