Stretching your muscles is an important part of pre and post workout routines. But don’t let exercise be the only time you practice your flexibility. In fact, you can stretch out and flex your muscles without even leaving the comfort of your own bed! Try these five stretches right when you wake up to jump-start your muscles or before you fall asleep to help you relax. Let’s get to stretching!
1. Abs
Lay on your bed on your back, and hang your head and shoulders off of the bed. Reach your arms straight out above your head and extend your hands out in the air as far as you can. Hold the stretch for about 10 seconds. Relax by letting your arms drop to the ground or rest back on the bed. Repeat this process 2-3 times.
Photo Credit: Cara Canington
2. Groin
Sit up on your rear-end and place the bottoms of your feet together. Slowly pull your feet closer to hips, and use your elbows to press on your inner thigh and inner knee area. The closer you pull your feet to your groin, the stronger the groin stretch will be. Press down for about 5 seconds and then release, and relax. Repeat the prosses 4-5 more times.
Photo Credit: Cara Canington
3. Abs, Neck, and Back
Roll on to your stomach and place your hands on the bed up by your shoulders. Press your upper body up off of the bed by straightening your arms and lifting your chest up. Leave your lower body and hips flat against the bed. Arch your back and press your head back like you are trying to press the back of your head to your back. Hold this position for 10 seconds, and then relax. Repeat this stretch 3 times.
Photo Credit: Cara Canington
4. Quads
Lying down, roll on to your left side. With your right hand, grab the top of your right foot and pull it towards your rear-end. Your heel should be tucked right underneath your bum. Hold this stretch for about 20 seconds and then relax. Repeat one more time on the right quad. After the right quad has been stretched, repeat the same process for the left quadricep while laying on your right side.
Photo Credit: Cara Canington
5. Hip Flexors and IT Bands
Stand next to your bed and place one foot flat on your bed. Keep your other foot behind you and flat on the ground. Lean into the bed as if you were leaning into a regular lunge on the ground. Be sure to keep your knee from going over your toes on the bed. Hold this stretch for 20 seconds. Repeat one more time. To stretch your IT band, start in the same lunging position but instead of your foot on the bed, lay your whole shin flat on the mattress. Lean forward and hold this stretch for 20 seconds as well. Be sure to perform the hip flexor and IT band stretch on the other leg as well.
Photo Credit: Cara Canington
Photo Credit: Cara Canington
Do these stretching exercises in the order they appear if you are waking up in the morning, but start with stretch number 5 and work backwards if you are carrying out these stretches at night. This way, you will gradually make your way out of bed in the morning or in to your bed at night. While your bed may be primarily used for sleeping, make your mattress work overtime to help you stretch your muscles in an inventive and resourceful way!
