Feel Lighter to Start Your Day

​Ever feel like you're weighed down by the demands of early parenthood? That's exactly how I feel. A wonderful life coach said to me, when my oldest was just 1 year old, that I was in the 'labor-intensive' years of parenting. She was exactly right and I'm still in it. My oldest just turned 6 and started 1st grade last week. He's more active than ever and growing stronger by the day. My youngest is 3 and still likes to cuddle and be carried a lot. 

Having practiced Pilates for many years, my body feels the need to move in many ways  everyday. However, running after my kids does not quite cut it. Yet, it is precisely this physically demanding stage of parenthood that makes my body ache when I skip my daily doses of varied movements in a few days. My body starts to feel stiff and weak - like the chi gets stuck and can't flow through in my movements - and I'm less capable, emotionally and physically, to engage in active play with my kids. To prevent this, over the past two years, I've developed the habit of doing a few stretches in the morning before I start the day. These simple stretches help keep me feel a little more flexible and lighter to tackle what's ahead. 

Here are three quick stretches you can do standing, anywhere (I do them in my bathroom as part of my get-ready routine), in less than 5 minutes. You will feel more awake and ready for another day of playground hopping.

Arch and Curl
I always start with this exercise along with deep breathing. The movement works with the breath and provides a nice morning rhythm to wake up the body.

1. Stand tall with feet slightly wider than hip-distance, knees slightly bent, arms hanging loosely by the side. Lengthen your spine through the top of your head towards the ceiling and your tailbone towards the floor. Make sure your pelvis is in neutral position, not tilted forward or backward.
2. Inhale, move into the arch position by extending your spine such that your sternum (breastbone in the center of your chest) moves forward and tailbone moves back. Squeeze your shoulder blades to allow your chest to move forward without popping your ribs out. Think about sticking your bum out without losing connection in your abs
3. Exhale, move into the curl position by pulling your belly button in towards your spine, bringing your chest in, and tugging your tailbone between your legs. Your pelvis will tilt back. You might engage your glutes a little here.
4. Repeat 5-10 times.

Standing Twist 
This is a great exercise to get the spine moving on a different plane and engage the core.

1. Same starting position as Arch and Curl. Place hands, with fingers laced, at the base of your head. Keep shoulders away from ears (try pressing down through your armpit or squeezing your shoulder blades downward).
2. Inhale to prepare and lengthen your spine.
3. Exhale 3 times as you twist to one side while keeping length in the spine. With each exhale, twist a little more. Pull your belly button away from your shirt to engage your core muscles. Imagine your spine articulating as a spiral staircase, up and around. Your head should not be moving in your hands. It's your torso that's moving. Since your head is on top of your spine, your gaze will follow without moving your head.
4. Inhale to return to center.
5. Exhale 3 times and twist to the other side.
6. Alternate sides and repeat 3-5 times on each side.

Spinal Articulation – Against the Wall
This is a great exercise for stretching your lumbar spine while engaging your arms and the lats for strength work.

1. Start with a standing plank against a wall. Feet about hip-distance apart. Hands on the wall with fingers spread open for a wide base. Arms/hands about shoulder distance. Point the elbows more toward the floor and not out to the side. Step away from the wall until your arms are straight (soft elbows) and body is in an incline.
2. Inhale as you bend at the hips bringing back in line with your feet. Try to get your hips stacked on top of your feet. Keep your shoulders away from your ears. Eyes looking straight down at the floor.
3. Exhale as you tug your tailbone between your legs and articulate, one segment at a time, back to standing plank position. Focus on pulling your belly button in at the start of the movement to deepen the stretch in the lumbar spine.
4. Repeat steps 5-10 times.

Give these a try and add a little side-bend at the end and you're good to go!

​Start with 2-3 times a week and work up to everyday. It takes time for these to become automatic, so be patient. After 30 days of consistent practice (at least 5 times a week), your body will crave for these stretches if you skip too many consecutive days.

Happy stretching!