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August 13, 2024
10 Effective Ways to Reduce Morning Stiffness and Start Your Day Right
Dr Livingood
Waking up with stiffness in the morning can be a real struggle.
That achy lower back or those tender feet can make it feel like it takes forever to get moving.
But fear not! I’m here to give you the lowdown on why morning stiffness happens and share 10 simple solutions to help you kickstart your day without discomfort.
1. The Morning Foot Dilemma
Ever wondered why your feet feel like they’re on fire when you first step out of bed? The position you sleep in can play a big role.
When you sleep, your feet are positioned pointing up, but the blanket’s pressure forces them to curl, making that first step in the morning stretch out the muscles in your tendons and arch.
The easiest solution? Stretch while you’re still in bed.
I have some fantastic morning stretches listed here, but some simple pumps and flexes make a great start!
2. Stretch It Out: Full-Body Edition
It’s not just your feet, though; your entire body can feel stiff in the morning.
Extending your feet stretches to your entire body can prevent pain in your back, shoulders, and neck when first standing up as well.
Some easy ones to start with include stretching your arms behind your back and then above your head as far as they can go without pain.
Then bring your knees to your chest to extend your spine.
Both of these serve to release the lactic acid trapped in your joints!
3. Shake Things Up with C-Shapes
Flexibility comes from the spinal fluid in the joints, so do some shaking and get that fluid pumping!
Put on some music and stretch from left to right, making C-Shapes with your body. If you are familiar with yoga, this is similar to the half-moon position there.
Add in some neck stretches for better flow.
The goal is to activate your spinal fluid and return feeling to your back and brain.
4. Battle Inflammation Before Bed
Another way to battle the morning blues is to prevent it the night before.
Increasing your intake of anti-inflammatories can help stop the swelling that causes soreness before it even starts!
Some great anti-inflammatories would be tumeric and omega-3.
Other solutions could include increasing your fish oil intake at night, such as increasing the amount of salmon dinners you eat!
5. Soak Away Stiffness with Epsom Salt
Bath bombs have been exploding in popularity, but sometimes it’s the basics that are best! The benefits of Epsom salt are numerous, and covered in more detail here.
But in short, Epsom salt helps expand the capillaries, which means blood is more easily able to flow through the body and deliver pain-relieving nutrients to the muscles that feel sore.
This reduces overall inflammation and prevents stiffness in advance.
6. Hydrate Your Joints
You need water. Your joints need water. Everything always needs water.
Starting the day with a large glass of water provides your dry joints with the hydration they need to move and operate their best!
Being hydrated will provide crucial cushioning between your bones and aid flexibility.
7. Sleep Positions Matter
During sleep, your spine is compressed in different configurations depending on your position.
Stomach sleepers are more likely to wake up with a cricked neck, side sleepers with shoulder stiffness, etcetera.
The best way, by far, to sleep is on your back. This aids blood flow, improves posture, and distributes gravity equally across the frame.
However, even while sleeping on your back, your neck may be forced into awkward angles.
I highly recommend picking up a sleep posture aid to keep your neck at the right angle throughout the night.
8. Boost Blood Flow with Beet Juice
Nitric oxide is the unsung hero of your blood!
This key nutrient promotes healthy blood flow and reduces swelling in your joints, preventing pain in the morning.
You can get this in through drinking beet juice at night, or having greens powder with breakfast.
9. Wind Down with Ginger Tea
Tea lovers, rejoice! Ginger tea can help soothe your digestive system, fight inflammation, and reduce muscle pain.
Turmeric tea can also provide similar benefits as the tablets or added to food.
Adding tea to your nighttime routine is a fantastic way to both aid sleep in general, promote healthy digestion, and most importantly for today, prevent stiffness upon waking up.
10. Embrace the Power of Collagen
Collagen is king when it comes to anything stretchy in the body — skin, hair, and joints especially!
Increasing your collagen intake gives your joints the nutrients they need to repair overnight.
I would recommend taking a collagen supplement at night, like Joint Support, for maximum efficiency while you sleep.
Plus, adding collagen powder into your morning coffee, like my Chocolate or Vanilla supplements, can provide flavor and texture to your coffee without inflammation-causing sugar.
Conclusion
All in all, preventing early morning stiffness is possible! It just takes the right actions and right nutrition.
Taking these easy steps, starting tonight, will put you on the path to pain-free mornings and more productive days.
For more health information, check out my free book, chock-full of tips!
Also, my website is host to hundreds of articles, products, and passionate people all dedicated to helping you on your health journey.
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