How we begin our morning greatly affects our daily outlook of life and can set us up for a productive day! Use these ideas as a starting point to start your day off on the right foot.
Get Moving
Your joints may be a little stiff after a night of sleep, but movement as simple as walking around your house will help clear your mind and prepare you for the day! It’ll also get your heart pumping and improve your cardiovascular fitness by warming up your muscles to gently stretch them out.
Gentle Stretching
Doing a few light stretches will help lengthen and relax your muscles, empty your mind, and relieve stress and anxiety. Remember, before you begin to stretch your muscles, they should be warmed up with some mild activity!
Start with gentle head rolls to stretch your neck and work your way down, stretching your arms, back, legs and ankles. Take your time and hold each stretch for 30 seconds to get the full effect and benefits. Keeping your body limber increases your range of movement and your ability to continue doing ordinary tasks like driving or tying your shoes, as well as doing the things you love, like playing with your grandchildren.
The Sit-to-Stand Exercise
Your capacity to remain mobile, especially with movements like getting up from a chair or out of bed, may become one of the biggest factors in being able to live at home independently versus receiving assisted care.
This simple exercise helps strengthen your upper-leg muscles needed for sitting and standing. Start by standing in front of a chair with your feet slightly apart and cross your arms or hold them straight out so you can remain balanced.
Bend your knees and lower yourself in a controlled manner into a sitting position on the chair. Keep your back as straight as possible and ensure that you have good posture throughout this exercise. After a slight pause, bring your body to a standing position to complete one repetition. Over time, you should work up to 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions, but don’t overexert yourself and take breaks as needed.
Yoga or Tai Chi
Yoga or tai chi does wonders for strengthening and improving your balance! Take a class, watch a workout video, or just do a few moves before getting on with your day. The poses in these practices help you to regulate your breathing and can be adapted for any level of experience. You’ll find after routinely repeating these exercises, your balance, posture, and quality of walking will improve.
Get Creative
Take some time to find an activity that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning! The activities that can have the greatest impact are the ones that you enjoy doing and get you excited to continue doing them.
This can include dancing, swimming, an exercise class, or even just a simple walk outdoors! What’s more, finding an activity you can do with others will give you the combined value of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits from the social interaction.
At The Canopy, our care facilities are designed to provide as many great experiences as possible. Give our staff a call today at (386) 515-7215 or visit us online and check out the wide range of activities our locations have to offer.
