Lying buttocks and hip stretch with legs crossed

This stretch is really good to do if you’ve been sitting all day and feel tight in your lower body and legs. I also love this stretch for stretching out the lower back by bringing in your knees toward your chest.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Lie on your back in your bed with your knees bent and feet flat on your bed.
2. Lift your left foot and place the outside of your left ankle on your right thigh, just above your knee.
3. Raise your right foot off the bed and bring your knee toward your chest (See Figure).
4. Interlock your fingers behind your knee.
5. Inhale and as you exhale, gently pull your right knee closer to your chest with your hands.
6. With your left elbow, gently press your left knee away from you (see Figure).
7. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, gradually deepening the stretch with every exhale.
8. Repeat the stretch with your right foot on your left thigh.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your shoulder blades down and your upper body relaxed.
• Do be patient and let the stretch deepen with each breath.
• Don’t lift your hips off the bed or lean to one side.

Lying stretch to take a load off neck and shoulders

This stretch focuses on your neck and shoulders and helps relieve any stress you may have accumulated over the day. To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Lie on your back in your bed with your knees bent and feet flat on your bed.
2. Place your hands on the back of your head and point your elbows toward the ceiling.
3. Exhale and slowly lift your head while keeping your shoulder blades on your bed (see Figure). You should feel this stretch in the back of your neck and shoulders.
4. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and then release by slowly lowering your head back to your pillow.
5. Repeat this stretch a few times or whatever feels most comfortable to you. Never bounce or force this stretch. Be careful not to jam your chin into your chest, which could cause you to overstretch your neck muscles.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do hold your hands at the base of your head and top of your neck.
• Do keep your body relaxed and your shoulders down.
• Don’t lift your shoulder blades off the bed.
• Don’t hold your breath!

Foot Self-Massaging

Very few things in life are more relaxing then a foot massage. Unfortunately, you may not have a licensed masseuse at your beck and call, so you have to take things into your own hands.
To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Sit comfortably on the side of your bed and wiggle your toes and circle your ankles a few times. This action increases circulation and helps relax the muscles of your ankles and feet.
2. Place your right ankle on your left thigh.
3. Place your thumbs on the pads of your toes and make circular motions, using medium pressure.
4. After circling a few times on each toe, move down to the root or base of your toes, continually applying medium pressure with each circular motion.
5. Continue the circular motion across the width of the ball of your foot.
6. Move down in a zigzag pattern across the entire length of your foot. Try to massage every spot of the sole of your foot, from your toes to your heel.
7. End by gently stroking the sole of your foot from top to bottom.
8. Repeat the massage on your left foot. You may need to use a little more pressure around your heel and ankle.

Lying hip opener

Now it’s time to get in bed. This stretch opens up your hips, which is great for a better night’s sleep because your tight groin muscles loosen up.
To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet touching each other. Make sure that your feet are at a comfortable distance from your hips. If your back is arching, your feet are probably too close to your hips.
2. Inhale deeply and as you exhale, relax your legs and let gravity gently pull your knees toward the bed. Everybody is different, and your knees may not move too close to the bed. As long as you feel a gentle stretch along the inner thighs, and no pain in your lower back, you’re doing fine.
3. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths.

A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise:

• Do remember to take several deep breaths during the 30 seconds.
• Don’t bounce your knees downward or try to force your knees toward the bed.
• Don’t arch your back.

Standing calf stretch

This stretch is great for anyone who has to stand for extended periods of time at work during the day. Stretching your calf muscles before bed helps prevent leg cramps that can happen during the night.
To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Face your bed, and stand an inch or two away from your bed with your feet together.
2. Bend forward and place your hands directly in front of you on your bed.
3. Move your left foot back (about the distance of shoulder-width apart), keeping your foot as flat as possible on the floor.
4. Bend the right knee slightly, but keep the left knee straight. Try to keep your toes pointing directly forward in line with your heel. The more you turn your toes outward, the less effective the stretch for your calf will be.
5. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, gently press your hips forward, keeping your left heel on the ground.
6. Hold the stretch for several deep breaths.
7. Slightly bend your left knee without lifting your heel off the floor. By bending your knee you stretch an additional muscle in your calf, which is important for ankle flexibility.
8. Repeat this stretch on your right leg.

A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise:

• Do keep your toes and heel in line.
• Do keep your heel on the floor.
• Do breathe deeply and rhythmically throughout the stretch.
• Don’t round your back. Try to keep your back straight and press your hips forward.

Lengthening back extension

The purpose of this stretch is to bring circulation to the muscles along your spine. If you have poor posture, or you’ve been sitting for an extended period of time, you probably have been rounding your back and slouching, which zaps your body of energy. This stretch straightens and lengthens your spine, which is great for improving mobility of your back.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Lie on your belly with your palms on the floor next to your chest with your elbows bent and your legs straight and together. Make sure to keep your neck in line with the rest of your spine (see Figure a).
2. Inhale and as you exhale, lengthen your spine, lift your chest, and begin to straighten your elbows as you push up with your arms (see Figure b). Keep your elbows close to your sides and squeeze your buttocks tightly to prevent undo compression of your spine. Imagine the space between each vertebra increasing, lengthening your spine.
3. Hold the stretch for a few seconds (or as long as it’s comfortable) and then slowly lower your body down to the starting position.
4. Repeat two or three more times.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your neck long and in line with the rest of your spine.
• Do keep your shoulder blades down.
• Do pull your belly in toward your spine.
• Do squeeze your buttocks tightly to prevent pressure in your lower back.
• Don’t compress your lower back.

Standing spinal twist with overhead reach

This stretch gets circulation back into your spine, especially if you’ve been inactive for a while. It’s the perfect stretch to get you moving again.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Stand tall with your feet apart, your abs and chest lifted, your shoulders back and down, and your arms to your sides. Keep your feet wide and your knees bent. This position keeps your center of gravity low and makes it easier to keep your upper body relaxed.
2. Inhale and as you exhale, bend your knees and pivot on your left big toe, turning your hips and shoulders to the right as you reach your left arm overhead.
3. Repeat on the left side.
4. Repeat the stretch for 16 to 20 repetitions, keeping your movement controlled and relaxed.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your knees bent at all times.
• Do keep your abdominals lifted.
• Do turn your hips all the way to the side.
• Don’t force or jerk the movement — it should flow from side to side.
• Don’t lock your knees.

Overhead forward arm swings

A very important part of overall fitness is being able to maintain your balance. Not only will this rhythmic full-body stretch wake you up, energize you, and lengthen your spine, but also it can help improve your balance, which means less accidents throughout the day when you’re climbing stairs or carrying groceries or your kids.
To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Stand tall with your feet together and your arms to your sides.
2. Inhale and reach your arms overhead, while raising your heels off the floor so you balance on the balls of your feet. Hold the pose for a count of three as you maintain your balance.
3. As you exhale, let your arms swing down as you bend your knees and shift your weight to your heels.
4. Use the momentum of your arms to swing your arms back up overhead and balance again. If you’re having trouble balancing at the top of this exercise, check to make sure that your abdominals are pulled in and your shoulders are pressed down.
5. Exhale and lower again.
6. Repeat this exercise five times.

On the last one, hold the balance for as long as you can.
A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise:

• Do keep your abdominals lifted.
• Do keep your shoulder blades down, especially when you raise your arms overhead.
• Do think of your spine getting longer each time you reach up.
• Don’t let your belly stick out or compress your lower back.
• Don’t hold your arms up behind your shoulders.