6 Energizing Morning Exercises to Do in Bed

Mornings can be tough. If you’re someone who needs a little (or big) boost to get up and get energized for the day, this article has six simple morning exercises you can do while still lying in bed to help get your day started!

These exercises take less than 10 minutes to do and can easily be added to your daily morning routine. Try to focus and take note of the changes from your sleeping state to your awake state, and where the energy travels to and from during the exercises. To keep the energy flowing, take a pause with three deep breaths between each exercise to feel the full effects in your mind and body.

After you switch off your alarm, take a moment to mindfully settle into the new day filled with opportunity. Take three deep breaths, inhaling in through your nose and exhaling out through your mouth and begin with the following routine:

1. Stretchy Cat
   Raise your arms above your head (you may need to scoot down the bed a bit to make room), stretch your legs out straight and point your toes. Stretch from the tips of your fingers all the way to your toes and wiggle gently from side to side. You will feel your entire body release the grips of sleep and immediately energize and tingle. Your muscles have been at rest and with this gentle whole-body stretch, you are easing them into a new day.


2. Fast Palm Rub
   Lying on your back with your head still resting on your pillow, bring your palms together at your chest and rub them as fast and hard as you can for 30 seconds. This will increase your energy level in seconds and increase the flow of warm blood to the body.


3. Eye Cup & Arm Swipe
   Take your warm palms and cup them over your open eyes to release the energy from your hands to your sleepy eyes. Hold them there for 30 seconds and feel the power of your own energy flow. This is very soothing so try not to fall asleep! This exercise has incredible benefits including healthier eyesight, stimulation to the liver meridian, and a gentle energy release. Next, rub your palms down each arm from shoulder to fingertip, three times on each side. You might feel tingling and a warm sensation on your arms as your body awakens.


4. Toe Tapping
   With your legs straight, keep your heels together and begin to tap your big toes together. The best way to do this is to move your legs from your hips and tap your toes, so you don’t strain yourself. Tap as rapidly and forcefully as is comfortable. You will feel your legs start to tingle and energy will travel up your legs. Do this for at least one minute or 50 repetitions, depending on which comes first. Stop tapping and notice the slight vibration of accumulated energy throughout your body.


5. Spinal Twist
   Bring your knees to your chest as if you were going to wrap your arms around them and give them a hug. Cross one leg over the other and let the legs fall to one side of your body. As you do this, position your arms into a cactus (or right angle from your elbow pointing towards your pillow) and turn your head in the opposite direction on your legs. Gently bring your knees back to center, put the opposite knee on top and repeat. Hold each side for 30-45 seconds. When finished, stretch your legs back out and bring your awareness back to your breath.


6. Abdominal Breathing
   Sit-up in lotus position with a straight, but relaxed spine. Begin breathing in deeply and fill the abdomen with your breath, collecting all of your attention in consciously expanding your belly. Breathe out completely, releasing the energy of whatever has been taking hold of your presence in your unconscious mind. Energy flows where the mind goes, and this conscious abdominal breathing will heat your belly up to ignite the fire within. Do this for at least one minute to feel the full effects. With this mindful breathing practice, you'll feel your cells awakening and a slight vibration throughout your body.

Now your body is fully energized and ready for the day. Even if you’re not a morning person, these simple exercises can help you feel like you can take on anything—and all before you even step out of bed. Try these for a week and tell us how you feel in the comments below!