5 Stretches for a Better Sleep
If you’re looking for a natural way to wine down before bed, stretching is a beneficial exercise that will relieve tension, reduce stress and increase flow. Fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep by completing the below stretches each night.
Child's Pose – A popular yoga pose that is often used between more difficult poses to help center and calm your body and brain.
Benefits:
- Relieves pain and tension in your back, shoulders and neck
- Regulates breathing
- Reduces stress
Stretching steps:
- Start by kneeling down on the ground with your toes together, buttocks on your heels, and knees wide apart
- Stretch your arms out in front of your body and place your forehead on the ground
- Using your hands, press back slightly to deepen the stretch
Rag Doll – A great stretch any time of day when you want to relieve tension throughout your shoulders, neck and back.
Benefits:
- Relieves tension in neck, shoulders and upper back
- Relieves compression in lower back and hips
- Increases blood flow to your head
Stretching steps:
- Stand with your legs about hip distance apart and adjust as needed throughout stretch
- Cup each hand around the opposite elbow
- Bend forward at the hips until your head and arms are pointed toward the ground
- Relax your lower back and let your head and arms extend the stretch
Bonus: Sway your arms back and forth for an even deeper stretch
Seated Spinal Twist – This spinal stretch is a perfect way to relieve stress, decompress, detox your body after a long day.
Benefits:
- Recalibrates and relaxes your spine
- Encourages blood flow to your digestive organs
- Relieves stress and toxins
Stretching steps:
- Sit down with your legs out straight in front of you
- Bend your right knee and cross it over your left leg placing your foot flat on the floor by your knee or thigh
- Lengthen your spine and grasp your left arm around your right leg gently pulling to deepen the stretch
- Repeat stretch on opposite side
Runner's Lunge – A common stretch for most athletes that is also beneficial for people who spend a lot of time sitting
Benefits:
- Relieves tension lower back
- Recover hip flexors
Stretching steps:
- Kneel down on one leg with the other bent at a 90-degree angle in front of you
- Do not let your front knee go over your foot
- Straighten your back leg and dip your hips down to deepen the stretch
- Switch legs and repeat better
Happy Baby – A modern-age yoga pose that looks like a reclining squat and is perfect for stretching your hips, groin, chest and shoulders.
Benefits:
- Relieves tension in lower back
- Realigns and lengthens spine
- Relieve stress
Stretching steps:
- Lie on your back and bend your knees
- Bring your arms through the inside of your knees and grasp the outer edge of your feet with both hands
- While pressing your tailbone and back down into the floor, pull your legs back with your hands
- To deepen the stretch, open your knees wider
