MASTER CLASS

Add Stretch Band Good Morning to daily rituals

Fitness trainer Dawn Saylor does step 1 of the Stretch Band Good Morning exercise in the fitness room upstairs at Little Rock Racquet Club’s indoor tennis center.
Fitness trainer Dawn Saylor does step 1 of the Stretch Band Good Morning exercise in the fitness room upstairs at Little Rock Racquet Club’s indoor tennis center.

In the summer, early morning is my favorite time of day. My energy levels are always high as the sun rises over the tree line. The sound of coffee brewing is all that breaks the silence, and I'm able to focus my energy on waking up my mind and body.

What's the first thing you do each morning? I'll bet I can guess. Do you check your phone? I knew it!

Unfortunately, checking one's phone has not only become the first thing we do each morning -- it's an incessant behavior that has permeated society. I won't get off on a technology rant here, but a recent study by a global tech support company, Asurion, found that Americans check their phones an average of 80 times per day. That's a lot of checking.

Checking one's phone in the morning is understandable, as many emails and texts could have come through while you slept. So, OK, check it once. But then put it down.

Don't reply, respond or even begin to think about the work that's associated with whatever communication you've noticed. When there is no emergency, let's not pretend there is. Rather, focus on yourself.

For many, the early morning is the only time you'll be alone all day or night. Your spouse and kids will rise, you'll drive into morning traffic, you'll stroll into a busy office, and the cycle will reverse when you head home. It's a cycle that leaves little time for reflection or physical activity. That's why I like to take advantage of the precious morning hours.

After all the personal hygiene routine is completed, I like to grab a stretch band and do a few basic stretching exercises. Nothing intense, just a handful of stretches to address the tight hamstrings, lower back, shoulders and neck.

This short, three-to-four-minute routine is an easy way to activate the body and ease into my day.

After I'm finished, I meditate for 5 minutes. I like to sit out on my screened-in porch with the morning breeze blowing though and clear my mind. It's an incredibly useful exercise, and I find myself looking forward to it.

And that's it.

After those seven or eight minutes, I dive into the morning rituals of feeding dogs, dressing my daughter, making breakfast for everyone, and yes, checking email. I'm fully engaged in my day, because I've taken a few minutes to prepare my mind and body beforehand.

Here is the step-by-step process for one of the exercises I do. The Stretch Band Good Morning is a great way to engage the hamstrings, shoulders and lower back without using much resistance.

1. Select a very light resistance stretch band and hold it by the ends. Extend your arms overhead and spread them apart until the stretch band begins to, well, stretch.

2. Continue pulling until you feel a good medium resistance in the band.

3. Bend forward at the waist while keeping your spine totally straight.

4. Press your hips back as you lean forward with your arms still extended as they were.

5. Lower until your back is parallel with the floor, or as low as you can go.

6. Stand back up slowly.

7. Do two or three sets of five repetitions.

The Stretch Band Good Morning is a fantastic exercise for one's morning routine, simply because it addresses so many muscle groups in one simple move. It's safe, effective and could change the momentum of one's mornings if performed regularly. Let's get the day started right!

Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master's in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

[email protected]

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Fitness trainer Dawn Saylor does step 2 of the Stretch Band Good Morning exercise in the fitness room upstairs at Little Rock Racquet Club’s indoor tennis center.

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Fitness trainer Dawn Saylor does step 3 of the Stretch Band Good Morning exercise in the fitness room upstairs at Little Rock Racquet Club’s indoor tennis center.

ActiveStyle on 06/18/2018

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