Move gently and patiently. This should feel relaxing. Do not “whip” or “throw” your limbs. Always move under your own control.
You should never feel any strain or pressure during this session. This should take about 5-10 minutes and can be done every day. Before breakfast is a good time; attach this to your coffee or tea habit if you can.
For each joint, try to stretch a little bit further on each rep or rotation. Once you hit the same range 2-3 times in a row, move on to the next joint. Don’t do repeated reps at your end range. Do one side at a time so you can focus on the range of motion of each joint.
Instructions:
Toes – scrunch together and open apart. 10-20 reps
Ankles – rock side to side, planted on ground. 5-10 reps
Ankle circles – foot in the air and toes pointed. 5-10 reps each way
Knee raise – keep pelvis stable and raise knee towards chest. 5-10 reps each leg
Butt kicks – keep pelvis stable and kick heel towards butt. 5-10 reps each leg
Hula hoop hip circles – Keep feet planted and move hips in a circle. 10-20 reps each way
Shoulder shrugs – arms at sides, move one shoulder in a circle. 5-10 reps each way
Large arm circles – both arms at once is OK. 5-10 reps each way
Elbow circles – arm in front of you and shoulder relaxed. 5-10 reps each way
Wrist circles – make a fist. 10-20 reps each way
Fingers – firm fist to fully opened. Don’t flick, just open and close. Your age in reps.
Combination:
I recommend doing this every day, some time in the morning. In his landmark book Stretching Scientifically, Thomas Kurz recommends doing it in the morning before you eat. That’s entirely up to you 🙂