Easy Morning Exercises to Help Your Feel Great All Day

In my efforts to stay fit and healthy, I have come across a few simple stretches and exercises that you can do every morning to help you feel great the rest of the day. Research has shown that doing some of these basic exercises will help keep you in a better mood, especially if you’re like me, cooped up in an office all day dealing with administrative tasks that are not only mentally stressful but emotionally draining as well.

Before you engage in heavy exercises, it’s always a good idea to do some stretching first in order to loosen up those muscles. Here are a few stretches that I like to do before performing any exercises:

Lunges

This is perhaps one of the most common forms of leg muscle stretching out there. It’s so common because, well, it’s effective and easy to execute. All you have to do is stand with your feet shoulder width apart, place your hand on your hips, and start stretching your leg muscles by taking a giant step forward with your right leg. Bend the forwarded leg a little, while the other leg goes down and almost touches the floor as if you were about to kneel. Just make sure that your knees do not go too far forward to avoid injuries. I usually do 12 reps for each leg, but you can do eight or more if you want.

The Cat Camel Stretch

Cat camel stretches are a common element in yoga. I’ve learned this particular warm-up exercise from my wife who does yoga regularly. This yoga stretch, and other stretching exercises for that matter, is quite useful for muscle toning, flexibility, strengthening, and preventing injuries. The cat camel stretch in particular, is great for spinal flexibility and strengthening.

This is also very simple to do: kneel on the floor, on all fours. Inhale and then round your back like a camel’s. You will know you’re doing it right if your head is close to your pelvis. Then as you slowly exhale, lift your head and arch your back. Do five reps for maximum effect.

The Balancing Table Pose

This is another warm-up and stretching exercise that I learned from watching my wife do her yoga routine for years. The balancing table is a classic yoga pose that mostly benefits the spine, although it can also be great for improving balance, memory, and focus.

Put your hands and knees on the floor (as if forming a table). Inhale and as you exhale, slowly lift your right leg while raising your right arm. Both should be parallel to the floor. Let it stay for a few seconds and then bring down your arm and leg as you inhale. Do the same thing for your left leg and right arm. I do around 10 repetitions of this (for both sides).

Jumping Jacks

This is another classic warm-up exercise that promotes cardiovascular health, strength, and muscle toning, especially in the calves and deltoids.

A minute of jumping jacks is enough to jumpstart your energy.

Leg Squats

After doing a few stretching exercises, now you can start doing slightly heavier workouts like the leg squat. This particular exercise doesn’t just strengthen your leg muscles, but also your hips and knees.

Position your feet apart, make sure they’re a little far from your hips. Stretch out your arms and slowly sit down on the air. Do so until you reach a 90° angle. Stay in this position for a few seconds and then go back to your starting position. Two sets of 10 repetitions will be beneficial for you.

Push-Ups

Push-up exercises are great for building up your shoulder and upper body muscles, particularly your chest and back ones. If you do this every day, it will also help build up your upper body strength. Push-ups are also great for muscle toning, if you don’t like to use gym equipment.  

Start with 10 push-ups and gradually increase the number as you feel yourself becoming stronger.

Bicycle Crunches

This is my personal favorite, because it helps get rid of the excess fat in my tummy. This type of exercise is a variation of the basic crunches where only the abs gets a workout. Bicycle crunches involve more muscle groups, which is great if you only have a few minutes to exercise.

Lie on your back. Position your hands at the back of your head for support. Make sure your fingers are intertwined and your palms are facing and resting on the back of your head. Raise your head a little as you lift your legs. Move your legs as if you were pedaling a bike, and as you do so, turn your head sideways so that your elbow almost touches your bended knee (the other leg is stretched). Do this 10 times at first and increase as you gradually build strength.

Morning exercise is a great way to start your day. In addition to being a great mood booster, I’ve also noticed that I eat better and feel stronger and happier when I do morning exercises. Even a short walk or run can do wonders to your health, both physically and mentally.