Gentle Morning Exercises to Strengthen the Body

Not everyone leaps out of bed at the crack of dawn to head to the weight room at the gym. If your mornings are a little sleepier and a lot slower, develop a gentle exercise routine to build strength and stamina and send you off -- calm, awake and fortified -- to face your day.

  1. Play Ball

    • Turn a morning routine into a fun strengthening session with a stability ball. Face down on the ball for "T-Y-I" exercises to stretch and strengthen your upper back, shoulders and core. Lie on the ball, balanced on your torso with your toes flat -- not curled -- and your bent knees slightly off the floor. Engage your core, extend both arms forward and open them into a "T" at your sides. Maintain control and a smooth motion as you bring your extended arms to a Y-shape ahead of you and, finally, to an I-shape, shoulders down, arms close to your ears. Do 10 to 12 repetitions. Then kill your abs softly on your back with your legs resting on the ball, hip-width apart. Contract your core, squeeze your legs together and lift the ball off the floor without arching your lower back. Take three deep breaths and release. Repeat three to five times.

    Salute the Sun

    • A modified morning Salute to the Sun can be a mellow way to strengthen muscles and wake up your body with a good stretch. Do only two or three slow, focused sets of a gentle Sun Salutation that begins with Mountain pose, a bent-knee Forward Bend, Half-Tortoise, and Half-Plank -- on hands and knees rather than balanced on toes and hands. Backbending Cobra pose, another Half-Tortoise and a Lunge into a relaxed Forward Bend bring you back to Mountain pose. Breathe deeply and evenly throughout the poses. If you're short of breath or laboring to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, you're probably pushing too hard. Concentrate on correct placement and smooth transitions between poses, engaging your core and releasing tension in your shoulders, neck, back and hips.

    Take a Walk

    • Morning cardio strengthens your heart and lungs, gets your arms and legs moving and burns off a little of that diet-busting late-night snack. Go for a walk, instead of a jog or run, and safeguard your joints as you work your muscles and build bone. Focus on posture as you begin -- stand tall, head up, shoulders down and back, pelvis tucked slightly under, tummy in. Engage your abs to help stabilize your spine, and start at a comfortable pace. If you have a wake-up walking buddy, you should be able to carry on a conversation together without huffing and puffing. Pick up the pace gradually as the exercise boosts circulation and your muscles warm up. Walk at a moderate speed for 20 minutes to a half-hour or work up to a brisk walk at moderate intensity for even greater fitness benefits.

    Perfect Your Posture

    • Arm yourself against the spine slump of a day at your desk with an easy series of morning moves to strengthen muscles and improve your posture. The UCLA ergonomics program has developed an exercise routine for desk jockeys that takes a few minutes, but will have you sitting and standing with better alignment. Sit on the edge of the bed for shoulders-down-and-back waxing moves with elbows in and palms flat, circling in a polishing motion. Lie back on one side, an arm at your side as you extend the opposite arm slowly to the ceiling and back down, then roll over and work the other side. Lie prone for a scapular exercise, then use the wall for upper body Wall Angels and lower body Wall Slides. Sit on a chair for resistance band rows, abs isometrics and thigh-challenging Sit-to-Stands.