The 5-Minute Morning Warm-Up Before You Log On

Issue 4 of the Desk Mobility Brief. So far we have covered quick stretches between calls, a neck, eyes and hands reset, and a shutdown routine for the end of the day. This week we go to the other end of the day: a short warm-up for the five minutes before you open your inbox. When your commute is a few steps from the bedroom, the body often goes straight from bed to chair. This routine gives it a gentler start.

1. Wake-up reach (30 seconds). Stand tall, interlace your fingers, turn the palms up and reach toward the ceiling. Take three slow breaths, then lean a little to each side.

2. Arm circles (45 seconds). Let your arms hang, then make ten slow, big circles backward and ten forward. Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears.

3. Hip circles (45 seconds). Hands on your hips, feet hip-width apart. Draw slow circles with your hips, five in each direction, as if tracing the inside of a large bowl.

4. Supported calf raises (1 minute). Hold the back of a chair or the edge of your desk. Rise slowly onto your toes, pause, and lower with control. Do fifteen.

5. Sit-to-stand (1 minute). Stand in front of your chair with your feet hip-width apart. Sit back slowly until you just touch the seat, then stand up again. Do eight to ten at an easy pace.

6. Settle in (1 minute). Sit down with your feet flat and take a few slow breaths before you open the laptop. Notice how your back and shoulders feel as you start the day.

The idea for this week

Pair the warm-up with something you already do every morning, such as boiling the kettle or waiting for the laptop to start. Same time, same place, and it soon becomes automatic.

Safety note

Keep everything gentle and within a comfortable range. Stop if anything causes sharp pain, numbness or dizziness, and check with a qualified health professional if you have an existing knee, hip or back condition.

If you would like a timer to follow along with routines like this, try Flexor App for stretching.

See you next issue,