Benefits of Stretching Before Bed
1. Improves blood circulation in your body, thus allowing the flow of nutrients to be increased and waste to be removed from cells quickly.
2. It reduces muscle soreness when you wake up the next morning
because it reduces the tension in your muscles and joints.
3. Helps you sleep better at night by relaxing you and soothing your mind, this relieves stress and tension which helps to prevent insomnia.
4. Increases muscle flexibility which is necessary for 50-60% of sports movements and which will help you avoid injuries while playing sport or doing physical activities such as running, walking, yoga, etc.
5. It enhances coordination since the stretches wake up the neurons in our brain that control our muscles resulting in faster reaction time and movement coordination when we play sports or do physical activities such as running, walking, yoga, etc..
6. Massages organs such as kidneys and liver while stretching helping them work better while flushing out toxins.
7. Allows your blood to flow better while stretching the muscles that surround the lungs which makes breathing much easier for you.
8. Helps prevent injuries by keeping your body flexible and ready to face any unforeseen challenging situation during physical activities such as running, walking, yoga, etc., thus preventing muscle tears or problems with other joints in your feet or ankles.
9. Reduces stress levels while stretching the back of your body including neck, spine, hips, and legs resulting in improved mental wellbeing after waking up the next morning due to its relaxing effect on both mind and muscles allowing them to recover from strenuous activity during day time without being fatigued so easily.
10. Relaxes you before going to sleep because it reduces stress and tensions thus it reduces the stress hormone cortisol in your body that may result in sleep problems.
Things you’ll need to get started:
1. A Yoga mat (optional) for yoga stretches
2. A timer or clock
3. Clothing suitable for physical activities such as running, walking, yoga, etc..
4. Comfortable bedding (optional).
5. Relaxing/soft music (optional).
6. Pillow (optional). And don’t forget to make sure you are warm enough while doing this activity because exposing yourself to extreme temperatures might cause unnecessary stress on your body which is already relaxed during nighttime. You can use a blanket if you feel cold but take it off when you feel too warm.
Make sure to drink plenty of water before going to sleep and after waking up, this is necessary because it helps your body function better and more efficiently which reduces tension and stress on both mind and muscles resulting in good mental health.
Hip stretches before bed:
Hip stretches before bed are a good opportunity to relax your hip muscles and make them flexible. Most of us go through our day with very tight hips from sitting for hours in the same position. Stretching the muscle will help you feel relaxed at night as well as later during the day. In addition, it will also give you a chance to review some facts about your physical condition.
(1) Standing hip stretch before bed:
This is one of the most common hips stretches before bed. It targets your hips, hamstrings, and feet. This stretch can be done with both legs forward or backward.
Steps:
Stand upright facing a wall about two to three feet away from it
Keep your arms extended sideways with palms pressed against the wall for support. Slowly move one foot behind you so that the toes are touching the wall while keeping the other stationery.
Ensure that hips are facing directly towards the wall even as you perform this exercise. You should feel an intense sensation around your hip area during this exercise due to the tightening of muscles in that region. Hold for 30 seconds Repeat with other legs Also try the Bird-Dog pose.
(2) Knee to Chest:
This is another hip stretch before bed that relaxes the muscles around your hips and lower back. This position also increases flexibility by loosening the hamstring muscles, which are usually tight due to long hours of sitting. The knees bent upwards towards the chest cause this stretch.
Steps:
Lay on your back with your legs extended straight on the floor. You can keep a pillow beneath your head/neck for extra comfort. Bend one knee at a time and bring it up towards the chest while keeping the other leg extended on the floor. Hold for 30-40 seconds Repeat with opposite leg Also try Threading thigh
(3) Lizard pose:
The lizard pose is one of the simplest hip stretches before bed. It relaxes your hips, knees, and ankles. It’s also called the “Cobra pose” in yoga.
Steps:
Laying flat on your stomach with palms placed on either side of your face
Slowly bring one foot up towards your body keeping it at a distance of 6 to 12 inches from the other leg’s knee Bend upper-back slightly while doing this exercise
You should feel this stretch around both sides of your hips Repeat with opposite leg Also try Threading thigh
(4) Standing quadriceps stretch:
This is an easy yet effective hip stretch before bed that targets the front part of the thighs known as “quadriceps”. It increases flexibility in both hips and knees. The only equipment you will need is a sturdy chair/box/ledge to rest one foot on as well as support from your hands.
Steps:
Place one foot on a chair, box, or ledge keeping the knee bent towards the chest
Fully extend the other leg behind you, keeping it straight You should feel an intense sensation in both hips at this point Hold for 30-40 seconds Repeat with opposite leg Also try Threading thigh If you don’t have access to any of these items, simply take a towel and hold each end with your hands while standing upright facing a wall about 20 feet away from it.
Slowly move one foot behind you so that toes are touching the wall while keeping the other stationery. Ensure that hips are facing directly towards the wall even as you perform this exercise. You should feel an intense sensation around your hip area during this exercise due to the tightening of muscles in that region. Hold for 30 seconds Repeat with another leg.
(5) Cat stretch:
This is one of the simplest yet most effective hips stretches before bed. It targets both your hamstrings and lower back muscles while increasing mobility in your spine.
Steps:
Get on all fours keeping your abdomen pointed upwards towards the ceiling Your palms should be placed beneath your shoulders while keeping fingers pointing forwards Bend one knee at a time towards your chest, allowing it to bend only until the thigh is parallel to the ground Keep shifting weight from one leg to another after every few seconds Repeat with opposite leg Also try Threading thigh While performing this stretch, ensure that your head is always pointing downwards towards the floor. This ensures that you are stretching out your spine and not just hunching over. Maintain good posture even as you perform this exercise to get the most benefits from it.
leg exercises before bed:
(1) Upward dog:
This exercise increases flexibility in your spine and upper body. It is a good hip stretch before bed as well as a general exercise for people of all ages. This can be practiced by bending your knees if you have lower back problems.
Steps:
Keep standing tall on left foot with right knee bent Place right hand behind your butt, fingers pointing backward and palm pressed on the floor Slowly lift it upwards until you feel a stretch on both sides of the hips Hold for 30-40 seconds Repeat with opposite leg Also try Threading thigh.
(2) Butterfly:
This is an excellent hip stretch before bed that relaxes the muscles around your groin area as well as those along your inner thighs. This pose is also called “Baddha Konasana” in yoga.
Steps:
Sit on the floor with your back straight and bend both knees to a 90-degree angle Fold your arms across your chest and then open each leg to stretch it as much as possible Keep inhaling and exhaling, holding this position for about 10 seconds Repeat with opposite leg Also try Threading thigh.
(3) Lying quadriceps stretch:
This is an excellent hip stretch before bed that relaxes not only the front part of your thighs but also strengthens them. As you can see from its name, this exercise targets the quadriceps muscles – one of the largest muscles in our body. Flexibility around knee joints increases greatly due to regular practice of this stretch.
Steps:
Lie straight on the floor and bring one foot towards your head Extend your arms in front of you and grab the ankle of that leg with both hands Pull it across your chest until you feel a stretch in the thigh near your hip Quickly switch sides Repeat with opposite leg Also try Threading thigh
(4) Kneeling lunge:
This is an excellent hip stretch before bed because it targets several parts of your body such as your lower back, thighs, hips, and legs. It also helps to relax tense muscles after a busy day while significantly improving mobility around the knees. This stretch shouldn’t be performed if you have knee problems or any other serious medical conditions.
(5) Piriformis stretch:
The piriformis muscle is a small yet extremely important hip muscle. It provides stability to our pelvis as well as the power to movements such as walking, turning around, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, etc. However, due to lack of exercise or physical activities that involve these muscles, they can become very tight over time leading to other health problems. This hip stretch before bed helps relieve tension in the pelvic region and lengthens the piriformis muscle.
Steps:
Sit on a chair with your back straight Bring one leg up towards your chest, bending it at the knee Now grab behind your bent knee’s thigh with both hands Pull it upwards until you feel a stretch in front of your hip Keep inhaling and exhaling, holding this position for about 10 seconds Repeat with opposite leg Also try Threading thigh.
(6) Child pose:
This is an excellent hip stretch before bed that not only relaxes but also strengthens our muscles after a busy day. This exercise can be especially beneficial to people who have weak feet or lower legs.
Steps: Kneel down on the floor Slowly sit back onto heels while keeping your back straight and head down Now rest your torso on the top of your thighs until you feel a stretch in your hips, front part of lower legs and ankles Hold for 10 seconds Repeat 2 to 3 times Also try Threading thigh
(7) Supine butterfly:
This stretch is an excellent hip stretch before bed that can be performed by anyone (including pregnant women). It relaxes the muscles along the inner thigh as well as those around the groin. This person-specific exercise helps increase blood flow to our pelvic region gradually relieving pain and discomfort.
Steps:
Lie flat on the floor with legs together Bring feet towards your body as close as possible (without moving them away from each other) Wrap hands behind both thighs and gently pull them closer to your body until you feel a stretch in the inner part of your thighs Hold for 10 seconds Repeat 2 to 3 times Also try Threading thigh.