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Start your mornings right with our morning mobility routine, especially if you plan to sit at a desk all day.
Dohnal Chiropractic
(615) 781-8181
6005 Nolensville Pk #105, Nashville, TN 37211, USA
www.dohnalchiropractic.com
Hey there, and welcome back to the show. I’m Doctor Chris Dohnal, your chiropractor here in Nashville, and today we’re talking about something I genuinely wish more of my patients would do. We’re talking about a morning mobility routine. Just a few simple moves to start your day feeling loose, energized, and ready to go.
Now, here’s the thing. Most of us wake up stiff. You roll out of bed and your back feels tight, your neck is cranky, and everything just feels… stuck. That’s completely normal. When you sleep, your body is still for hours. Fluids shift, muscles cool down, and your joints just need a little coaxing to wake up. So instead of jumping straight into your day and hoping things loosen up on their own, let’s be a little more intentional about it.
Let me break this down for you with a few easy moves. And I mean easy. We’re not talking about a full workout here. This whole routine takes maybe five to seven minutes. That’s it.
The first move is a gentle knee-to-chest stretch. You’re still lying in bed for this one. Just pull one knee up toward your chest, hold it for about five seconds, then switch sides. Do that a few times on each side. What this does is gently decompress your lower back after a night of lying still. It wakes up those muscles along your lumbar spine and gets a little blood flowing before you even stand up. It’s one of the simplest things you can do, and it makes a real difference.
The second move is what I call a supine twist. You’re still on your back. Bend both knees, then let them slowly fall to one side while you keep your shoulders flat. Hold for a few seconds, bring them back to center, and then let them fall to the other side. This one is great for your thoracic spine, which is the middle part of your back. Most people carry a ton of tension right through there from sitting, driving, looking at screens. This gentle rotation helps that area open up.
Now here’s the third one, and this is the one I want you to do once you’re standing. It’s a simple chin tuck. You stand tall, you look straight ahead, and you gently pull your chin straight back, like you’re making a double chin. Hold it just a second or two, then release. Do that five or ten times. It sounds silly but this move is incredibly effective for resetting your neck posture. If you spend any time looking down at your phone or sitting at a desk, your head tends to drift forward over time. The chin tuck helps counteract that pattern right from the start of your day.
So what can you start doing today? Try this. Before you get out of bed tomorrow morning, do your knee-to-chest stretch and your supine twist. Then once you’re up and standing, do your chin tucks. That’s it. Just three movements. Give it a week and notice how different your mornings feel.
Now, if you’re waking up stiff every single morning and these stretches don’t seem to be helping, that’s worth paying attention to. Persistent morning stiffness, especially in your back or neck, can sometimes signal that something else is going on that a simple stretch won’t fix on its own. That’s where I come in.
At Dohnal Chiropractic here in Nashville, we look at the whole picture. How your spine is moving, where tension is building up, and what habits might be working against you. Whether you’re dealing with something specific or you just want to move better and feel better every day, we’re here for that conversation.
Thanks so much for tuning in today. I really appreciate you spending a few minutes with me. If you have questions or you want to come in and get evaluated, give us a call or visit our website. We would love to see you. This is Doctor Chris Dohnal at Dohnal Chiropractic in Nashville, Tennessee. Take care of yourselves, and I’ll talk to you next time.
