We live in an age of fast food, fitness, and instantaneous movement, where we can easily equate the term "fitness" with intense physical activity, calorie burning, and gym fees. However, what we often overlook is the life-changing effects of regularly doing stretches and mobility work, particularly at home.

Composing your bookend routine at the start and end of the day contributes not only to physical well-being; it also clarifies your mind, improves your posture, enhances sleep quality, and boosts your overall longevity. A person who buys a stair climber can also perform multiple exercises with it.

As an office employee, a remote worker, a stay-at-home mother, or an ambitious individual who wants to make a positive change in terms of physical comfort, stretching, and mobility programs offer a minimal-effort, high-return physical fitness approach.

Morning Routine That Can Energize the Body

Objective: To arouse body-warming muscles, increase circulation, and loosen joints.

The morning stretches need to be dynamic; they should focus on the dynamics and not on the extended remains. These exercises stretch your body and activate the blood circulation, as well as inform the brain to switch to working mode.

·         Cat-Cow (Flexion-Extension)

Start your position on all fours. Breath in as you feel your spine arch (cow), breath out as you curl your spine (cat). Do this 6-8 times.

Advantages: Unstiffens the spine, reduces morning stiffness, and improves spinal awareness.

·         World's Greatest Stretch (Lunge with Twist)

On the first step, move one leg forward with a lung and rest the other hand on the ground, turning the torso forward. Wait 15 seconds, change position.

Advantages: The hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders are open, making it ideal for maintaining good posture while working at a desk.

·         Stretch Yoga Side Squats

Go laterally side to side in a deep lateral lunge position, with the spine straight. Do 10 reps on each leg.

Advantages: Engages the hip adductors and enhances side-to-side movement, as well as prepares the legs for walking or exercise. One who buys a stair climber can practice movement on the same day.

Starting time: 10-12 mins

Tip: Combine this routine with taking deep breaths and drinking a glass of water, as this will have an optimal effect.

Evening Routine: Release Tension and Support Restful Sleep

Outcome: Relax the nervous system and alleviate the pain and strain that have accumulated in the body, orienting the body towards deep rest.

The evening stretch must be slow, static, and relaxing, with a strong emphasis on the prolonged hold, allowing the muscles to deactivate completely. Combining stretching and deliberate breathing activates the parasympathetic system (the rest and digest system), a key element in improving sleep and reducing stress.

·         Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)

All limbs straight, one hand grabbing the opposite ankle, and bring the chest forward. Wait 30 to 45 seconds.

Advantages: relaxes the nervous system, opens the spine and the hamstrings.

·         Side Reach Child's Pose

Starting in a kneeling position, stretch your arms out in front of you and move them to the side. Stand with, and cross sides.

Benefits: Opens the side body and lower back, making it a decompression posture suitable for those who have been sitting for long hours.

Better yet, it helps you get in sync with your body again, supporting you to move with purpose, age with ease, and feel more comfortable and clear about where and how you live.