10 Five minute morning habits to help restore your body, mind and spirit.

Start the day off right, that's a great sentiment, but how can you create a morning routine that will keep you how happy that fit and healthy? It is actually a lot easier than you might think. Here are ten healthy habits that will set you up for success for the rest of the day.

Stretch.

You might think that after a long nights sleep that you would feel instantly refreshed and ready to take on the day. But even a good nights rest can be tough on the body because of the positions we sleep in, also when we relax when sleeping the muscles then relax which causes them to fall into 'positions' that are common for them, these positions sometimes facilitate the imbalances we have and cause us to wake feeling stiff. Stretching is your new way to stimulate and loosen tight muscles tissues. One of the most common stretches I like to perform each morning is the prone cobra, I will then go into the child's pose and stretch out your back. That in turn will increase bloodflow and reduce stress and tension. If you are not sure what to stretch after, try going from top to bottom starting with a neck shoulders chest back quads hamstrings and calves. (neck muscles in particular when tight can place pressure on the occipital nerve causing tension headaches and shoulder pain). Visit my instagram page for videos on stretches.

Dont press that snooze button.

Waking up on time and pressing the snooze button for the sake of seeking 10 more minutes of sleep for a rushed morning, skipped breakfast, any added stress of getting the kids off to school and yourself on work on time isn't worth it. It is a terrible bad morning habit that can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and recklessness. In addition to stress, (none of which is a good motivator for working out) instead make sure your alarm clock is affective, are you more likely to get out of bed with a loud ringing or do you need more calm sound at waking? its really about finding what works for you and stick with it. 'Sleep-wake clocks' or natural light clocks http://www.natural-alarm-clocks.com/ work by slowly glowing brighter as it gets closer to you wanting to wake up which introduces more light exposure to your skin. Waking by traditional sound stimulates the central nervous system instantly putting us in a stress response before we have even started our day.

Reset your internal clock.

When you set your internal clock when you travel, your body is set to the clock back home so when it's time to hit the hay it's time to rise and shine. Well for some people the internal circadian clock might not be accurate, even when on home time, and it's not because you're lazy or bad people. For those that sleep for eight or nine hours and are in bed by 10:30 at night, the hormone melatonin kicks in and acts like the nurse and allows you to gain a proper sleep. Our internal circadian biological clocks regulate the timing of periods of sleepiness and wakefulness throughout the day. The circadian rhythm dips and rises at different times of the day, so adults' strongest sleep drive generally occurs between 2:00-4:00 am and in the afternoon between 1:00-3:00 pm, although there is some variation depending on whether you are a “morning person” or “evening person.” The sleepiness we experience during these circadian dips will be less intense if we have had sufficient sleep, and more intense when we are sleep deprived. (I have spoken more about circadian rhythms in other blog posts)

Have a cup of lemon water

Hot or cold water and lemon, an upset gut can wreak havoc on energy levels. So take care of your digestive system with a mug of warm water with lemon, it increases the flow of the digestive juices, helps strengthen the body and resets the pH balance. Making us less acidic which helps reduce the risk of disease, it may also give your metabolism that nudge you need in the morning and help combat food cravings. (Another hot drink which helps calm the stomach is chamomile tea, though it is best for an evening drink as it also aids with sleep. It also helps to soothe and relax the muscles and lining of the intestines whichcan help with poor digestion and even those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.

Do you work out in the morning

The next time you exercise, take note of how you feel before and after. The post workout glow that you feel, it is not just from the sweat on the skin. Being active physically gives you a huge energy boost gets your heart pumping and the blood flowing which can help you feel more alert. (I have done a post prior to this about 'what is the best time of day to workout')

Read.

Reading in bed is often said to help us to get a better nights sleep. However most of us know we need to keep technology out of the bedroom, the lit up screens on our phones and laptops can be too stimulating at night (remember what I said before about light on the body) and the stress from work can also keep us awake. But maybe it's not such a bad thing to do when you wake up, reading the news and checking emails is a good way to keep wake up the mind.

Put some iron in it.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, there is no doubt about that and there is much controversy about what to eat, but if it's lacking in iron you might be setting yourself up for failure in terms of energy. Iron deficiency can leave you feeling sluggish, irritable, weak, and unable to focus. It effects the amount of oxygen your body receives. So make sure your breakfast includes foods like eggs, green leafy vegetables, peanut butter, beans or tofu and have some orange juice as it will help you absorb the iron. All citrus fruits such as orange, grapefruit, lime, and lemon, are excellent sources of vitamin C. Many non-citrus fruits are highly rated sources, as well. Papaya, strawberries, pineapple, kiwifruit, cantaloupe, and raspberries are also excellent vitamin C sources.

Relaxed dress is a relaxed mind.

Dress like you mean it wheither you are working from home or not. You still need to put on 'work attire' when you wake up. Wearing comfortable clothes plays with your mind and your motivation as your body still thinks it is relax time.

Calm the mind.

Having a clear head will make you feel more focused and allow you to tackle all your tasks for the day, you won't get bogged down or make excuses if you are thinking clearly. Just take five minutes in the morning to meditate. If you don't know how, find a quiet place in your home, get comfortable, put on some relaxing music (or not if you prefer the silence) and focus on your slow breath. Even doing this for one minute will help with mental clarity and spiritual well-being and set the stage for the day. http://uk.tm.org/

Treat the weekend like a work day.

Ok so I do not mean in terms of work, but don't sleep in on weekends. When we lie in on Saturday and Sunday we tend to screw up our schedules sometimes. Keep your work sleep schedule even on the weekends. You will be able to squeeze in that weekend work out and will have a more productive day. and you will eventually stop dreading the back to work Mondays.

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