If you are a ‘routine person’, for example, you are always on your desk, facing the computer screen and maintaining the same posture, you are likely to have stiff muscles. The stiffness is a result of your inflexibility. This is why it is good to take breaks and move to ease tension in your muscles.
Well, sometimes the stiffness maybe because of aging. That notwithstanding, there are certain things every individual can do to beat stiffness of muscles and these include:
1. Drink more water
Do you know that about 70% percent of your muscles are water? This implies that not drinking enough fluids and dehydration lead to stiff muscles. Every day strive to drink a large glass of water first thing in the morning.
2. Move frequently
Don’t leave your muscles in one position for a prolonged period (sleep, sitting in a chair, driving for hours) as this can cause them to stiffen. Change positions and move frequently throughout your day to keep blood pumping through your muscles and fluid lubricating your joints.
3. Walk 10 minutes
Just ten minutes of walking can warm up your muscles. So calm your mind, and loosen up joints. If you find time to do this in the morning, at lunchtime, and in the evening you have gotten in 30 minutes of exercise without even planning for it.
4. Stretch
Begin each day with some stretches in bed before your feet hit the floor if you feel really stiff in the morning. Perform single knee to chest pulls, hip lifts, spinal twists, and forward fold. So, go ahead and hit the snooze button, but stretch for a few minutes instead of going back to sleep.
5. Decrease stress
The prolonged daily stress we experience in our modern lives can lead to maintaining a tight posture and a strain on the muscles. You should manage stress. Identify your stress triggers and do well to decrease them.
6. Take a warm bath
A warm Epsom salt bath with relax your mind to help you de-stress. The magnesium in the Epsom salts will also help relax your muscles and allow you to sleep better at night. This will make for better movement in the morning.