The Morning Stiffness Remedy

Whether I’m teaching 1:1 or in group classes, the number one question I get is, “What can I do first thing in the morning to help ease stiffness?” Maybe you wake up with tight hips, a sticky low back, and feet that aren’t sure they want to bear weight.

If this sounds familiar, you're in very good company. Morning stiffness is one of the most common things people notice as they age. It doesn't mean something is "wrong" with you; it's just your body's way of asking for some movement.

Your joints are built for motion 

Morning stiffness is not a sign that your body is failing. It's a sign that it's designed for movement! Your joints are lubricated by synovial fluid, a slippery fluid that cushions cartilage and helps surfaces glide past each other. Movement is what circulates that fluid and delivers nutrients to cartilage, which has no direct blood supply of its own. It depends on the pump action of movement to stay nourished.

After six to eight hours of lying relatively still while you sleep, that fluid becomes less mobile and the tissues around the joint settle into whatever position you slept in. The stiffness you feel is partly your body saying, "We haven't gone anywhere in a while." 

Inflammation works in a daily cycle

Your body doesn't run at a constant speed. Nearly everything about your physiology follows a roughly 24-hour cycle. For anyone who wakes up stiff, the activity of your immune system is an important part of your body's internal clock.

During the night, your body does a great deal of repair work. Part of this work involves the immune system releasing signaling molecules that promote inflammation. At the same time, the body's natural anti-inflammatory signals are running low. That leaves a window, typically in the early morning, when inflammatory signals are high, and the body's built-in brake for inflammation is still light. 

The remedy is movement 

Sometimes folks are tempted to "push through" the stiffness to get to the other side of it. But the most effective remedy, more often than not, is a few minutes of easy motion when you first wake up. Muscle contractions help pump fluid through and out of the joint, redistribute synovial fluid across cartilage surfaces, and warm the surrounding tissues.

The following 15-minute practice is meant to be done before you get out of bed! Tomorrow morning, follow along with the video when you first wake up. Then notice how you feel as you go about your morning routine:

Ease Morning Stiffness Before You Get Out of Bed | 15-Minute Yoga for a Better Wake-Up

The key to feeling better in your body each morning could very well be a few more minutes in bed!