Favorite "as soon as you wake up routines?"

[Vintage VFer]

Does anyone immediately (in bed, or, at least before breakfast) do a routine right after awakening? Whether it be yoga, breathing, meditation, The Five Tibetans, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, visualization, chanting, etc.

I have several DVDs with AM/PM workouts/practices. But, I usually like to get breakfast right away.

For those that do a first-thing routine, does it really help you start the day? Does it help with energy and/or attitude?

If so, what are your favorite short AM routines or practices?

TIA!

[Kitten]

Yeah, I definitely have way more energy after I workout in the morning
Quite frankly I annoyed my hubby today by being hyper.
A fave short on for me is the morning energizer practice off Crunch Candlelight Yoga.
It's 14 minutes and I feel better afterwards.
Other than that if I'm pressed for time, it's a 1 mile Leslie or an Erin Motz yoga.

[BunnyHop]

Generally, Classical Stretch does it for me. Somehow less traumatic than more energetic routines.

[PennyK]

I started a daily-morning 10 minute full body Qigong practice with Shawn Phillips (Healthy Qigong) almost five weeks ago and am loving it! It has been a perfect start to my day and I really look forward to it! I feel energized and peaceful, it gets all the kinks out, and I feel more limber. In the last couple weeks I have been really focusing more on my breath (deep inhale/exhale) with the moves and think that has even been more beneficial.

[Pam]

When I am struggling to get started in the morning, my favorite routine is CS 10.30, Stress Relief. This CS really helps me to limber up and to feel energized, so I have also used it when I am tired or stressed. Otherwise I do some Qigong practice, but varies which one.

[Demeris]

Classical Stretch/Essentrics--any one of them
T-tapp--anything from her (yes, I know about your experience with t-tapp and with Teresa, herself)
Callanetics--any of them
Any Mirabai, any KCM, any Margaret Richards
any of my 'soft' barre (meaning they aren't athletic, endurance races. Except for P57, most of my barre workouts are a tad bit slower than the more recent --last 4 or five years--arrivals)

Well, actually--I do my big workout of the day right after I brush my teeth and drink some water. It's how I wake up and get revved up. THEN I have my coffee.

[marya]

I'm a total slug when I wake up. I was never one of those people who just bounds out of bed and leaps into action. Now that I'm retired, I follow my natural inclinations and let my body activate gradually for an hour or so. But if for some reason I need to get going right away, I'll do one of my own 10-minute walk/dance improvisations plus some joint warmup isolations and basic stretches to unkink. For me, first-thing exercise has to be a no-brainer.

[desie]

I feel best if I lie in bed for 20 minutes, not rushing myself to get up. This is best accomplished if someone else is up and making my coffee for me.

[Tanja]

I like to do:

Harmony Workouts (20 min)
ddp yoga (under 30 min)
Ballet cardio with Jessica Smith (20 min, barefoot, low impact)
Leslie's Power Mile (20 min, barefoot, with 8 lbs hand weights)

and other low impact up to 30 minutes workouts. I do not like high impact, high intensity first thing - I need to be awake at least an hour before I do HiiT

[Lucky Star]

I'm partial to Classical Stretch, but my absolute favorite *short* morning routine is Erin O'Brien's Postnatal Rescue, program #3 (15 mins; they're all 15 mins).