Favorite "as soon as you wake up routines?"

[FirmDancer]

Originally Posted by Eibhinn

Can anyone else think of any movement sequences like this that are meant to be done in the same way daily (particularly in the morning)?

Some of us are following the Royal Canadian Air Force workout. Thread and links are here. It's 10-12 movements, progressively adding more reps and more difficulty, with the intention of completing in 12 minutes.

[spotted zebra]

Originally Posted by Eibhinn

Is there a Qi Gong routine traditionally done daily in the morning?

There are some qigong programs designed for A.M. practice, such as this older VHS video (links below). Along with this program came a P.M. Chi for Beginners video for an evening wind down practice. Except I remember people complaining the female instructor in that one had a grating voice.

A.M. Chi (part 1) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zXleBtSlzM

A.M. Chi (part 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k31i_8SkbYk

[yahoo205]

I think Qi Gong, Kundalini, or Ballet Beautiful would be great in the morning. The other day I did Ballet Beautiful Outer and Inner thigh in bed and then moved to the floor for bridge, abs, arms.

[Sue B]

Originally Posted by Vintage VFer

Err, that is a bit dynamic for first thing in the morning.

Originally Posted by smith938

thanks Sue that radio program looks pretty neat! starts off gentle so maybe by the time it gets more vigorous I'll be ready for it!

YMMV, but for me, it's invigorating and gets the blood flowing. There are a lot of versions posted on YouTube. This one, from Japanese TV, has one woman doing a seated, modified version.

My personal favorite, the one I like to work out to, is this one that was made by people living in the area devastated by the 2011 tsunami. Gotta love when "average" people make an exercise video as a way of healing and getting back a sense of community - plus that's about what I look like doing it!

[BunnyHop]

I just wanted to say 'THANKS!' for this discussion.

I've been reading along and thinking about how I get my mornings started. Over the last few days, instead of waking up and leaping out of bed, I've been giving myself 15-20 minutes to just get used to being awake, then getting up.
That alone has made a big difference in how I feel across the day.

Definitely going to continue revamping my morning routine.

Years ago, I did well with a formal meditation practice, but I'm not sure how well it would work these days, first thing in the morning. I need something more flexible, so these ideas are a great start.

(I've got major sleep issues, so don't reliably wake up the same time every day, plus I live with an elderly parent who will not hesitate to wake me up whenever he thinks I need to be stirring, even if it's 6:30, not my usual wake up time. If I set an alarm clock, he's certain to come sing outside my door ten minutes before it goes off.)

[spotted zebra]

Isn't it funny how different we are. Some people prefer to feel invigorated first thing in the morning. I used to be like that, grabbing hardy aerobics programs as part of my morning ritual. In the last couple of years I've come to terms with the fact that gently easing into my day works better for me and makes for a better day all around. No jolts for me - even coffee feels too jarring. While starting off the day more gently works best for me, I know for someone else it could just as easily put them to sleep!

My idea of morning exercise isn't just about the type of movement but also doesn't involve instructors barking commands at me or even talking. So prior to the start of my day music-only options have become a must, and I wait until later in the day both for more vigorous programs and speaking instructors. Even qigong, as gentle as it often is, works better for me in the a.m. if I can just follow along with a (silent) instructor. I don't even want Lee Holden or Shirsha (qigong instructors with as nice a voice as they come) talking at me through my TV screen before my day really gets started. The Shawn Phillips qigong DVD modules I do most often are music-only ones and thankfully Shirsha has music-only options on all of her DVDs, as has Lee in some of his DVDs except for the earlier ones. I don't mind using the voice option for Shirsha and Lee in the evening.

When I used to do yoga I'd often use "p.m." (restorative) practices in the morning so maybe a part of me has always been like this but I didn't acknowledge it til recently. But most of those yoga programs involved instructors giving audible instructions so they wouldn't work for me anymore.

[ardnas]

Yoga in Bed, Classical Stretch, or Qi Gong.

[spotted zebra]

Originally Posted by Scorpio6

The 7-Way Stretch that you still do in bed before getting up is in the book, A Year of Beauty and Health by Beverly and Vidal Sassoon. I came out in the 1970's and it's hard to beat the 7-Way Stretch. Here's a link.
http://www.amazon.com/Year-Beauty-He...lth%2C+Sassoon

Can you describe the 7-way stretch? I'd love to know more.

[Vintage VFer]

Originally Posted by Sue B

YMMV, but for me, it's invigorating and gets the blood flowing. There are a lot of versions posted on YouTube. This one, from Japanese TV, has one woman doing a seated, modified version.

My personal favorite, the one I like to work out to, is this one that was made by people living in the area devastated by the 2011 tsunami. Gotta love when "average" people make an exercise video as a way of healing and getting back a sense of community - plus that's about what I look like doing it!

Thanks, Sue! I've been studying the Japanese language end enjoy the Japanese clips.

I could see doing these as a "get up from the desk" options during the day.

Originally Posted by spotted zebra

Isn't it funny how different we are. Some people prefer to feel invigorated first thing in the morning. I used to be like that, grabbing hardy aerobics programs as part of my morning ritual. In the last couple of years I've come to terms with the fact that gently easing into my day works better for me and makes for a better day all around. No jolts for me - even coffee feels too jarring. While starting off the day more gently works best for me, I know for someone else it could just as easily put them to sleep!

My idea of morning exercise isn't just about the type of movement but also doesn't involve instructors barking commands at me or even talking. So prior to the start of my day music-only options have become a must, and I wait until later in the day both for more vigorous programs and speaking instructors. Even qigong, as gentle as it often is, works better for me in the a.m. if I can just follow along with a (silent) instructor. I don't even want Lee Holden or Shirsha (qigong instructors with as nice a voice as they come) talking at me through my TV screen before my day really gets started. The Shawn Phillips qigong DVD modules I do most often are music-only ones and thankfully Shirsha has music-only options on all of her DVDs, as has Lee in some of his DVDs except for the earlier ones. I don't mind using the voice option for Shirsha and Lee in the evening.

When I used to do yoga I'd often use "p.m." (restorative) practices in the morning so maybe a part of me has always been like this but I didn't acknowledge it til recently. But most of those yoga programs involved instructors giving audible instructions so they wouldn't work for me anymore.

I've been dealing with some serious stress issues recently. I need things that energize in a gentle way in the early a.m. I usually work out in the afternoon.