You’re not the only one struggling at the thought of jumping out of bed to workout in the morning as temperatures start to dip. Although some might balk at the idea of using an unstable surface to exercise, there are some movements that are perfectly okay to do in bed.
From stretches to help release tight muscles to a selection of core movements, you’re going to have plenty of options to keep yourself in check on lazy days.
Note: Please make sure you consult your doctor if you suffer from any injuries or ailments.
Warm up or cool down with these stretches in bed
Stretching is the perfect way to start the mornings and boost your mood. There are many stretches that you can do from the comfort of your bed but here are our five favourite moves to get you started.
Reclined spinal twist
This move is great for lengthening the spine, stretching the back muscles and glutes, and for stimulating circulation.
Lying hamstring stretch
Tight hamstrings can put increased pressure on your pelvis and lower back so this is a good movement to add to your daily routine. You can even use a band to help you with your stretch.
Lying side quad stretch
For this movement, it’s important to keep your spine in a straight line, brace your abdominal and stabilise the pelvis.
Reclined pigeon pose
This is a great stretch for increasing blood flow in your lower back (releases tension too), hips and legs.
Happy baby
This one’s a great stress reliever and opens up your groin and inner thigh.
Quick lower ab workout to do in bed
It’ll take you just 10 minutes to do these 10 exercises to work your lower abs as directed by Emily Wong via YouTube. You’ll be doing:
- Leg extensions
- Leg raises
- Wide U
- Hands and toes touch
- Leg extension to the side
- Leg lift in four strokes
- Leg drop
- Reverse crunch
- Ab bikes
- Leg hold
Upper body cardio workout in bed
There’s no reason you can’t get your heart racing by sitting in bed, cross-legged. There are seven movements that Dating Laurel on YouTube will take you through:
- Fly/flap arms
- Bounce & Circle
- Conductor
- Speed bagging
- Hand bicycle
- Shadow boxing
- Jump rope
Leg workout in bed — no jumping required
This is another Emily Wong workout gem (or killer). It’ll tone your legs and give you a serious burn. In fact, it’s great for anyone who isn’t able to put weight on their legs.
- V Kick
- Air reversed bike
- Donkey kick
- Fire Hydrant
- Full + half ballet kick (L)
- Full + half ballet kick (R)
- Frog pump
- Glutei bridge hold
- Split pulses
- Top leg lift + circle (L)
- Top leg lift + circle (R)
- Single leg hip raise
- Single leg hip raise hold
- Bottom leg lift
- Donkey pulses
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/02/how-much-exercise-do-i-really-need/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/04/Exercise-410×231.jpg” title=”This Is How Much Daily Exercise You Actually Need” excerpt=”Zero exercise is not enough. Going for a walk every day is probably a good thing. And if you’re training for a marathon, you’ll be on your feet for a couple hours of hard workouts every week. But what is the benchmark for a human being just trying to squeeze enough healthy exercise into their life? Let’s break it down.”]
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