3 Essential Moves to Do Before Getting Out of Bed If You’re Over 50
Ease morning stiffness, protect your joints, and start your day feeling strong and pain-free.
If you're over 50, getting out of bed can sometimes feel like a struggle. Your joints feel stiff, your back aches, and it takes a while to feel fully awake and mobile.
But here’s the good news:
With just three simple moves before you even stand up, you can loosen your body, protect your joints, and feel so much better throughout your day.
Move 1: Ankle Pumps
When we sleep, our ankles and calves tighten up, which can impact your knees, hips, and even your lower back. Doing ankle pumps first thing in the morning wakes up these muscles and gets your blood flowing.
How to do it:
While lying in bed, lift your toes towards your nose until you feel the front of your lower legs engage.
Then point your toes down and feel your calves tighten.
Repeat this pumping motion for 1 minute, squeezing the muscles each time you lift and point.
This simple move boosts circulation and prepares your legs for standing and walking comfortably.
Move 2: Pelvic Tilts
This next move gently loosens your lower back and hips, easing stiffness and pain—especially if you wake up with back aches.
How to do it:
Bend your knees with your feet flat on the bed.
Tilt your pelvis upward, lifting your tailbone slightly off the bed and feeling a gentle glute squeeze.
Slowly lower your pelvis back down, arching your lower back slightly to point your tailbone towards the bed.
Repeat this rocking motion for 1 minute, focusing on smooth, controlled movements.
Pelvic tilts are a powerful way to relieve SI joint pain and lower back stiffness before your day begins.
Move 3: Hip 90/90 Rotations
Most people skip this movement, but it’s crucial for loosening your hips and protecting your knees and back from pain.
How to do it:
Keep your knees bent and place your feet wider apart.
Drop both knees to one side while keeping your back flat against the bed.
Rotate your legs to the other side, feeling the stretch deep in your hips.
Continue this side-to-side rotation for 1 minute, moving slowly and breathing deeply.
This move improves hip flexibility and makes getting up and moving around easier and pain-free.
Final Thought
When you do these three moves before you get out of bed, you’ll notice your body feels looser, stronger, and ready to take on the day with ease.
Because remember:
The better you move your body, the better you feel in your body.