Why does Stretching in the Morning Feel so Good?

Gemma Henry

January 2, 2024

Have you ever noticed that you tend to start your morning with a little stretch? Perhaps not. While some people will performatively reach for the skies and touch their toes as they roll out of bed, for many of us a quick strain and a quiver of those rested muscles is all we need to start our day off just right. But why does that first little stretch feel so darn good? And, for that matter, why do we do it, and usually without so much as a second thought?

Looking ahead to the new year after reflecting on National Stretching Day on 11th December (yes, there is such a thing and we’re here for it!) we took some time out to flex our research muscles. We discovered that there’s much more to stretching than meets the eye. We found out more about just what working those muscles does for our body and mind. We asked the experts about the best morning stretches to start our days with. And, most importantly of all, we answered, once and for all, just why a good old morning stretch can feel absolutely amazing.

Why Do We Stretch in the Morning?

A mixed sex exercise class stretching their hands and arms out in unison.

It’s 7am and your alarm clock beeps you awake, what’s the first thing you do? Other than cursing daylight for rousing you from that Idris Elba dream? Notice it or not, you give your body a nice gentle stretch. You probably flex your toes and pull back your shoulders, tense those calf muscles and wiggle those digits. A little mini exercise routine before you’ve had so much of your first sip of coffee. Why?

Stretching can be involuntary

Ever noticed a cat stretching? Arching their back and tensing their tail, giving a little shiver? It looks so satisfying, right? The way a cat stretches like this is called pandiculation (1). Relieving muscle tension, like the tension that can build up while your pet sleeps for 104 hours, this stretching is completely involuntary. That’s right, it’s done without a second thought. Or a first one for that matter. Pandiculation is seen in most types of animal and, believe it or not, humans do it too. Think about it: do you mentally decide and prepare for that morning stretch out or does it just kind of, well, happen? Just like breathing, yawning or focusing your eyes, your body knows stretching needs to occur after you’ve been asleep and gets on with it without too much input from your brain. Which is probably sensible. After all, if you’re anything like us your brain isn’t firing on all cylinders at 7:01am.

What a morning stretch does for your body

So why does your body, smart cookie that it is, decide that it needs to stretch out on waking up? There must be a reason that we all need to get those muscles moving first thing? Well, when you sleep a bunch of stuff happens, you don’t just lie there in stasis, waiting for the day and dreaming of Idris. No, your body adapts for sleep. Your muscles, in particular, inhibit nerve impulses in order to protect themselves from overstretching and causing damage while you’re not in control of what they’re up to. In addition, while you’re sleeping bodily fluids will pool, particularly along your back, and your muscles flop, losing tone. It doesn’t sound great but all this is good for you. It means that, for a few hours, your stressed out body is fully relaxed.

When you perform that lovely morning stretch, whether you notice yourself doing it or not, your muscles reactivate and those fluids are moved around, sent right back to where they need to be. Perhaps most impressively, that stretch restarts the nerve feedback in your muscles as you briefly take them just beyond their normal range. It’s like pushing your body’s ctrl alt del for a total restart that sets you up for the day.

Why stretching feels great

Humans, like all animals, do our best to find what feels good and avoid things that cause pain and discomfort. The morning stretch is just one of those things, and it’s all thanks to your smart, smart brain and its clever schemes. That good feeling you get from a stretch is a form of bodily blackmail, your brain rewarding you with feel good hormones for doing something that’s good for your body. But just what is it that makes stretching so good for you that your brain is willing to give you the hormonal equivalent of an ‘I did great today!’ sticker?...

Stretching is Good For You!

We all kind of knew that stretching before a long run or a hefty weight lifting session was pretty important (even if a lot of us don’t do it wholeheartedly when we hit the gym). We’re willing to bet though that you weren’t aware of just how important that first stretch of the morning was. Or, in fact, how much a good stretch can do for us at any time of the day.

Stretching increases blood flow

When we stretch any muscle in our body a few things happen, helping our body to function at its best and making us feel good too. Maybe the most important reason for any stretch is increased blood flow. Take a moment now to stretch a muscle or two – spread your hands wide perhaps, or give those buttocks a squeeze (the gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body after all). As you perform this simple movement the heart pumps harder, blood vessels widen and blood rushes on in (2). When this happens those stretched muscles receive more oxygen and are able to get rid of metabolic waste products, keeping your body clean and healthy.

Stretching releases endorphins

We mentioned before how that nice feeling you get from a stretch is a clever trick to get you doing something beneficial for your bod, but just how does this work? It’s all in the endorphins! You’ve probably heard of these hormones – they make you feel good about yourself when you exercise, when you laugh or when you nibble on a particularly delicious square of dark chocolate. Released by your central nervous system and the pituitary gland, endorphins also kick in when we stretch. A better pain reliever than morphine, according to experts (3), endorphins cause a feeling of euphoria. It’s these happy hormones that lead scientists to think that a simple stretch could even help out with period pains (4).

Stretching kickstarts your parasympathetic nervous system

Your what?! If you missed that day in biology allow us to explain. The parasympathetic nervous system (“PSNS”) is a clever pathway running from your brain all around your body, sending messages to the neurons that run all those things that your body does without you getting involved. We’re talking the involuntary stuff like digesting that Maccys you ate on the way home from work or producing the tears you need to keep your eyes from drying out. Sometimes referred to as the ‘rest and digest system’, the PSNS also contributes to feelings of calm. Interestingly, research shows that when we stretch the PSNS’s sister system, the sympathetic nervous system (or SNS), is inhibited (5). The SNS is the system that prepares us for moments of stress by slowing down automatic functions like digestion or saliva production.

Are there any negatives to stretching?

If stretching is this amazing you should be doing it all the time, right? Not necessarily. There are a few situations in which a stretch isn’t recommended. For example, you should usually hold that stretch in if you’re nursing a recent injury. An overworked muscle, stretched ligament or nerve damage will usually benefit from rest rather than immediate stretching. In addition, if you’ve recently had surgery you may be advised to refrain from stretching and doctors might suggest keeping the stretches to a minimum if you’re hypermobile too. And while you might think of stretching as part of a ‘warm up’ stretching when your body is cold can, in fact, cause injury. Try a gentle walk before stretching to warm your body first. Last of all, if you get a cramp you may be tempted to stretch it on out. In fact, stretching a spasming muscle can make things worse. Experts say that targeted massage is a far better plan for easing the discomfort of a muscle cramp.

Morning Stretch Routine to Start Your Day

A woman stretching before a morning run in the woods, her arms are raised upwards towards the sky and the sunrise is visible in the canopy of the trees

It turns out that the automatic stretch that you do as you awaken each morning is pretty important and that stretching in general is great for you – keeping your body working at its best and even helping to give your mood a boost. So what are the best morning stretching exercises and how can you maximise the benefits of stretching? Why not create your own stretching routine to kickstart your day in a better way? Head to YouTube for tutorials on how best to safely perform these exercises - simply search "morning stretches" and you'll be hit with a myriad of results. Alternatively, check out our bedtime yoga tips. Some of the best morning stretches are also the best for your pre-bedtime routine too!

Child’s pose: a gentle morning yoga stretch for everyone

Most people are able to carry out yoga’s child’s pose, which can be done on the bed or on the floor with no need for a mat – a rug or carpet will do if you don’t have one. Ideal if you sleep curled up in a tight foetal position and feel cramped and stiff in the morning, this simple, non-strenuous pose can stretch out everything from your feet to your finger tips if done correctly. Lengthening the spine and buttock muscles, child’s pose is a gentle way to start your day with all the benefits of a good, long stretch.

Cat and cow pose: activating your spine and abs

Think like your cat and stretch out your spine with the cat and cow, another easy, unchallenging yoga pose. Getting that spinal fluid moving and activating the muscles in your abs and your back, the enjoyable active cat and cow, carried out on all fours, also massages the internal organs of your abdomen as you move. Push up from child’s pose into cat and cow and you’ve got yourself a great mini morning yoga routine.

Sun salutations: taking morning stretching to the next level

Ready to go further with morning yoga stretches? Seek out a good sun salutation tutorial. Able to improve muscle strength if done regularly (6), sun salutations link together several yoga moves, including the cobra, which helps loosen the lower back and open the chest, and forward bends that get the blood flowing. Raising your heart rate and warming your body, this routine is an amped up take on a simple morning stretch.

Upper back stretch: loosening a stiff back in the morning

Carried out seated on the edge of the bed or standing once you’re up and about, a basic upper back stretch requires you to simply interlink your fingers and reach up and forward. Suitable for older people and those who are less active, this stretch helps to get your spine moving and loosen up stiff back muscles.

Knees to chest: stretch it out without leaving the bed

If your lower back or your hips scream at you stay put when it’s time to rise and shine, simply pulling your knees up to your chest can help to gently loosen and warm everything up. With no need to get out of bed, you can even give this move some extra oomph by lifting your head to touch your forehead to your knees.

Stretch it Out With Bensons for Beds

Start your morning with a good stretch in the best bed for you by choosing a mattress from Bensons for Beds. With our wide range of beds, including orthopaedic mattresses for those with back issues and adjustable beds designed to lend a helping hand when mobility is a problem, finding the ideal set up isn’t such a…well, stretch. In addition to our comprehensive online guides to choosing the right bed for you, we also have a highly knowledgeable in-store team ready to answer any questions you might have and to help you find your perfect mattress comfort level using our clever sleeppro® technology.

To place an order or to talk through your bed buying options call into your nearest store or give us a ring on 0808 144 6160.

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Gemma Henry - Content Lead

Gemma finds sleep fascinating and describes the discovery aspect of her role as eye-opening. Her keen eye for detail and dedication to thorough research ensures that Bensons customers get the informative sleep-based advice they're looking for.

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