As we age, muscles tend to get weaker, joints tend to get creakier and simply getting out of bed can feel like a workout in itself.
At least, that’s what we’re led to believe.
Certified personal trainer Carter Lee from BetterMe is adamant that you can arrest this decline by simply keeping active, and he’s shared a five-move routine that will help.
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“This workout is built around one simple premise: your joints need to move to feel good,” he tells Fit&Well.
“As we age, stiffness creeps in, especially in the morning or after a long day, but this sequence is designed to push back against that.”
Lee says this routine works from the spine outward, targeting the hips, shoulders and ankles in a “logical order that gradually wakes everything up” and gets synovial fluid moving to help lubricate your joints.
“There’s no intensity here, no jumping around. Just controlled, deliberate movement through a full range of motion, the kind that aging connective tissue actually responds well to,” he continues.
“Your lower back will feel looser, your balance will improve as your ankles get more responsive, and that hunched, tight-chested feeling from sitting and leaning forward too much will start to open up.”
Do this consistently, Carter says, and you’ll simply move better throughout the day.
How to do the workout
Spend 30-60 seconds on each stretch before moving straight onto the next one, allowing for around five minutes to do the entire routine.
1. Wall-supported cat-cow
Video: BetterMe
Time: 30-60sec
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, with a wall close behind you.
- Lean forward and place your hands firmly on your thighs for support.
- Lower into a half squat, allowing your backside to rest against the wall.
- As you exhale, tuck your chin and round your spine toward the ceiling (cat).
- As you inhale, lift your chest and look up, allowing your lower back to arch gently (cow).
Lee says: “This is the perfect wake-up call for the spine. Slow things down and really think about moving each vertebra as you flow through this exercise. Feel mid back tightness melt away and your entire back and torso moving more freely.”
2. Wall scapular circles
Video: BetterMe
Time: 30-60sec
- Stand facing a wall, an arm’s length away.
- Place your palms flat against the wall at shoulder height.
- Keeping your arms straight, move your shoulders in a circular motion—up toward your ears, then back away from the wall, then down, then toward the wall to the start.
Note: The video shows an easier version, just moving the shoulders up and down.
Lee says: “This targets the various muscles that work to move the scapula (shoulder blades). These are critical for our posture, and weakness here is typically seen in people who spend their days hunched over a keyboard or their desk.”
3. Wall-supported standing hip opener
Video: BetterMe
Time: 30-60sec
- Stand facing a wall with your arms extended and palms placed against it for support.
- Lift your left knee to hip height.
- Rotate your knee out to the left.
- Reverse the movements back to the start, then repeat on the other side.
- Continue, keeping your movements slow and controlled.
Lee says: “Standing openers help improve the range of motion of the vital hip socket, specifically on your ability to externally and internally rotate the joint. Like the shoulder, the hip can move in a variety of different directions and improving mobility here can make everyday tasks feel easier.”
4. Cross-legged side stretch
Video: BetterMe
Time: 30-60sec
- Stand right-side on to a wall.
- Place your right forearm vertically against the wall with your elbow level with your shoulder.
- Cross your left leg over your right leg and stand tall.
- Reach your left arm up and overhead and reach toward the wall.
- You should feel a gentle stretch along the left side of your body.
Lee says: “This stretch targets the lateral muscles, including the obliques and lats, helping to improve spinal flexibility and relieve tension caused by long periods of sitting or standing.”
5. Foot rotation
Video: BetterMe
Time: 30-60sec
- While seated or holding onto a wall for support, lift one foot.
- One option is to slowly rotate your foot in a circular motion in each direction.
- Another option is to use your big toe as an imaginary pen to draw the letters A through M in the air, then switch feet to draw N through Z.
- Focus on moving through the full range of motion of the ankle, keeping your leg steady so the movement comes entirely from your foot and ankle.
Lee says: “Ankle alphabets are a fun way to shake up this basic exercise, helping to strengthen the stabilizing muscles around the ankle, which are critical for preventing trips and falls.”
How often to do the workout
Lee recommends performing this routine whenever your body feels tight.
If that’s every day, he says you can use this gentle routine first thing after you get out of bed to gradually wake everything up.
You can also try it before bed, when your body will be a little looser and more flexible. Consistency is the key to improving and retaining greater mobility long-term.
Carter Lee CPT is a certified personal trainer via the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and trainer with health coaching app BetterMe. Since 2018 he has worked with clients of all ages, creating individualized workout and nutritional programs. He also holds graduate certification in strength and conditioning and sport coaching.