Choose from among the movements suggested below or develop your own routine for starting your day with a stretch. Each of these stretches can be done in bed.

1. Lying on your back, with your legs flat on the bed and pointing your toes away from your head, stretch your legs as far as they will go toward the foot of the bed. If you have enough space on your bed, stretch your arms straight back behind your head with fingers pointing away from your feet. Otherwise, stretch your arms out at a ninety-degree angle to your body. Extend your fingers and toes. Hold for ten seconds. Release, flexing your fingers and toes. Repeat two or three times.
2. Lying on your back, reach for the ceiling. Extend and then flex your fingers. Tense, relax, and shake your arms.
3. Bring your knees up toward your chest. Grasp them with your arms. In this position, roll to your left, then back to center, then roll to your right and back to center. Repeat as often as is fun. Release your knees. Extend your legs.
4. Still lying on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the bed, alternately arch your lower back for five seconds then flatten your lower back to the bed again for five seconds. Repeat three or four times, or as feels good.
5. With your knees bent and your feet flat on the bed, slowly rotate your pelvis clockwise three times, as you keep your knees pointing toward the ceiling. Make small movements. Rotate counterclockwise three times in the same manner.
6. Bend your knees, placing your feet flat on the bed. Raise your buttocks off the bed. Hold for a count of three. Lower your buttocks back onto bed. Repeat three or four times.
7. Inhale as you turn your head to the right slowly, lowering your right ear to the bed. Exhale as you return head to center. Repeat, turning your head to the left. Do this three or four times. Relax.
8. Roll over onto your stomach. Bend your knees and bring the heels of your feet up toward your buttocks. If you are able to, grasp your ankles or heels and pull your heels toward your buttocks. Hold for ten to twenty seconds. Lower your feet to the bed again. Repeat twice.
9. Still on your stomach, keeping your chest lowered, ease your upper body back until your thighs and knees are under your chest and your buttocks are resting on your lower legs. This kneeling-type pose is sometimes called the Baby Pose in yoga. Reach back and hold your heels or your ankles if you can. Tuck your head down toward your chest. Feel your neck and back stretch with this one. Hold for ten to twenty seconds. Enjoy it. Release.
10. Let go of your feet. Raise your head and straighten your back, coming to a sitting posture by either sitting back on your legs and feet, or putting your legs over the side of the bed and placing your feet on the floor. Look in the direction of the sunrise. Smile and greet the day. Get out of bed.

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