Morning Ankle Routine

It’s morning. You are no longer asleep, but not quite awake, and about to get out of bed. Sometimes, in the morning, your ankles feel stiff and your heels hurt when you first stand, and you have to walk that stiffness out. It takes a couple of minutes, and you think it’s because you are old that your ankles are stiff and your heels ache. Maybe that’s it. Or, maybe you just need to move more.

Instead of standing on inflexible feet, and feeling old, try this: you’re laying in bed on your back, not quite awake, but not ready to jump out of bed. As you lay there, make circles with your ankles. Yes, while you’re laying in bed before you arise and face the day. No one is going to see you. It isn’t going on YouTube to millions of strangers. Go ahead, make the circles. Warm up your ankles, get the blood flow going, stimulate your nervous system, and start the day moving. This tells your body that you are going from sleeping and prone to becoming active, and moving.

While you’re at it, hike your heels to your butt 6-8 times, working your knees and legs. Yes, you are still laying in bed on your back. This whole little routine takes about 30 seconds, and can make a difference in your attitude towards the day.

Now you are ready to take on any challenges to the day, or unwanted visitors. If you practice moving your ankles first thing in the morning, your ankles won’t be stiff, and your heels will feel fine. See, you are not old and you don’t need to tell yourself that you are. You just need a better routine and a better dialogue with yourself, plus a little more movement. Get up, get going, conquer your day. You are an active person, not sedentary.

That’s Aging Intelligently.