Hey everyone, 

in this video I want to talk about a morning habit that has changed my life for the better: stretching outdoors. 

I do a full-body stretch/strengthening routine; it takes about 10 minutes. 

I start with the parts of my body that tend to get the tightest after being sedentary for a long time. 

So that includes my hip flexors, my hamstrings, my chest and my shoulders. 

Then, I focus on areas that I think need the most work - for me my knees are a big one because I’ve suffered multiple injuries to both, like tearing my ACL. 

I’m not going to give you a run-down of my entire routine in this video.

I’ll do that in a separate one because right now I’m focusing on the benefits of the habit, so that I can hopefully convince you to give it a shot. 

More specifically, I’ve experienced 5 major benefits. 

The first one might be the most obvious but it’s arguably the most important, which is improved flexibility. 

A really sad but also somewhat empowering statistic is that the number 1 killer of adults over the age of 65, at least in the United States, is falling. 

Of course, it’s terrible that something so simple can have such a harsh consequence on a person’s life.

But at the same time…

Assuming you're fortunate enough to be an able-bodied person, if you just take care of yourself by maintaining both a healthy amount of muscle mass AND mobile joints, you’re much less likely to suffer a serious injury from a fall.

And this is part of the reason behind the next benefit that I’ve experienced since starting this habit,

which is more confidence. 

I used to not be able to touch my toes, not be able to sit on my knees, and, well, I still can’t sit criss-cross applesauce the way I used to back in first grade, but I’m working on it.

The point is that by actively improving both my mobility and joint strength, I’m a lot more confident when it comes to my activities. 

For example, when I’m playing basketball I’m not afraid to go for the rebound or sprint like I mean it - I’m not worrying about slipping, or my knees giving out. 

When I’m boxing I’m not afraid to give the heavy bag my worst, going for combination punches that require full range of motion from my hips.

Granted, I’m still sensible, but not having to worry about the tiniest slip up putting me out for a couple of months is literally priceless. 

I can’t think of many things that are more valuable than mental peace. Or as master shifu likes to call it: inner peace, inner peace, inner peace. 

The third benefit

that I’ve experienced is faster wakefulness. 

You know how some people, when they wake up, just look, sound and kinda smell like a groggy panda? 

Well, yup, that’s me :) 

But ever since I started stretching, not even outdoors, but just moving my body and getting more blood flowing to my joints, I quote unquote “wake up” so much faster. 

After literally being comatose for hopefully over 7 hours, following the cortisol spike that wakes you up, it takes your body some time to get the engine running. 

In the analogy, stretching is like magic fuel; it’s like when I wake up I’m a 1995 Honda civic, no offense, but after stretching I turn into a Ferrari. 

Ok, maybe not a Ferrari, but definitely a Tesla.

Part of the reason is what I just mentioned: the increased blood flow to my joints.

The other part of the reason is: sunlight. 

Sunlight, or blue light from artificial sources like your devices, signals to your brain that it’s day time. 

As a result, your neurochemistry literally changes to adjust your circadian rhythm to be in-tune with the morning sun. 

And the more consistent you are with your sleep schedule, the more powerful this effect is. 

This ties nicely into the fourth benefit that I’ve experienced,

which is better-quality vitamin D. 

I don’t care what any supplement company tells you; there is no better source of vitamin D than natural sunlight before 9am. 

And getting that, consistently, is crucial as you age.

Vitamin D is what allows your bones to absorb calcium, which we all know is important for strong and healthy bones. 

I also mentioned at the beginning of this video that falling is the number one killer of older adults in the United States. 

Why? 

Well, a huge part of that can be blamed on arthritis, not enough muscle mass, and brittle bonds that can’t adequately support your weight.

The fifth benefit

that I’ve experienced since starting this habit is improved mindfulness. 

Doing my 10-minute stretching/strengthening routine outdoors, where I’m fortunate enough to be very close to nature, is a form of active meditation. 

It’s a very mentally-involved process because I focus on the way each part of my body feels with every movement that I practice. 

And doing so with nature nearby, just focusing on perceiving my surroundings with as many of my senses as possible, has such a calming effect, that I just can’t describe it in words.

It gets my mind right for the day. 

Even if I didn’t have the greatest sleep the previous night, taking the time to do this, or some form of it, every single morning puts me in a much better mood than I’d otherwise be in.

I can’t even count the number of studies that have established a relationship between practices like yoga, mindfulness, nature therapy and stress-relief.

To summarize,

by stretching outdoors every morning before 8am, I’m:

• Improving my flexibility 

• Building my confidence 

• Waking up faster

• Getting a healthy dose of vitamin D

• Practicing mindfulness 

And overall living a healthier, and happier life. 

So I hope that was valuable.

If it was, I’d really appreciate you joining our weekly newsletter where we send out the written-versions of these posts before the videos are published. 

As always: Take care of your health and it will take care of you!

Your Internet Siblings,

The Healthy Kangaroo Team ;)