This stretch is bound to wake your body up!

May 27, 2015 11:53 PM

Consider this your chance to ease into your day.

Thread the needle stretch

You may be thinking that you actually stretch every time you wake up in the morning but thats mostly natural and hardly gets your eyes fully opened in time to start preparing for work.

Bring your body to life first thing in the morning and give your muscles a natural caffeine-like boost with this feel-good stretch from Jenn Seracuse, director of Pilates at Flex Studios in New York City.

Thread the needle

This is a good way to release the upper and mid back, which tends to get very tight, especially if you spend the majority of your day in front of a computer, explains Seracuse. (Guilty!)

How to:

Come to all fours on the floor. Reach your left arm straight up toward the ceiling and rotate your chest slightly in that direction.

Prevent sinking into the right side of your body by keeping your right shoulder stacked over wrist and right hip over knee. Hold for three to five breaths.

Now take your left arm, bring it down and reach it under and through your right armpit as if you're "threading the needle".

Bring your left shoulder and ear to graze the floor. Hold for three to five breaths. Repeat on opposite side.