Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Play Isn’t Just for Kids

Play is often seen as something reserved for kids, a way to burn off energy and learn how to socialize. But it’s just as valuable for adults. In fact, play can be a powerful training tool that improves mental processing, reaction time, and the ability to adapt to unpredictable movement.

When we engage in play, we’re not just moving our bodies; we’re training our brains, muscles, and nervous systems all at once. Activities that feel like games help sharpen coordination, reflexes, and decision-making in ways that traditional workouts sometimes don’t.

What’s Really Happening During Play

Take a simple game of catch. It may seem basic, but there’s a lot going on beneath the surface.

Using something like a tennis ball challenges motor skills, depth perception, and hand-eye coordination. Add a rule like standing on one leg while playing, and suddenly you’re working on balance, focus, and control. Now layer in the unpredictability of a throw with different speeds, angles, or spins, and your brain is forced to react, adjust, and stay engaged.

This type of play improves:

• Attention control (focusing on multiple things at once)
• Cognitive flexibility (adjusting to unexpected changes)
• Spatial awareness and memory
• Quick decision-making under pressure

Compare that to a more routine workout, where movements can become automatic and require less real-time thinking. Play keeps the brain actively involved.

Building Creativity and Problem-Solving

As play becomes more complex, it encourages something called divergent thinking—the ability to come up with multiple solutions to a problem.

Players start to experiment:

• Trying new throwing patterns
• Changing strategies
• Creating unpredictable movements

This kind of imaginative play taps into areas of the brain responsible for creativity and planning. It makes the game more dynamic and, in turn, pushes everyone involved to elevate their skills.

Just as importantly, successfully navigating these challenges builds confidence and reinforces a mindset of continuous learning.

The Role of Reflection

One of the most effective ways to deepen the benefits of play is through guided discovery.

After a game, simple questions can help participants reflect and improve:

• “What were you focusing on when deciding where to move?”
• “Which throws were hardest to react to?”
• “How did you keep your opponent guessing?”

This kind of reflection helps connect the physical experience with mental awareness. Players begin to understand not just what they did, but why they did it—and how they can improve.

From Practice Back to Play

After breaking down skills and working on them individually, the next step is bringing everything back into the game.

With repetition, these skills become automatic. That’s the goal! Building reactions and coordination that don’t require overthinking in the moment.

Research continues to show that better coordination and faster reflexes can reduce the risk of falls and everyday injuries. But beyond the physical benefits, play also:

• Builds confidence
• Strengthens social connections
• Keeps movement enjoyable

Why It Matters

When people understand why play is important, it changes how they approach it. It’s no longer “just a game” it’s meaningful, high-level training that happens to be fun.

By giving individuals the tools to reflect, improve, and re-engage, we help them develop skills that last a lifetime. And maybe most importantly, we remind them that improving their health and performance doesn’t always have to feel like work.

Sometimes, it just looks like play.

Take a moment and think back to when you were a kid at recess—when you were able to take a break from the classroom, where you could run, climb, jump, and play without thinking about “exercise.” Usually, it was a time we all looked forward to—away from our school desks. Playing tag, jumping rope, shooting basketball with friends, climbing on the monkey bars, and swinging were all staples of recess and are great forms of exercise. Recess is grounded in children having fun while getting adequate daily movement. As kids, fun naturally guided us toward physical activity. So why does that have to change as adults?

Spoiler alert—it doesn’t!!

As adults, sometimes thinking about having to carve out time to exercise feels heavy and even unmotivating. We get stuck in our routines, and daily movement becomes another chore to cross off the list. What if you could reframe that mindset? What if movement could feel like adult recess—a time to be creative, play, explore, and try new things? This doesn’t have to be an everyday occurrence. Bringing fun into your routine even a few times a week can help exercise feel more meaningful and sustainable. Here are some ways to make that shift:

Novelty: Trying Something New
Adding novelty to your fitness routine is one of the quickest ways to bring fun back into movement. This might look like trying a themed workout, joining a group fitness class, introducing different equipment, or starting a fresh challenge or program. Your brain loves variety—new experiences activate curiosity, excitement, and reward pathways, which make movement more enjoyable and encourage consistency. When exercise stops feeling repetitive, it becomes something you want to return to.

Trying a Micro-Workout (10-Minute Workout)
If long workouts feel overwhelming, micro-workouts can be a game-changer. A 10-minute workout may feel small, but it can boost energy, improve mood, and break up your day in a refreshing way. These short bursts of movement are easy to fit into a busy schedule and can help eliminate the “all-or-nothing” mentality. Over time, micro-workouts can also build confidence and momentum, making you more likely to add more activity naturally.

Choosing Movement You Enjoy
One of the simplest ways to make exercise fun is to stop forcing yourself into forms of movement you dread. Enjoyment is a powerful motivator. Whether it’s biking, rollerblading, swimming, pickleball, rock climbing, joining a sports league, or taking a dance class—lean into activities that naturally make you happy. When movement feels like “play,” you don’t need discipline to keep going—you keep going because you genuinely look forward to it.

Adding a Social Component
Movement becomes more enjoyable and sustainable when you add a social aspect. Whether you invite a friend to join you for a workout, schedule walk-and-talk meetings, or attend a group fitness class, you benefit from connection and accountability. Exercising with others can reduce stress, increase motivation, and make the experience far more fun. Humans are wired for community—use that to your advantage.

Changing the Environment
A change of scenery can completely shift your experience with exercise. Moving from the machine area of the gym to free weights or a group fitness room, trying a new park or outdoor trail, taking a break from work to do a short “deskercise” routine, or even rearranging your home workout space can make movement feel energizing again. Environments play a huge role in how motivated and engaged we feel. When you switch up your setting, you invite creativity, mental stimulation, and fresh energy into your routine.

Being Mindful
Being mindful during movement means paying attention to how exercise makes you feel—both physically and emotionally. Instead of focusing on how long a workout takes or how many calories you burn, try noticing improvements like a brighter mood, less stress, more energy, or feeling more capable in your daily life. When you intentionally acknowledge these benefits, movement becomes something you look forward to rather than something you feel obligated to do. Mindfulness turns exercise into a positive experience instead of a punishment.

Using Music Intentionally
Music has the power to elevate your entire workout experience. Curate a playlist that genuinely excites you or try matching specific exercises to songs to create a sense of flow and rhythm. Music can increase enjoyment, boost performance, and make time pass more quickly. When the right song hits, movement becomes less of a task and more of a fun experience.

Turning Movement into a Game
“Gamifying” movement can transform workouts from something you “should” do into something you want to do. Try fitness bingo, movement-based challenges, or interactive apps like Pokémon Go or Zombies, Run! These tools tap into your natural desire for reward, achievement, and play. When exercise feels like a game, even small amounts of movement feel exciting and meaningful.

As you are training for an endurance race of any kind, it can be very difficult to build up to high mileage and maintain it. The mileage will start to put stress on the body and drain your energy, no matter the good that it still causes. But have no fear, because there are ways to manage this and help the body maintain your abilities for longer. Here are a few different ways this can be accomplished:

Fueled Muscles Are Good Muscles:
Muscles need carbohydrates to produce energy and keep going. They also need protein to rebuild bigger, stronger, and better for the task ahead. Refueling is one of the most vital components to continuing through a high workload period.

The More Sleep, the Better:
The body needs sleep to reenergize, of course, but it is more than that when it comes to endurance training. Just like muscles need protein to heal, they also need sleep to continue making the adaptations required. Other structures in the body that take a beating during this type of exercise—such as bones and soft tissues (tendons, ligaments, etc.)—also need sleep to make proper changes.

A Loose Body Is a Happy Body:
It has been said many times that stretching after a workout is beneficial, and that idea still holds true. Using a foam roller and doing full-body work—or focusing on tighter areas that stretching didn’t address—is another great approach.

Warm It Up:
Getting a proper warm-up that includes not just active movement, but also mobility and activation drills makes activity much more manageable day in and day out—especially during periods of high load.

Make It Easier for Yourself:
There is a reason easy mileage is part of a structured plan. Workouts are meant to be high-intensity days, which means easy days should truly be easy and almost serve as active recovery. The hard days will feel much better if you ease off the gas when the plan calls for it.

With everything, there is always more that is possible. The hope is that these helpful tips make your grind through high mileage a bit easier and more manageable. Those are the moments that count in a training program, so doing the little things can make a big difference.

Most people think about setting new personal bests, peak mileage, or even a faster pace. But the people who end up crossing the finish line strong all share one thing: they have mastered the art of recovery.

When training, we generally see two equal parts: effort and rest. While we wish we could train every single day—driven by ambition, feelings of falling behind, or just sheer enthusiasm—the science behind it is very clear: recovery is not a pause in our training. Recovery is our training.

While training, we create microscopic tears in our muscle fibers. The cardiovascular system is stressed. Our joints and tendons absorb thousands of pounds of force with each step run and with every repetition. None of that adapts, strengthens, or improves during the lift or run itself. This improvement happens during rest, when your body can rebuild smarter and stronger than it was before. If we skip that process, we don’t just stall our own progress—we run the risk of injury, burnout, and fatigue that makes our end goals seem impossibly far away.

In this, you will learn why rest makes you faster, not slower; the difference in recovery styles; how sleep fuels our performance; and lastly, habits that you can implement in your own life to promote recovery.

The Science of Muscle Repair
Every time we train, we put our body under controlled, deliberate stress. This stress is also known as a stimulus. After providing a stimulus, the “adaptation”—or getting stronger, faster, and more efficient—happens in the recovery phase that follows. Our bodies don’t rebuild to baseline after recovery; they rebuild above it.

If you are just beginning, your muscles need about 24–48 hours to fully repair after a moderate-level training session. If we go beyond that window with another hard session, we are stacking stress on unhealed tissues. Prolonged overuse can lead to many injuries, such as shin splints, IT band syndrome, and stress fractures, which can become a real risk for runners.

Active vs. Passive Recovery
Recovery does not always mean doing nothing. Active and passive recovery both have a place in your training plan.

Passive recovery is rest: sleep, relaxation, and reduced physical activity. After a long run or a hard training session, your body really needs a day with low demand so it can focus entirely on repairing itself.

Active recovery involves gentle movement. This can be a 20-minute walk, light stretching, yoga, or a leisurely bicycle ride. These activities increase blood flow to tired muscles, helping flush out metabolic waste products like lactic acid without adding additional stress. Many experienced runners and lifters swear by an active recovery day between their hard training sessions.

Sleep Is Your Secret Weapon
If you're only getting six hours of sleep a night, there is no amount of foam rolling or nutrition planning that can make up for it. Sleep is when the vast majority of physical repair happens. Growth hormone secretion is at its highest levels during deep sleep, muscle glycogen is restored, and the nervous system resets itself in this state.

For people actively training, we should be aiming for 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night. If you even miss one good night of sleep and recovery, you can see reduced energy levels, lower perceived effort tolerance, and slower reaction time. Before a race or big training event, we need to prioritize sleep in the final week above almost everything else. A consistent pre-sleep routine, no screens for 30 minutes before bed, and a cool room can meaningfully improve both sleep quality and training outcomes.

Recovery Habits for Beginners

• Schedule Rest Days
Treat your rest days as non-negotiable in your training calendar—don’t skip them when you “feel good.”

• Proper Cool Downs
Helping your heart rate return to baseline will promote a faster recovery process.

• Stretching and Mobility
Focus on generally tight areas, including hip flexors, hamstrings, calves, quads, and shoulders. Holding these for 30–60 seconds is ideal.

• Foam Rolling
Self-myofascial release is a great way to break up tight or “sticky” muscles and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness after hard training.

• Post-Movement Meal
Don’t skip your carbohydrate- and protein-focused post-training meal—it’s a great way to speed up muscle glycogen restoration in the body.

• Cold and Heat Therapy
A cold shower or an ice bath can help reduce inflammation after an intense training session. Contrast therapy (alternating hot and cold) can also help accelerate recovery.

• Listening to Your Body
Knowing your body is your best recovery tool. Persistent fatigue, soreness that doesn’t go away, or a drop in overall mood are all signs your body needs more time to recover—not another workout or long run.

Training for a lifting competition, 5K, or mini marathon is one of the most rewarding things you can do for your health and confidence. It only pays off when you practice both the effort and the rest. Build your recovery in from day one, and you won’t just reach the finish line—you’ll cross it feeling like you could go further.

The impact of prolonged, stationary sitting can pose risks, especially if it lasts more than 6–8 hours a day. Sitting for long periods without movement can cause stiffness, which leads to muscle weakness. It can also slow circulation and contribute to metabolic issues, increasing the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Despite these potential consequences, there are ways to counteract sedentary behavior. Taking time for seated movement breaks can improve work productivity and help reduce these risks later in life.

Seated movement breaks can boost productivity by increasing blood flow to the brain, which helps improve cognitive function. This can directly enhance memory, attention span, and thinking ability. Movement also helps lower stress levels and releases “feel-good” hormones such as endorphins. Because of this, anxiety levels may decrease. Similarly, seated movement breaks physically reduce muscular stiffness. When you move, circulation increases, allowing blood flow to reach the muscles. This helps prevent muscle filaments from shortening and becoming tight. Movement also benefits the joints by triggering the production of synovial fluid, which lubricates surrounding cartilage and reduces joint stiffness. Sedentary activity lowers metabolism, which can cause a buildup of metabolic waste. Movement helps remove these wastes from the muscles.

Movement breaks can include physical activities that focus on dynamic stretching and posture adjustments. Below are some examples of dynamic movements that can be done while seated.

• Seated neck rolls can help release built-up tension.

• Rolling your shoulders backward and forward can help relieve tension and improve posture that may suffer from prolonged screen use.

• Spinal twists gently rotate the core and help improve circulation.

• Seated marches or extending your legs up and down under a desk can increase blood flow to the lower body. This helps areas like the hips stay mobile and prevents tightness that can lead to issues such as lower back pain.

Constantly adjusting posture or changing position can help prevent discomfort. It keeps nerves from becoming compressed, maintains steady blood flow, and prevents muscles from going numb. While not necessarily a movement, deep breathing can also help calm the mind and increase oxygen intake for stress relief. It is best to incorporate these movement techniques and postural changes every 30 to 60 minutes to reduce overall stiffness.

Movement, such as stretching or changing positions in a chair, can increase awareness and help break through short-term issues like difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and mental fatigue. It also reduces tissue tension, especially in vulnerable areas like the neck, hips, and back. For long-term benefits, regular movement can reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, supporting a longer and healthier life. Incorporating seated movement breaks every 30 to 60 minutes can significantly improve productivity in the workplace.

Having a full-time job and doing anything else during the day can be very difficult—especially exercise. Endurance training takes time, so feeling discouraged about training is not uncommon. The goal of successful training is simply being able to fit it into your schedule and get it done! There are a few different ways this can be accomplished, and a lot of it comes down to understanding who you are and what habits you naturally have in your day-to-day routine.

Early Bird Gets the Worm:
Some people find mornings work best. As soon as their eyes open, they are ready to get moving. Many use this time to head to the gym and knock out their training session before heading to work.

Productivity Does Not Stop After Work:
Some people prefer constant motion and don’t stop to relax after their shift is done for the day. For these individuals, it might be easiest to find a gym or training route on their way home from work.

Midday Movers:
Others find they are most productive in the middle of the day during their lunch break. If you have an onsite fitness center, this can be a very convenient time to fit in a workout. Many facilities have treadmills or safe paths around campus to help you complete your training for the day.

Some people struggle with finding places to run, and that can be difficult if there is uncertainty about where to go. While it might feel challenging to get out and explore possible routes or locations, there are a few good places to start.

Parks:
Parks are a great starting point. Most include peaceful paths through fields or wooded areas that can provide mental clarity. In some cases, there are trail loops laid out for users that offer varying distances, difficulties, and terrain. If there is one near your workplace or home, that’s a great place to begin!

College Campuses:
College campuses are another good option. They usually have plenty of paths weaving throughout the campus, so there is almost never a shortage of new routes to try. Universities often feel like their own little bubble, meaning less traffic and fewer interruptions, which can help you stay focused.

When in Doubt, Look Online:
If you live in a big city, there are usually plenty of websites or forums that are regularly updated with new or popular routes that avid runners enjoy. These can also be great opportunities to meet both new and experienced runners and walkers.

Another aspect to consider is how to train for common road-running events like the 5K, 10K, and mini marathon. A great way to start is by running or walking 2–4 days per week during the first couple of weeks. From there, gradually build the frequency of your runs. Once you are comfortable with that routine, add an extra mile or two occasionally to push your comfort zone.

After that, a good next step is to run a little faster one or two days each week and slowly progress your speed over time. Another important habit to develop is adding at least one cross-training day each week. Cross-training can include activities like biking, rowing, swimming, or strength training. These exercises help prevent injuries by reducing the repeated pounding on your legs while still providing the endurance training needed to continue improving cardiovascular fitness. And remember—always stretch after each workout session, no matter what type of exercise you are doing.

Training for a race while working a full-time job can be challenging. Finding a way to fit training sessions into your workday isn’t always easy, but it is possible. Finding safe and enjoyable places to run can feel intimidating at first, but there are always places to start. If you have figured out how to fit training into your schedule and found places to run, then you are already on the right track. From there, it’s simply about gradually increasing frequency, intensity, and volume.

This should give you a good starting point for your training journey. Best of luck!

Last week, I was in the Fitness Center chatting with one of our residents, Kent. He’s quick-witted, loves trivia, and can tell a joke faster than I can blink. But when a light body sculpt ball rolled off a chair behind him, he turned around, snatched it mid-air, and said, “I’ve still got it!”

We both laughed, but afterward, I couldn’t stop thinking about how powerful those quick, spontaneous movements really are. Reflexes aren’t just about catching falling objects or avoiding a stubbed toe. They’re about keeping your brain young, alert, and adaptable.

When you move quickly, your brain doesn’t have time to overthink - it has to act. Those lightning-fast reactions come from communication between your nervous system and muscles, and the more you practice, the sharper that communication becomes.

Every time you step over a puddle, catch your balance on uneven ground, or tap your foot to the beat of a song, your brain is firing signals at top speed. It’s a dance between brain and body.

Science backs it up, too. Reflex-based activities improve reaction time, coordination, and cognitive processing speed. In other words, quick moves don’t just help you stay on your feet, they allow you to think faster and stay mentally flexible.

Reflexes Aren’t Just for Athletes

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to sprint or play tennis to keep your reflexes sharp. In fact, some of the best reflex workouts are simple, fun, and doable right in your living room.

Try these:
- Ball toss drills: Grab a tennis ball and bounce it off a wall. Catch it with one hand, then switch to the other to challenge coordination.
- Follow the clap games: Have a partner clap or call out “Go!” and respond as fast as you can with a movement like tapping your knees, reaching overhead, or even jumping in place.
- Step reactions: Stand behind a line and step forward, back, or sideways the moment a cue is given.

You can even turn daily life into reflex training. Ever reach for a falling spoon or dodge a closing elevator door? That’s your nervous system doing brain bootcamp.

A Story from the Studio
A few months ago, one of our residents told me she’d started dropping things more often—coffee mugs, keys, you name it. “I feel like my hands are on vacation,” she joked.

So, we started working small reflex drills into her exercise routine. Ball catches, fast-paced tapping sequences, and reaction games. Within weeks, she began to notice a difference. “I didn’t realize how much quicker I could feel,” she said. “It’s like my brain woke up.”

That’s the power of quick moves, they don’t just train your body, they wake up your mind.

Your Turn
You don’t need fancy equipment or a structured class to boost your reflexes, just curiosity and a willingness to play. Challenge yourself to move a little faster when the opportunity pops up. Reach for the phone before the second ring, try a new dance step, or see how quickly you can tap your toes to a favorite tune.

The goal isn’t perfection, it’s staying engaged with the world around you. Every quick move you make tells your brain, I’m still learning. I’m still quick. I’ve still got it.

As a fitness professional, we often see gym memberships go unused, and workout routines are given up after a few weeks. We ask ourselves the critical question of how do we keep people coming back? One promising method to answer this question is learning-based fitness, which is an approach that blends physical fitness with education, skill building, and intentional progression. Rather than tell participants what to do, learning-based fitness sessions will help focus on understanding the why and how movements work. This shift will transform workouts from repetitive tasks into an engaging and confidence-building experience.

​So, what is a learning-based fitness session? These sessions will intentionally integrate coaching, explanation, and feedback into the workout. These sessions could include teaching proper movement mechanics and technique, explaining the purpose behind specific exercises, encouraging questions, and progressively building skills over time. Instead of treating the participants as passive listeners and doers, this alternative approach positions them to be active listeners. Whether it’s understanding how to safely perform a squat, how heart rate zones work, or why rest days are important, education is part of the workout and not an afterthought.

​Engagement is the biggest predictor of adhering long-term to exercise. When individuals feel bored or confused, the motivation drops quickly. Workouts that solely rely on repetition or intensity can lead to burnout and injury if you don’t have a good understanding of exercise as a whole. Learning-based sessions can address this by making workouts more mentally stimulating, creating moments of confidence and progress, and helping participants invest in their own development and growth. When people understand the what and the why, they are more likely to stay attentive and keep showing up.

​Consistency is one of the biggest points we try to drive home when working with clients or individuals looking to get started on a fitness journey. These learning-based sessions will support consistency in different ways.

As confidence increases through these sessions, hesitationwill decrease. Clients/ participants are more willing to show up, be comfortable with trying new things, and stay committed because they feel more capable and not overwhelmed.

Building trust through these sessions is another key aspect ofthe relationship between the coach and client or participant. When a client sees that a coach is fully involved in their understanding, not just how they perform physically, it strengthens the relationship. This trust will show in ways like; clients are more open about their limitations, communicate honestly about their stress and recovery, and are more likely to follow through on recommendations provided by the coach. A trusted coach won’t just be a motivator but a guide when learning-based sessions are used.

The most powerful outcome that comes out of learning-based fitness is the feeling of empowerment and being able to make your own sound decisions about your own training. The education provided will help recognize quality movement and proper technique, understand how to modify exercises, and apply training principles on their own. This empowerment doesn’t reduce the value of coaching but enhances it. Clients will better understand the process and be grateful for the guidance that helped them continue progressing safely and effectively. This empowerment can also extend outside the gym setting by applying those same principles learned to activities like safely lifting objects, managing stress, prioritizing recovery, and overall staying active independently. It will help them understand that fitness isn’t about the short-term results but more about developing good skills and habits to support lifelong health.

Leaning-based fitness sessions will create more than a physical change, they build understanding, confidence, and long-term commitment. When we incorporate education into the training, it increases engagement, supports consistency, and strengthens the trust between coaches and participants. When individuals understand what and why they are doing it, fitness will become less intimidating and more empowering.Confidence will replace hesitation, motivation will become more intrinsic, and consistency feels within reach rather than forced.

Overall, learning-based fitness will shift the focus from simply completing a workout to developing necessary skills, awareness, and ownership. Take on these sessions with an open-mind and you will have your own success story to write about.

By now, I’m sure you have recognized that most of the modern amenities we enjoy, especially as our days are winding down, are not helping us rest. Most US citizens now report falling to sleep while watching television or staring at their mobile phone. Moreover, those lost z’s are not being recovered, taxing our bodies in ways that may be leading us toward chronic illness. Rather than lecture on your nightly binge-watching on your favorite streaming service, though, here are some useful physical things you can add to the end of your day to help you sleep.

First, four tips to help calm your body and mind before you lie down to sleep and a note on the type of activity that is appropriate for an evening routine:

Tip 1: Try to plan your evening routine with the same vigor as your outlook schedule at work; I’ll give you an example at the end of the article.

Tip 2: Drink water early and regularly throughout the day. Trying to hit your hydration goal after 6pm is setting yourself up for multiple sleep interruptions to hit the restroom.

Tip 3: You should try to have your last bite of dinner three to four hours before you sleep and there is growing evidence that even more time is better for some individuals. Put your phone down and cut the streaming feed; you must prioritize restful, deep sleep to expect improvement and discover the benefits.

Tip 4: Within three hours of your intended bedtime is not the time for rigorous strength or cardio routines. As much as I would love to report that it’s better to get the HIIT session or weight training in, the science shows that pushing beyond zone 2, or moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (60-70% of your maximum heart rate [220-your age]), will make it more difficult to relax and reach the needed deep sleep for recovery. Without adequate sleep, your recovery from the stresses of work, family, and exercise is critically slowed, possibly halted.

So, some light activity at least an hour before you intend to sleep is the way. To start, go for a walk, not for speed, but for leisure, staying away from the lights of phone and television screens, just take yourself (if you must, just keep your phone in your pocket). I would also suggest a yoga flow or nightly stretching routine closer to bedtime. This potential habit is simple, requires little to no setup time or space, and can lower blood pressure, improve sleep quality, and help make those lingering muscle pangs put their fangs away for the evening. Here are three levels of a basic stretch routine; These stack upon each other and can be adopted first and then added to an evening walk or hike. Choose your speed and try them out. If you enjoy the base session over the course of a few days, step into the next!

A. Have a seat (in your bed, if you’re just getting ready to sleep), with legs crossed or out in front of you, in a comfortable position for you. Alternate a reach across your body two to three times, each way. End with a soft, alternating neck stretch (think ear to shoulder) with only the weight of your head – no additional weight or force from hands or arms is necessary.

B. Stand with your feet roughly double shoulder width. Keep your breath slow and steady, alternate a reach to the opposite foot with each arm. Each movement should take at least one full breath cycle. You may repeat this series one to three times. Then, perform series A.

C. Stand tall and slowly bring your arms overhead while taking a deep breath in. From the top of your stretch, lower your arms as you exhale and follow your hands down into a forward fold. Enjoy the stretch through your hamstrings and posterior chain for two to three breath cycles, slowly pedaling your feet (like walking in place) to increase the stretch carefully. Add series B. Repeat this standing protocol (series C, series B) for one to three rounds. Finally, finish the stretch cycle with series A.

With a little planning (and, possibly putting off that new show until the weekend) you can rewire your body to allow you to get the kind of sleep that finds you feeling rested when you wake. As promised, an example of the type of planning you may want to develop from Tip 1:

If you need to wake up at 4am to start your day, this probably means making some major changes. To achieve the suggested 7-8 hours of sleep to recover, that means lights out at 8pm, if you perform your stretch routine from above for three cycles, you need to be ready for bed and starting that routine by about 7:45. If you intend to do some light activity, a walk or hike, it needs to be completed by 6:45p. Your last bite of dinner goes down at 4pm, maybe 5pm. If your eyes just went wide, thinking about what that means for your tv and social schedule, how that might affect getting your kids to bed, and how very sad you will be to put that streaming series off until you actually have time to watch it… you’re right. It’s a commitment to make a necessary improvement. I believe in you.

In time, if you have adopted the protocol and see some improvement in your time in deep sleep and a more restful sleep overall, congratulations! You’ve taken just a few additional steps to prepare your body (and your mind) to rest, building a habit that will set you up for success. Adding a regular strength routine and more vigorous or longer-lasting cardiovascular training sessions earlier in the day will further increase their efficacy.