Exercise After Waking Up, Part 2

Churning. Crampton considers this exercise as difficult, so he suggests to do the exercise in front of a mirror. Sit upright at the edge of the bed, keep head and hips stationary.

To acquaint yourself with the movements, first move the trunk as far forward as possible, then as far back as possible, then to the right, and then to the left. Head and hips are to remain in line.
Push your trunk out front, then swivel to the right side, then out in back, and finally to the left.
Your shoulders will dip for the side positions, but not for the front or back positions.

To begin with, stop at each of the four positions for a second or two. After the movements have been mastered, swing slowly in a circle without stopping. Repeat about ten times in the beginning adding more circles each week until you are doing about 25.

Second only to headaches, backaches are our most common complaint. And most organic back problems are either caused or made worse by weak stomach muscles. The next exercise will strengthen the abdominal muscles as it limbers up and strengthens the back (stiff back muscles also cause back pain).

Compass. Named after the four points of the compass, this exercise has you standing, with feet about 24 inches apart and hands on hips. Bend to the right as far as possible, then to the left as far as possible, then back to the center. Bend forward as far as possible, then back all the way, then forward to the center.

Go easy in the beginning as you'll be stretching muscles that have grown stiff--and muscles may become strained or sore if overdone.

The Star Gazer. Crampton calls this exercise the star gazer (as you'll be looking at the ceiling). Most exercise programs, particularly those that are as brief as this one, overlook the neck. In fact, few people give their neck a thought, unless it becomes stiff. Although there are vertebrae between the shoulders and the skull, it is the muscle that keeps the head upright. Crampton's star gazer both strengthens the neck muscles and prevents tension and stiffness. Here's how it's done:

Stand erect, feet comfortably spread apart. Clasp hands behind the neck and look down for a count of 1. Raise your head and look straight ahead for the count of 2. Raise your head still further to a 45 degree angle for the count of 3--still clasping your hands behind the base of your skull. Now lift your head back parallel with the floor and look directly up to the ceiling for the count of 4, to the left for the count of 5, back to the center for the 6th count, over to the right for the 7th count, and back to the center for the final count of 8. Repeat this exercise several times.

In the beginning, you'll be performing these exercises at a fairly slow pace. After you become familiar with the movements and your stamina has increased, you'll be able to do more repetitions within the allotted 10 minutes.