Do This Within 10 Minutes of Waking Up (Feel Amazing!)
Summary
Jeff Cavaliere of Athlean-X presents a four-stretch morning mobility routine designed to be completed within 10 minutes of waking up. The sequence targets commonly tight areas including the groin, hamstrings, peroneals, hip flexors, and outer hips. Performing these stretches daily is intended to improve how the body feels and performs throughout the day.
Key Points
- Do it within 10 minutes of waking — the tight time window prevents procrastination and helps build a consistent daily habit.
- Everyone experiences some form of tightness after getting out of bed, making a morning stretch routine especially effective.
- The entire sequence consists of four stretches and can be completed in approximately four minutes.
- The routine flows smoothly from one position to the next with minimal transitions.
- Key areas targeted — groin, hamstrings, peroneals, outer hips, and hip flexors — are commonly neglected in typical stretching routines.
- Tight outer hips and hip flexors are identified as a frequent contributor to low back pain.
- Each stretch is held for approximately 30 seconds.
Exercise Details
1. Seated Heel Sit (Groin Opener)
- Target muscles: Groin, low back, shoulders
- Form cues: Sit on the floor with feet and toes together, then sink back down onto your heels
- What to feel: A deep stretch through the groin
- Duration: 30 seconds
2. Downward Dog
- Target muscles: Hamstrings, calves, hips
- Form cues:
- Drive heels firmly into the ground — do not leave them raised
- Look upward slightly to encourage anterior pelvic tilt, which intensifies the hamstring stretch
- You may need to walk feet slightly closer to achieve full heel contact
- Common mistakes to avoid: Keeping toes planted while leaving heels off the ground — this reduces effectiveness
- Duration: 30 seconds
3. Step-Through Peroneal Stretch
- Target muscles: Peroneals (outer lower leg)
- Form cues:
- From downward dog, step one leg straight through with the knee locked
- Rest the outside of the foot flat on the ground
- Slide the upper body slightly toward the foot to deepen the stretch
- Repeat on the opposite side
- What to feel: An intense stretch along the outside of the lower leg
- Notable point: Jeff describes this as an area that is “never, ever” addressed in typical stretching
- Duration: 30 seconds per side
4. 90/90 Hip Stretch into Hip Flexor Lunge
- Target muscles: Outer hips, glutes, hip flexors, lower abs
- Form cues:
- Bring one leg forward, aiming for a 90-degree angle at both the knee and hip (the 90 hip stretch position)
- Sink into the position to feel a deep stretch in the outer hip
- Rise up tall to shift the stretch into the hip flexor of the rear leg
- Optionally raise one arm overhead to extend the stretch into the lower abs
- Switch legs and repeat on the other side
- What to feel: Outer hip stretch in the lower position; hip flexor stretch when tall
- Duration: 30 seconds per position per side